Juan Berenguer

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Juan Berenguer

Pitcher

Born: November 30, 1954 (1954-11-30) (age 53)
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 17, 1978 for the New York Mets
Final game
October 4, 1992 for the Kansas City Royals
Career statistics
Win-Loss record	67-62
Earned run average	3.90
Strikeouts	975
Teams
New York Mets (1978-1980) Kansas City Royals (1981, 1992) Toronto Blue Jays (1981) Detroit Tigers (1982-1985) San Francisco Giants (1986) Minnesota Twins (1987-1990) Atlanta Braves (1991-1992)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1987)

Juan Bautista Berenguer (born November 30, 1954, in Aguadulce, Panama) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and other teams. He had a career record of 67 wins and 62 losses. He signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1975.

Berenguer went 8-1 (3.94) for the 1987 World Champion Minnesota Twins and 8-4 (3.96) in 1988. Extremely wild as a youngster, he learned to harness his 90-plus-mph fastball (he was often dubbed as "Senor Smoke"), which he liked to throw inside, and added a forkball. His effectiveness was aided by his intimidating appearance and disposition. A mean-looking, husky Panamanian with long hair and a mustache, he was called "Pancho Villa" by his teammates.

Berenguer suffered one of the oddest off-field injuries while pitching for Atlanta in 1991. On an off day, while he was home wrestling with his kids, he broke his pitching arm and ended up missing the remainder of the season, also missing out on the Braves' Cinderella run to the World Series that year.