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Armando Benitez
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 79 of 1252 players
Armando German Benitez
Born: November 3, 1972 at Ramon Santana, Dominican Republic
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.04 Weight: 229

Armando Benitez has been the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup 18 times, most recently on June 3, 2021.

First Mets game: April 7, 1999
Last Mets game: July 13, 2003

Share your memories of Armando Benitez HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Somebody I believe it was during the 1998 season when Benitez was pitching for the Orioles, he was on the mound against the Yankees. Out of nowhere he plunked Tino Martinez with one of those 98 mph fastballs. The benches cleared and chaos ensued. Then of all people, Darryl Strawberry ran out and beat the living hell out of Benitez's face. At the time I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. Well two years have passed and I think of this story at the end of Subway Series 2000. On July 8, 2000, Roger Clemens knocked Piazza unconcious with one of his aging...errr..i mean blazing fastballs. As of that moment, bedlam reigned Yankee Stadium as fans and players alike brought a new attitude to this series; they began to hate each other. Well, the next night, the Mets have a two-run lead, in the bottom of the ninth. Benitez is pitching good stuff, and who come up....Tino Martinez! Man, I wanted Benitez to bean him so hard! There woulda been a brawl on the field and in the stands! This new hatred is gonna make for one hell of a World Series. Bill How can you NOT like this guy's stuff? I mean throwing 95-99 mph heaters mixed in with splitters = strikeouts. Sure he struggled at the beginning of this season and was inconsistent but he's been great lately, with 15 saves so far, as of June 5, 2000. He doesn't get as much attention as other Mets but he's a key player. Good bullpens win championships. murphy Can someone please explain to me why Benitez is having so much trouble throwing strikes to lefthanders this year? Everything is up and away. Please get in on the fists of the lefties, Armando. Your stuff is way too good to struggle. You are one of a handful of major leaguers that can throw a splitter in the strike zone. Most guys throw splitters to get swinging strikes at balls in the dirt. Use it as your out pitch more often....please? I'm begging. Mr. Sparkle Thanks for blowing Game 1 of the Series and possibly the entire Subway Series because of it. Get rid of this bum now! He'll bring good value but he's one of the worst clutch pitchers of all time. He's unbelievably awesome at times, unless of course it's a big game and then he sucks! I'd rather have a 50 year old Skip Lockwood back closing games than to see this loser in a big spot. I'd even rather have Rocker come to the Mets. They gotta get rid of this clown before next year! Alex December 14, 2000 Hmm....I used to love the guy. Had commanding stuff, got the job done. In 2000, even though he saved a record amount of games for the Mets, there were alot of times when he didn't have it. Threw alot more balls and was inconsistent with his heat. Then he blew game 1 of the World Series. Yeah, there were other factors in that game that would've helped but point is, we had the lead going into the bottom of the ninth.....and left without it. I dunno, now when I hear trade rumors involving Armando, maybe it's not such a bad thing. Coach HoJo20 December 20, 2000 Excuse me while I choke in the Playoffs...... Benitez is good but he shouldn't be the closer on the Mets it should be Johnny Boy Franco. The minute he was made the closer I knew this would back fire on us but I guess the Mets had to find that out the hard way when he blew game one for us Every one doubted Franco and said Benitez was better well last time I checked Franco was the ONLY pitcher to actually get us a win in the 2K World Series. I think we learned a valuable lesson here..... NEVER DOUBT JOHN FRANCO Won Doney January 2, 2001 He can be very good during most of the season, but he is AWFUL in the fall. I think that the Mets should trade him away. I think that Franco is more reliable and deserves to be the closer more than Benitez. Another thing about Benitez that makes the cons about him outweigh the pros is the whole incident with his fiance. kinerskorner June 16, 2001 Tonight, June 15, was the beginning of the first subway series of the year, at Shea. About 15 minutes before the game, Channel 11 wasn't running anything so I flipped over (for some unknown reason) to MSG, wondering if they were doing some kind of pregame show. Naturally I'd rather eat glass than listen to Al Trautweig, but I figured maybe there'd be something interesting on before the game. When I got there, they were showing Paul O'Neill's at bat against Benitez at the end of game 1 of the World Series. That at-bat definitely changed the complexion of