Juan Bautista Berenguer (born November 30, 1954) is a former Panamanian long relief pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for eight teams from 1978 to 1992. Listed at 5'11 , 200 lb. , Berenguer batted and threw right-handed. He was born in

Aguadulce, Coclé Aguadulce is an agricultural city and corregimiento in the Coclé province in Panama. It is the capital of Aguadulce District and it is located on the Pan-American Highway The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transam ...

, Panama.SABR BioProject
Article written by Jason Lenard. Retrieved on February 10, 2016.Baseball Reference Statistics and History
Retrieved on February 10, 2016. A mean-looking, husky pitcher with long hair and a mustache, Berenguer was nicknamed 'Pancho Villa' by his teammates, and Twins fans admiringly referred to him as 'Señor Smoke' or 'El Gasolino' due to his mid-90s mph fastball. Extremely wild as a youngster, Berenguer learned to harness his sneaky fastball which he liked to throw inside, and added a deceptive forkball. His effectiveness was aided by his intimidating appearance and disposition. Berenguer was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1975. He made his MLB debut with the team in 1978. By April 1981, Berenguer had a 1-4 win–loss record and a 4.75 earned run average (ERA) in 16 career appearances with the team, and he was still having problems controlling his fastball, so the Mets traded him to the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

in exchange for outfielder Marvell Wynne and pitcher John Skinner. Berenguer pitched for seven organizations before joining the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

. His breakout season came in 1987, when he posted an 8-1 record with a 3.94 ERA and four saves for the American League champion Twins, en route to the 1987 World Championship over the St. Louis Cardinals. During the 1987 playoffs, Juan recorded “The Berenguer Boogie,” a music video that featured Juan dancing and singing in a trench coat and briefcase. Berenguer previously won a World Series ring with the 1984 Champion Detroit Tigers, though he did not play in the Series. Following his MLB career, Berenguer continued to play in the minors. After spending 1993 and part of 1994 in the Mexican League, he returned to Minnesota and pitched for the independent

Minneapolis Loons Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and

Southern Minny Stars Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express ...

in the

Prairie League {{Unreferenced, date=April 2019 The Prairie League was an independent league of baseball which was based in the prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The league was or ...

. He then signed to pitch for the

Duluth–Superior Dukes The Duluth–Superior Dukes were a professional baseball team based in Duluth, Minnesota. The Dukes were a charter member of the modern Northern League, which started play in 1993. The Dukes played their home games at Wade Stadium. After the 20 ...

of the

Northern League Northern League may refer to: Sport Baseball * Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971 * Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...

prior to the 1998 season, but never played for them. In between, he played winter ball in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. After baseball, Berenguer returned to Minnesota, where he worked in marketing for a local television station. He also became a salesman for an automobile dealership in Bloomington, Minnesota. His son Chris was a hockey player with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League.This Week in the CHA: USCHO
Article written by Matt Mackinder. Retrieved on June 16, 2014.

Sources

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berenguer, Juan 1954 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Atlanta Braves players Cardenales de Lara players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Detroit Tigers players Evansville Triplets players Jackson Mets players Kansas City Royals players Lynchburg Mets players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Panama Mexican League baseball pitchers Minneapolis Loons players Minnesota Twins players New York Mets players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Canada Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Mexico Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States People from Aguadulce District San Francisco Giants players Saraperos de Saltillo players Southern Minny Stars players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tacoma Tugs players Tiburones de La Guaira players Tidewater Tides players Toronto Blue Jays players Wausau Mets players