Marvin Benard

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Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] (born January 20, 1970 in Bluefields, Nicaragua) was a Major League Baseball outfielder, batting and throwing left-handed.

Benard moved to Los Angeles with his mother and father when he was 12. After a stellar prep career at Bell High School, he went to L.A. Harbor Junior College in Wilmington, Calif., then Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. His cousin, Maurice Benard, is a soap opera actor.

Benard played with the San Francisco Giants from 1995 to 2003. He was a starter from 1999-2001, and played most of the season due to injuries in 1996. Despite a disappointing post season performance in 2000, Marvin had one of the most memorable hits of series, batting in Ellis Burks for an RBI single in Game 3 of the 2000 National League Division Series

After becoming a free agent after the 2003 season, Benard agreed to a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox but was released before the season began and signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was released after one season with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, hitting .211 with four homers and 18 RBI in 33 games.

A notorious first-pitch hitter prone to striking out, Benard had good bat speed and could steal bases. He played all three outfield positions, mostly as center fielder.

Benard is a career .271 hitter with 54 home runs, 260 RBI, 441 runs, 138 doubles, 21 triples, and 105 stolen bases in 891 games. As a pinch hitter specialist, he had a career .267 batting average.

Benard had above-average power for a leadoff hitter, though his tendency to get caught stealing and his low on-base-percentage limited his value in a leadoff role.

There have been rumors linking him to steroid use starting in 1999. These rumors spurred from leaked testimony of the BALCO scandal.

See also