that game and arguably that of the whole series as well. No matter what people say about how great Benitez is, and he does have great stuff, watching that replay made me realize why this team will never win a championship with him closing. A veteran hitter was playing it smart, trying to get on base and fouling back pitch after pitch, and eventually got him to go out of the strike zone and he walked him. Watching that clip, I just feel like Benitez beats himself all the time in pressure situations (i.e. J.T. Snow's 3 home run, among other things). It's like he doesn't trust himself and that's when he runs into trouble. If somebody so much as makes contact with one of his 98 mph fastballs, he freaks out and starts going all over the place. It seems like he's too emotional a player to be a closer. His emotion can be helpful when he's going well and doesn't think anyone can touch him, and that's when he gets on one of those runs like he did last summer. But once doubt creeps in, look out. He definitely is unhittable at times, but I worry if he gets into a game with a lot on the line. Big E July 16, 2001 Hasn't blown a save all year but Charlie Hough should have his right arm broken any time he signals to bring Benitez in from the pen in a tie game. By the way, I'm sure the old knuckleballer can offer a lot to a wild flamethrower like Benitez. Mr. Sparkle August 8, 2001 Tonights game 5-2 Met lead going into the 9th. Piece of cake save opportunity. The wife beater decides to pitch batting practice and gives up bombs to the first two batters. 5-4. He get control, gets the next two out and then gives up a long double to Luis Lopez, the ex-Met. Now I'm sweatin' bullets. Why can't Franco come in when Benitez clearly doesn't have it? When he's bad he's horrible. Next batter, walk. I'm throwing stuff at the TV now. Next batter pops up to shallow right, game over. Unbeleivable. The man responsible for losing the series last year still drives me nuts. He had a good string this year but now it's over. I'd prefer Franco any day. At least you know his head is in the game. Mr. Sparkle September 24, 2001 I blame him for losing the World Series last year because he blew game one and now he blows a critical game against the Braves in even worse fashion which kills our miracle pennant chase. You can't lose 4-1 leads in the ninth but Armando did it. How can a closer give up 3 runs like that with two outs? There is no excuse. He blew the series and now it looks like he has blown the season. If this game were in April he may have saved it but in gut check time he chokes. I know how good he can be but if you don't deliver in the clutch what's the point? Mr. Sparkle October 1, 2001 I wasn't able to see Saturday's game against the Braves but I did get in my car to listen just in time for the bottom of the ninth. Mets were up 5-1 and Benitez came into pitch. I thought, there's no way he can blow this one. It wasn't even a save opportunity since we were up by 4. Mr. Clutch of course breaks down and gives up 3 runs before they bring in Franco. Unfortunately Johnny screwed up too and lost the game but Armando is the main culprit here. The guy has 42 saves and the only times he blows one is in a clutch situation. He can mow down the Brewers and the Reds and the Expos but in a clutch spot he sucks!!!! THis makes 4 blow saves for the year. This one, the other Brave game and two others (not sure against who). The last two of last year were in the World Series and against the Giants in the playoffs. He had this reputation as a choker with the Orioles and he's living up to it big time here. THe league hits .180 off the guy but in a big game he can't get anyone out. If he could have done his job and hold a 3 and 4 run lead against the Braves we'd be in a 3 way tie for first place right now instead of 4 games out and dead. Nice going Armando. Bring back Mel Rojas!!! Andy from Rego Park October 21, 2001 Having witnessed both Brian Jordan disasters this season (to say nothing of game 6 against the Braves in '99, as well as the JT Snow homer and Game 1 of the Series against the Yanks last year), I can only conclude that neither the Mets nor any team that employs Armando Benitez as its "closer" will ever win a championship. Jim Snedeker November 15, 2001 First of all, it was not Armando's fault that the Mets did so poorly at the end of the 2001 season. Chalk that up to the Mets' offense, who took the first five months of the season off. If they had done their jobs, Benitez's two incredible chokes in the last two weeks of the season wouldn't have made any difference. But I must admit that I have never seen Armando win a game. EVERY time I have tuned in a Mets game in which he is brought in, he blows it. It makes me pine for the old days when a "quality start" for a pitcher meant PITCHING NINE INNINGS!!! I can't stand the modern-day managing which says that even if your starter is sailing along after seven innings, YOU MUST TAKE HIM OUT TO PRESERVE