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http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/06/01/SPGVTQ5T6D1.DTL
GM Sabean, teammate say fans played role in reliever's demise
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, June 1, 2007(06-01) 04:00 PDT New York -- - There was one unusual sight in the Giants' clubhouse after their 4-2 loss to the Mets on Thursday night. As 24 players scurried to dress for the two-hour bus ride to Philadelphia, Armando Benitez's locker was abandoned, his chair folded and stored.
Benitez already was gone, flying to Milwaukee to join the Florida Marlins and a new life far from the tumult of San Francisco, far from the fans who were sick of him, far from a star-crossed 2 1/2 years with a team for which he ultimately could not deliver.
The Giants traded Benitez to Florida for 25-year-old reliever Randy Messenger, a 6-foot-6 right-hander used mostly in long relief. A source said the Giants also will pay $4.7 million of the roughly $5 million left on Benitez's three-year contract, which expires after this season. Clearly, this deal is addition by subtraction.
"It was probably time for a change with Armando," said manager Bruce Bochy, who briefly spoke to the pitcher before he left Shea Stadium mid-game. Bochy said Benitez "seemed like he was really excited about the change."
But Sabean said Benitez seemed "stunned" when told of the deal.
In an extraordinary conference call with reporters, Sabean left no doubt he was unhappy that he was forced by public opinion to consummate a trade that leaves the Giants with no experienced closer.
"The type of person or professional I am, I don't take any satisfaction in anybody's demise or inability to do his job," Sabean said. "I'll say one thing about Armando. He was strong enough to be a whipping boy.
"The first game here (in New York) we had three players who were not available. That was not Armando's fault. Tonight we had three hits and looked dead as a doornail. That was not Armando's fault. We are at a crossroads in my mind, and apparently the fans, the press and some people in the clubhouse felt he needed to go.
"Now we're going to find out what they're made of. We'll see who's strong enough to be the whipping boy now. ... We're going to find out who, when and how we're going to step up. Right now, as we speak, we're heading closer to last place than first place. I don't know that that was Armando Benitez's fault."
Benitez was 0-3 with a 4.67 ERA and nine saves in 11 chances this year. After he saved 47 games for the Marlins in 2004, the Giants got a total of 45 saves in two-plus seasons from Benitez after they signed him to a three-year, $21.5 million deal. His tenure was doomed from the start by a catastrophic hamstring injury during his first month in San Francisco.
He fought a chronically arthritic right knee in 2006. He also fought boos from his own fans, who grew tired of his body language, occasional comments blaming others for his failures and tightrope ninth innings. He fought former manager Felipe Alou and, ultimately, he fought a lack of confidence from some of his teammates.
There was a detente for the first two months this season. Benitez had worked hard to strengthen his knee and get into better shape, and he was throwing better and saying the right things.
Then, one week ago, he allowed two runs in the ninth inning to lose a game against Colorado, once again said, "I did my job" and suggested the offense should have scored more runs before he pitched. In the series opener here Tuesday night, Benitez blew a save in the 12th inning by walking leadoff hitter Jose Reyes, eventually balking him home and allowing a game-winning Carlos Delgado home run.
Those two events proved to be the tipping point for Giants management.
Benitez's teammates heard the news during Thursday's game. If some were happy to see him go, none said so publicly. After another lost game and series, nobody was ready to dance on a former teammate's grave.
"Everybody knows the Benitez situation here the last three weeks," shortstop Omar Vizquel said. "It's been a battle between him and the fans and a struggle to really come out and do his job. It's a front-office decision. Obviously, it didn't work between Benitez and the Giants. They decided to move him to another team."
Vizquel said Benitez was "misunderstood" at times because of the language barrier and agreed with Sabean with the closer was not the sole reason the Giants completed a 12-16 May and stand two games below .500.
Benitez "was one of the things we were concerned about. The other thing is hitting," Vizquel said. "We need to hit more. It's bad on my part that I'm not hitting the ball well. We just have to score more runs. You can't blame one or two guys."
Lefty reliever Steve Kline said he was sorry he did not have a chance to say goodbye to Benitez and added, "He can still pitch. He's a competitor. He's going back to Florida. He had a great year there one year. I wish him the best of luck."
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