Marvin Larry Benard [buh-NARD] (born January 20, 1970 in Bluefields, Nicaragua) is a Major League Baseball outfielder. Benard bats and throws left-handed.
Benard played with the San Francisco Giants from 1995-2003. After becoming a free agent after the 2003 season, Benard agreed to a minor-league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, being assigned to Triple-A Syracuse SkyChiefs.
A notorious first-pitch hitter, Benard has good bat speed and can turn on a fastball. Though his speed is average, he is not to be ignored on the bases. Benard can steal in certain situations and reads balls well when he tries to take extra bases. Benard can play any of the three outfield positions, though his range is best suited for either left or right. He has an above average arm with a quick release to the bases.
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. Used as a pinch hitter specialist, he has a career .267 batting average.
After returning from a leg injury that had plaggued him since early 2004, Benard hit .211 with four homers and 18 RBI in 33 games with Syracuse.
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