HIS ARM. Yeah, preserve his arm, and give him a no-decision instead of the win he deserved, because the stupid closer can't save the game. Well, back to Armando... I remember in the late 80's when the Mets employed a team psychiatrist. I think it would be a good idea to try one with Armando. It's obvious that he has great stuff (though I've never seen it!); but why can't he find it in clutch situations? Jujo November 16, 2001 This is hard to say, but Benitez is only good for 40 saves a year and that's nice. However, he cannot save or win THE BIG ONES when needed (lookup playoffs against SF, Yanks, and of course the Braves). His stock is very high. His trade could bring back some real players (maybe even ARod). The bottom line is many pitchers have been made relievers (Aguilera, Isringhausen, etc). If the Mets could convert one of their staff to do the job, a Benitez trade would bring back some real value. murphy November 30, 2001 Here is what it comes down to for Benitez. When he is in a big spot, he tends to throw nothing but fastball after fastball after fastball. The walk to O'Neill in Game 1 of the World Series is a perfect example. He never once deviated from throwing the fastball to the outside corner. Same thing in his two meltdowns against the Braves this season. Somebody needs to convince Benitez that he has to throw the damn splitter once he realizes the hitter is on the fastball. His splitter is devastating when he doesn't overthrow it. He's not Lee Smith, who had an absolutely awful slider. He has two very good breaking pitches. He just forgets about them sometimes. If he ever actually learns the mental aspect of pitching, he would be damn near unhittable. He has as much physical talent as any closer in the game, but seems to carry a concrete block for a head. Running a few extra miles in the offseason might help, too. Anthony Pesca December 18, 2001 Give this guy a break. I know he's not Mariano but with that exception, who's better than Armando? Percival, Wagner? If you say Percival has never blown a big game you're right, but he's also never pitched in one. As for Wagner, I think that shot Chipper hit off of him in the playoffs is still going. Bobby V. is right by saying that if everyone had the year Armando had, the Mets would have been a playoff year in 2001. Won Doney January 23, 2002 Benitez is a great closer, but it seems like the only time I have a reaction to what he does is when he blows games late in the year. If he didn't blow so many important games at the end of the year, it would be easier to talk about how great he is. Lets' face it. There are no closers in baseball that are better than him from about May to August. Larry Burns May 16, 2002 This guy is the antithesis of a big game pitcher. The bigger the game, the more he blows. Against the Devil Rays in May he looks like a combination of Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, Tug McGraw and Jesse Orosco. Absolutely untouchable and one of the game's best relievers. Late in the year, against a quality opponent in a big spot he looks like a combination of Ally McBeal and Nathan Lane -- an anorexic wimp! In a big spot I would rather have Danny Almonte. As long as he is "the man out of the pen" for the Mets, I do not see them winning anything except team that gets the closest before blowing it! Larry_burns June 15, 2002 So Ace tells us Met fans to shut up because Armando set single season records for saves. Well let's look at my thesis: The bigger the game the more he sucks. Last night, 2-1 lead over the Yankees, season on the brink, huge game for June. Bring in Benitez to close it and -- tie game -- we lose later. WHAT is the mystery of this guy? He chokes in big spots, period. Armando MUST be banished to a spot where he will not hurt us. Shari June 21, 2002 I always say I wish they had a stat for making a huge mess and getting out of it by the skin of yur teeth. Yesterday Benitez turns a 3-0 lead into a 3-2 save. He is another king of the "Agita Save" in the same vein as John Franco and Doug Sisk. Why these guys can't come in for one inning and get 3 straight outs I'll never understand. I often wonder why Valentine puts him in games, but then again who else is there? Strickland can't get lefties out most of the time, but I guess it could have been worse instead of Benitez, they could have put that stiff Komiyama in and then we'd be looking at a 5-3 loss last night. I guess I should count my blessings. murphy August 5, 2002 Just like Willie Randolph's home run off Don Aase signaled the end of the 1989 season for the Mets, Craig Counsell's home run off Benitez on Saturday signals the end of the 2002 season. Big game, big spot, small results. Unfortunately, that spells Benitez's career in a Mets uniform. When the Mets really need him to dig down deep, he comes up shallow. Larry Burns September 5, 2002 My original theory of Armando blowing it in big spots was wrong. He now has added blowing any game at anytime. 