| Benny Valenzuela | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born:(1933-06-02)June 2, 1933 Los Mochis, Sinaloa,Mexico[1] | |
| Died: October 24, 2018(2018-10-24) (aged 85) Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 27, 1958, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 24, 1958, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .214 |
| Hits | 3 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Mexican Professional | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1986 |
Benjamín Valenzuela Beltrán (2 June 1933 – 24 October 2018) was aMexican professionalbaseball player, athird baseman who appeared in tenMajor League Baseballgames for theSt. Louis Cardinals during the1958 season. Nicknamed "Papelero" in his nativeMexico, he threw and battedright-handed, stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg).
His abbreviated MLB service notwithstanding, Valenzuela played 20 years in professional baseball (1952–71), with the last decade spent exclusively in theDouble-AMexican League and lower-classification Mexicanminor leagues. He began his pro career with theBisbee-Douglas Copper Kings, an unaffiliated team in the Class CArizona–Texas League, then was drafted into the Cardinal organization in 1955. Afterhitting .314 and .286 in consecutive seasons with the Double-AHouston Buffaloes in 1956–57, he received early- and late-season auditions with the1958 Redbirds, spending the bulk of that year with Triple-AOmaha. Hesingled in his first MLBat bat offJohnny Podres of theLos Angeles Dodgers on April 27,[2] but overall collected only threehits in 14at bats with a base on balls during his lone big-league campaign. At the close of the 1958 season, Valenzuela was traded to theSan Francisco Giants in a five-player transaction that netted the Cardinals right-handedpitcherErnie Broglio.
Valenzuela owed his nickname, "Papelero", because he worked as apaperboy; he also worked asbatboy for theCañeros de Los Mochis before turning into a professional baseball player.[3]
After his playing retirement, he becamemanager of theAlijadores de Tampico in the Mexican League, winning one title in 1975.
He was inducted into theMexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986.[4]
Valenzuela died on 24 October 2018 in his hometownLos Mochis, Sinaloa.[5]
· Baseball Almanac