Saturday, April 30, 2022

Meet Your Hall of Famer: Fautino Saenz

 

Bio:   Fautino Saenz was born in San Juan De La Maguana, DO (Pop. 169,032 located in western region of Dominican Republic founded in 1503.).  He was the starting catcher for the Junior Olympic team where he earned all-tournament honors. 

International Signing: Signed for 6.5 million (8th highest that year) by Louisville (xmasjjm)

Scout Paul McKnight: “Fautino was average catcher that had above average power but had great control of the strike zone and hits righties exceptionally well.  His intangibles are what set him apart.  He had great makeup and was the on-field manager.”

Manager (xmasjjm): “I was elated that I had just enough cash to sign him late as an IFA.  His bat and plate discipline were lineup changing as he was in the heart of many playoff and championship teams.  Truly a difference making hitter.  Was he the best defensively, no, but that’s what backup defensive catchers are for! Hell of a career.”

Career: Saenz was signed in Season 33 by Louisville and broke into the Majors for one game in season 35. He went 1-2 with a 2-run homer and 2 BB.  He played his entire 22 pro baseball career with Louisville.  During his time, he was a 10-time All-Star, 7 Silver Slugger (37, 40, 41, 44, 46, 47,49) and won 2 Gold Glove Award (42, 46). He was also on 3 World Series Champion teams (38, 40, 44). His best season was Season 47 when he had an .323 AVG, 1.001 OPS, 84 R, 142 H, 19 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR and 80 RBI.  Over his Career he accumulated stats of .300 AVG, .886 OPS, 1331 R, 2413 H, 339 2B, 15 3B, 357 HR, 1286 RBI, and 1227 BB.  He still holds the career record for Louisville for with 1436 walks.

Speech Highlight: “I did not really worry about myself, I just wanted to make everyone else and the team better.” 

1 comment:

  1. He was a great player. It's good to have offense at the C position. For sure.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.