2-1 Lead in the 9th. Mets completely out of it, trying not to set a National League mark for consecutive losses at home and--------bang, grooved fastball to Preston Wilson who deposits it over the leftfield wall. I actually threw my remote at the TV. I can no longer watch a game they bring this gigantic stiff into. I now know how Bosox fans felt about Bob Stanley. PLEASE ship this guy ANYWHERE!!!!! Dog Days January 21, 2003 Re: Closer agita: It's the fire, not the fireman. You'd be missing Armando if he was replaced by an average closer, who blows upwards of 6 games a year. Amazing how passionately Mets fans hate Armando Benitez, who is one of the best and most consistent closers in the bigs. It's amazing the revisionist history... all of a sudden the Craig Counsell home run game is a "big game..." What I've learned from Benitez critics is that the main criterion for a "big game" is "a game that Benitez blows." It's true that Benitez has struggled in the postseason. He drives me nuts, too. There is not an excuse that lets him off the hook for his performances in the playoffs. But there is a possible explanation that goes beyond "Benitez sucks HE SUCKS HE SUCKS HE SUCKS!!" Small sample size. And for all those clamoring for Franco, I remember when he was treated to the same hatred and frustration. It was ill-advised for Benitez to speak out this season, expressing his frustration with the grief that he takes from the media and the fans while being one of the best closers in baseball. But I can't say that I blame him. Larry Burns January 29, 2003 Dog---although everyone has an opinion I can assure you that the majority of Met fans would not miss Armando if he were replaced by an average closer who blows up to 6 games a year. Everyone knows Armando can dominate weaker teams and he puts up impressive numbers, but he falters when he is needed against good teams. There in lies the problem. He seems like he is an excellent closer and he brings you to August and September and you are in important games, but then when you need a quality save against an excellent team you will often find his pitches in the opposing teams bullpen. This then devastates the team and we cannot make it to the next level. He is a relief tease---he makes you think that he is gonna become great, he puts you in position to do well, but then BANG we lose a key game. We will NEVER, EVER, win a World Championship with Armando Benitez and simply hoping that he turns it around is not gonna do it either. We need to trade for or begin grooming a new closer for the future. AMEN! murphy February 21, 2003 Talk about revisionist history Dog Days. If you honestly don't remember how important that Craig Counsell HR off Benitez was to the utter collapse of the 2002 New York Mets, then you weren't paying attention. The Mets were 12-8 in their last 20 coming into that 4-game series and the team was saying what a "springboard" that series was going to be. And in Game 1 of the series, Edgardo Alfonzo hits a dramatic 2-run HR in the bottom of the 8th to give the Mets a one-run lead. All Benitez had to do was keep Craig frigging Counsell in the ballpark. Instead, he grooves the fastball. The players admitted that they collapsed as a team after that HR. Lost all four games of the series. Didn't win a single game at home in the month of August. Dropped 12 games in a row at one point. All started by a Craig Counsell HR served up by Armando Benitez. Who is the revisionist historian? Metsmind April 2, 2003 The simple truth about Benitez is that for all the physical abilities he has, he has never been a "door closer". He couldn't get the Orioles past the Yankees in key moments, and he still suffers the same weakness as a Met. Still, he is one of the "better" closers in the game today. All of this makes clear the point that being a lights out reliever is not an easy job Racking up saves for saves' sake is the silliest stat baseball has to offer (are you listening John Franco?) and It makes the case for Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersly to be Hall of Famers, because along with Bruce Sutter and Mariano Rivera, they are the only 4 closers since the save was invented to be "automatic", meaning the trailing team virtually had to consider the game over once these guys got in with a lead. Randy Packer April 11, 2003 First in the majors in save percentage over the last 3 years; most saves in 1 run games in the majors over the last three years; 86% save percentage in September games over the past 4 years. Benitez is one of the best closers in baseball. Fan complaints about him are based on emotion and anecdotal observation which has no basis in reality. His performance is not perfect, but it compares favorably to anybody in baseball. Tom S. April 11, 2003 I have never felt so unconfident, embarrased, or angry about any player in the history of sports. When a player in any sport is about 95% effective in any category, it's hard to really get on