BENNY IS CATCHING ON : Santiago Takes Over for Padres

As a minor league catcher, Benny had to overcome a minor communication gap. He’d say, “Throw strikes,” and his pitchers thought he was saying, “Oh, hi.”

They’d wave.

Benny also had this propensity to shirk. Last season at spring training, he was supposed to lug a heavy bag of baseballs from the bullpen to the clubhouse, but he didn’t do it.

Then, Benito Rivera Santiago met his Triple-A manager, Larry Bowa, who has this thing about malingerers. Bowa spoke to Benny in direct terms. Something like . . . “Get your butt going, Benny!”

“Benny, what are you doing?!”

“Benny, what’s your problem!”

Santiago took a liking to this kind of treatment.

“I think it’s good,” says Santiago, a native of Puerto Rico. “He’d say, ‘Benny, what’s going on? You’re better than that!’ He wakes me up. If a manager don’t say nothing, you’ll be like that every day. With him, you have to hustle.”

So Santiago is hustling. Not only does he have a better grasp of English, but he’s shut up Bowa--for the most part. And that’s good, because Santiago’s the Padres’ everyday catcher this season--for better or worse.

Right now, it’s for the better. In two intrasquad games this spring, he has four hits, four RBIs and one homer. Next month’s edition of Baseball America lists Santiago--who’s only 22--as the No. 2 rookie prospect in the major leagues.

“I never had a doubt about Benny,” Padre General Manager Jack McKeon said Monday. “I like his mature attitude. I saw it (during winter ball) in Puerto Rico. Before, he had a little dog in him.”

Before, he just wasn’t comfortable. Coming to the United States was real culture shock. In Puerto Rico, Benny never had any cavities, or knew he had any cavities, because he’d never been to a dentist. The Padres sent him to one, and he had to have 16 crowns put in.

The Padres paid the $5,000 bill.

But it was a good investment, because Santiago had worlds of talent. He couldn’t speak English very well, but he had an arm, a bat and some legs.

THE ARM

“He used to stalk,” says Tom Romenesko, the Padre minor league director.

In other words, Santiago used to give minor league base stealers a head start. They’d take off for second base, and he’d hold the ball. They’d look back, and he’d still be holding the ball.

Then, he’d throw them out.

Now, he’ll throw out runners from his knees. His pitchers adore him.

“Yeah, the good aspect about Benny is you don’t have to worry about anyone running,” said pitcher Ed Vosberg, who worked with Santiago last season. “A lot of times he throws from his knees, which is amazing because it’s 127 feet (from the plate to second). It’s amazing how strong he is. And he keeps people on their toes at first base. He threw only one pickoff away last year, and the first baseman could’ve caught it. He throws over to first more than anyone I’ve seen.”

He lead Pacific Coast League catchers last season in throwing out runners--40 of 82 (49%). Also, he played against Padre teammate Stan Jefferson in winter ball this year in Puerto Rico, and Jefferson--a speedster--wouldn’t run on him.

“He’s got a canon!” Jefferson said. “You just don’t run on him. He didn’t throw me out because I didn’t go. I was smart. The pitcher was quick-pitching, and this guy behind the plate had a canon to second. The odds weren’t good.”

In Monday’s intrasquad game, Santiago threw out shortstop Garry Templeton by a yard. But Bowa got all over Santiago because he’d stolen the steal sign from third-base coach Harry Dunlop.

“He really doesn’t have to cheat with that arm,” Bowa said.

THE BAT

The Padres called him up at the end of last season, and in 17 games he batted .290 with three homers and six RBIs. He hit a career-high 17 homers last season at Las Vegas, but Bowa thinks Santiago might be fooled early by big league pitchers.

So Santiago often goes to the batting cage for extra hitting.

“Hitting, it’ll be harder for me,” he says. “But I played winter ball, and I practiced every day when the (winter) season was over. I hit and I hit. I’m ready. I’m ready to go.”

A prediction?

“I think I’ll hit over .260,” he said Monday.

THE LEGS

He stole 19 bases in 26 attempts for Bowa last year. He’s 6-feet 1-inch and has long legs. He can go.

“Everyone’s going to run for me,” Bowa says.

THE ENGLISH

Vosberg says you can understand what Santiago is saying now.

Romenesko has all Latin minor leaguers take English classes Tuesday and Thursday nights, and Santiago always was there. He bought an English-Spanish dictionary, as well as English-Spanish tape recordings.

He’d sit in bed and practice his vowel sounds.

During Monday’s practice game, Bowa plopped down next to Santiago and said: “Storm Davis was throwing some nasty stuff, huh?”

“Nasty, for sure,” Santiago said.

“Was that a changeup he threw at 2 and 0?”

“Sure was,” Santiago said. “And nasty, too.”

Santiago then went out to catch the next inning.

“Throw strikes!” he shouted.

The pitcher nodded.

Padre Notes

Garry Templeton’s team defeated Tony Gwynn’s team in Monday’s intrasquad game, 7-1. The big hitters were catchers Benito Santiago (2 for 2, one RBI) and Mark Parent (2 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs), outfielders James Steels (2 for 3, including a triple and three RBIs) and Shawn Abner (2 for 3) and infielders Randy Ready (2 for 3) and Garry Templeton (2 for 3). Dave Dravecky--coming off his elbow injury last season--got his first extended work of the spring. He threw 2 innings and gave up two runs and four hits. . . . Pitcher Ed Wojna was hit in the right arm by an Abner line drive, but he wasn’t hurt seriously. Who is hurt? Third baseman Kevin Mitchell (back) and outfielders John Kruk (shoulder), Shane Mack (five stitches in his leg) and Stan Jefferson (wrist) all sat out Monday’s game. Jefferson will undergo a bone scan and will likely miss Friday’s opening exhibition game against the California Angels. Mitchell and Kruk, though, will likely play in today’s intrasquad game. . . . Outfielder/first baseman Carmelo Martinez owes $50 to Manager Larry Bowa. Bowa had asked Martinez to get his weight down to 200 pounds by March 1, and Martinez weighed in at 205. It was worth $10 a pound. Still, Bowa said he was happy with Martinez’ effort. “I set 200 as the number, so he’d work at it. The thing we don’t want is him to get up to 220 or 215. I can accept 205.”