him for that 5% that he may fail. Well, Benitez has a penchant for blowing seasons, big games, and most disgraceful, leaving the clubhouse after blowing games. Benitez saves every game when it doesn't matter, and blows the ones that do - ALWAYS. That's about the only reliable thing you can say about the guy. The only way I will ever feel confident about Benitez is when he's traded and is trying to close a game against the Mets. I cannot stand him, dear God, I cannot stand him! Metsmind April 13, 2003 You don't need to read stats to know that Benitez, like his predecessor, is a one-trick pony that opposing players and managers are not intimidated by in the least. The comment about needing to win some games early, on the otherhand, is quite astute--- the closer shouldn't matter as much to any team-- it should just be the guy who happened to match up well with the last batter the losing team sent to the plate. But Benitez, for all his macho, has an IQ and an ego of a pampered child, and doesn't have the mental fortitude to pitch the 7th inning if that's where he is needed most one night, nor to recover from being replaced if the batter or situation calls for a better matchup. His own frailty, defended by a do nothing agent, ties the hands of a manager to do what he gets paid for, which is make managerial decisions. Benitez is the typical athlete of this era-- stronger, more arrogant, more overpaid, and less enjoyable to watch and root for than ever. Jonah Falcon April 13, 2003 There are two HUGE problems with Armando Benitez: a) His fastball is straight as a line. It has NO movement whatsoever. It doesn't matter if you can throw it 100mph because major league hitters will catch up, and if a fastball is straight, you don't need to do much to hit it hard - just stick the bat out. b) His temperment is completely wrong. I remember that he twice drilled Tino Martinez in the back after the man in front of him homered (once with the Mariners, the next time with the Yankees.) In fact, that second time was DIRECTLY responsible for the Orioles trading him to the Mets. He's a complete embarrassment to organizations. He's a pitching version of Carl Everett. You don't want to count on Benitez, ever. Plus, he gets easily frustrated ON the mound, too. When he gets into trouble, he overthrows, and walks people left and right til he serves up a hittable pitch. Mike Hunt April 16, 2003 How can a major league closer have no confidence? How can he be a "sensitive" person and need to be stroked in order to perform? Benitez has been a great pitcher at times but a total choke when it matters. And now this season, he chokes all the time. 3 blown saves in the first two weeks of the season just goes to show he is a loser no matter what the stats may say. Frank Grimes April 20, 2003 I don't care that his save % is the best in baseball over the past 3 years. I really don't. What are his stats in big games? Probably zero since he blows every one. And now he has taken the art of blown saves to a new level, blowing two to the lowly Expos and one to the Marlins in the span of 8 days. The Mets have lost 3 games already where they had a lead after 8 innings. Thanks to Armando Ben-eat(me)-ez they have used up their quota for the year and it's not even tax day. Thanks for making my life a living hell Armando. You blow!!! Larry April 20, 2003 I find it getting harder and harder to watch whenever the Mets are winning in the late innings. If its a 1 run lead in the 9th, you can pretty much kiss the game goodbye and chuck one up in the loss column if their gonna send Benitez to the hill..I think this is going to be the year Benitez totally self-destructs. I can only hope that I wrong... Tiffany Ferrell April 29, 2003 I think every Met fan should be ashamed of themselves for treating Armando the way that you do. He is a human being, I don't doubt for once that he feels everyone's pain whenever he loses a game. He's not doing it deliberately. He tries very hard. I see it. And I hate it when the fans boo him. Benitez is one of the game's greatest relief pitchers. I think that every Met fan should apologize for the way they treat him and start cheering him. Griff April 30, 2003 Tiffany, your comments have me laughing so hard, I can barely sit here and write this. Please. We should cheer Benitez? For what, his incompetence? Would you cheer a security guard at a bank if his incompetence led to the bank's being robbed not once, but several times? Would you be cheered at work if you failed to do your job? Would you, too, be rewarded with millions of dollars for your failures? I recently blew a save, too - I failed to bring all my wife's clothes home from the laundromat. Someone stole them. Guess what? She booed me. I deserved it. If it happened repeatedly, I wouldn't expect my wife to trust me with that responsibility. I'd have to handle a different household responsibility I'm more skilled at. No one held a gun to his head and made him sign a contract extension to stay in New York. If he doesn't like it, then by all means, walk away. Tiffany Ferrell May 2, 2003 How would you like it if you screwed up at your job and everyone yelled and talked about you and made you feel bad? It would hurt you, right? Same thing with Armando. Do you think he likes being booed? Do you think he likes being called nasty names? No. So I think that when he appears at Shea, we should give him a thunderous standing ovation. I also understand the Mets are having a Photo Day, and when we see him we should put a friendly arm around him and tell him that everything is all right. You are the greatest reliever ever. I think we should have Armando Benitez Appreciation Day, where we can present him with gifts and encourage his spirit to turn things around. I think Mo Vaughn also deserves a special Day for him. It's people who complain and boo that make life tough for Armando. But I, for one, will continue to root for Armando. He's great. Tiffany Ferrell June 26, 2003 I cannot believe the amount of spider venom you have unleashed on Armando. He is a good, kind, strong man who probably takes losing harder than anyone that has put on a Met uniform. I wish I knew him so I could put my arms around him and wipe away the tears he weeps whenever he fails. He did not deliberately lose those games to the Yankees. If any of you fans had heart, you'd cheer him; maybe he'd do even better. My daddy recalls that none of you ever booed Tug McGraw or Ray Sadecki or Jesse Orosco when they did bad. You are all a bunch of meanies for not giving Armando the support he deserves. And isn't it rather funny that after I wrote my last note, he started saving games left and right? Keith Niles July 4, 2003 Tug McGraw, Ray Sadecki, and Jesse Orosco never blew more high-profile games as frequently as Armando Benitez has. The Tony Fernandez Grand Slam, the Derek Jeter-Jeffrey Maier home run, Game 6 NLCS 99, Game 1 World Series 2000, 2 games in Atlanta September 01, and now the 4 walks against the yankees. These are just some of many more Armando-meltdowns Benitez has had in his career. If the Mets are planning to be a contender again in the future, Jim Duquette will have to find a way to get Benitez out of the Mets organization for good. Jim Snedeker July 12, 2003 I say let's stop the Armando-bashing. I'm sure he doesn't mean to blow the big games, and feels pretty bad about it when he does. It's just that it's so easy to point out that he tends to choke when it counts. So why keep harping on it? I think the fault lies in the Mets' coaching staff. It's the pitching coaches' job to fix these sorts of problems. But they haven't--yet they keep trotting him out to yet another heartbreaker. Jonathan Stern August 9, 2003 I believe Benitez was a victim of a media witchhunt. The reporters did not like him, so they tried to break his composure and demonize him for the fans. They succeeded, with some help from Benitez himself, but consider... Benitez did not lose Game 6, 1999 NLCS. Kenny Rogers did. He also did not lose Game 1, 2000 WS. Turk did. Also in Game 1, Benitez had to protect a one-run lead because his teammates did not know how to run around the bases. They continued to make hideous mental mistakes throughout the series (watch the video). When it was over, it was Benitez who was the goat? In 2001, his teammates got fat and lazy and did not show up until after 911. But Armando was ready. He more than anyone else kept the Mets in remote contention. Alas, he was asked to save practically every game after 911, mushroom cloud in the background, NYPD cap on his head, because his teammates, unlike Benitez, did not do their job early in the season. Did Benitez criticize any of them in print? He had to go. He could not continue to pitch for the Mets. It was killing him. But, in my opinion, he was the most misunderstood Met ever. Rich August 12, 2003 A great memory about Benitez? There has been so many yet so few at the same time. One thing I'll always remember when Benitez would pitch is within two minutes he would sweat profusely! I mean within a few minutes he looked like he had just taken a shower! Jonathan Stern September 8, 2004 Way to go, Armando Benitez! With his save last week, the big Marlin is now 10 for 10 against the 2004 Mets, a major league record that may never be equalled. What a way to stick it to his former team and fan base! A lesser man might have been traumitized for life by the kind of experience Benitez had in Flushing. Instead, Armando is perhaps a better pitcher for it. He's a fighter. My blue and orange Mets cap is off to the guy who I still maintain was the most misunderstood Met ever. Cygnus12 August 18, 2005 I remember a few years back, the Mets were winning a game against the Marlins and it was the 9th inning. Benitez was brought in to close the game and he blew it in perfect Benitez fashion. I remember one ball was hit down the line and Mo Vaughn attempted to make a diving catch; though all he managed to do was cause a magnitude 10 earthquake and leave a large crater on the field while the ball rolled down fair territory. I also remember the guy behind me who was on the verge of a meltdown once Benitez started giving up runs. Lines such as "Oh I can't STAND Benitez" and "Next time I come here, I'm bringing a mannequin of Benitez and hanging it over the railing," were among the ones I remember well. VIBaseball November 4, 2006 One thing about Benitez always struck me -- for a large and powerful man, he did not use his legs at all when he pitched. It was all arm. Deadmet December 20, 2006 Bravo Jonathan Stern. My favorite memory of Armando was a game I attended in Boston. He induced a potential game-ending doubleplay ball that Melvin Mora booted. It cost the Mets the game (not to mention some razzing to my section of Mets fans). Benitez took the time to tell Mora that "it's ok" right out there on the field. His blown saves were my wife's fault, anyway. Whenever she watched, he blew the save. If I made her turn away, he got the "S"! DanMan Mets Fan 69 86 March 16, 2007 Was good, but then went bad. What was with him? A great 1999-2000 Met, but then terrible. Good that we got rid of him, but then was good with the Yankees. I could not stand him after 2000 because he was unreliable. Thornton Guinness May 30, 2007 Last night was a beautiful thing. To see him implode with two balks and the gopher ball to Delgado was a sight to behold. And no matter what anyone says, he blew game one of the 2000 WS. anthony (mets fan since 1986 when i was May 20, 2008 It's so funny reading some of these comments from back in 2000. He is my most hated Met of all time, hands down. This guy blew chunks for us any time in a critical situation (see any game vs. Braves or Yanks). Last year seeing him implode against the Mets as a Giant was a beautiful thing. The Motts July 19, 2008 I have to say I actually feel bad for Armando. Yes, he blew saves in big games and at the most inopportune times. I think this was largely due to his fragile emotional state. The guy seemed scared out there. This was the case of a pitcher who, although he had good stuff, did not have what it takes to be a closer. Probably could have been a great 7th or 8th inning set up man. agee_of_aquarius January 26, 2009 He reacted to post-season pressure like a phobic child confronted with a basket of spiders. Yony the electric contractor May 12, 2010 He boozed it up at Flynn's Inn in Sunnyside after home games. Dan the Man May 28, 2019 A lot of time has passed since his time here. I know he struggled in clutch situations but it’s not uncommon. Mariano even blew Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Familia was great in 2015 but blew those World Series games. Nobody’s perfect in that regard. I wasn’t sad when he got traded but in retrospect this was a guy I was too hard on. For the most part he was solid. Summer August 16, 2021 @Dan the Man - Except amount of big games Mo blew is miniscule compared to Benitez and the percentage is even smaller when considering how many Mo had pitched. Not a good comparison with that considered if you want to defend Benitez. As for Familia, he's washed as a closer so... Alex December 27, 2021 When one looks at his raw totals with the Mets, an outside observer would think the Mets got lucky to have Benitez. Five years, 160 saves, a 2.70 ERA, 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Ahh, ignorance is bliss. He's probably the Met whose actual performance was farthest away from what the numbers would suggest. His data looks great. But Benitez was just one headache after another. And of course, the year after he leaves the Mets, he goes on to have an incredible season for Florida, leading the league with 47 saves, posting a 1.29 ERA and making the All-Star team. Alex August 29, 2023 Maybe I'm looking at history through rose-colored glasses, but I can't bring myself to dislike Benitez. Even in the playoffs, he never actually lost a game for us (on paper) and his ERA the postseason was an even 2.00. He even had a couple RBI for the team. He can't be all bad. But boy, is he difficult to track down. I've sent him five autograph requests in my day, the first in 2008 and the most recent in 2020. He hasn't responded to any of them, with three coming back return to sender. I'm convinced he still lives in the USA ... but where ... Alex June 28, 2024 I don't think I've ever held such antipodal, dichotomous views about a Mets player before. In my first comment about Benitez, I said he was a headache. In my second, I said I can't bring myself to dislike him. The meltdowns were historic—but the pure skill and raw numbers were also otherworldly. And, in the Mets Hall of Fame project I run on another website, that latter assessment finally won out. Benitez was elected with 75% of the vote in round four of a last chance, catch-all series we're running.

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