Former San Francisco Giants First Baseman Has Died

Todd Benzinger, a nine-year Major League Baseball veteran who played first base for the San Francisco Giants from 1993 to 1995, died on October 21 at the age of 63.

The Cincinnati Reds, with whom he won a World Series championship in 1990, announced the news the following day. No cause of death was released.

Born February 11, 1963, in Dayton, Kentucky, and raised in the Cincinnati suburbs, Benzinger graduated from New Richmond High School in Ohio.

The Boston Red Sox selected him in the fourth round of the 1981 draft. He made his MLB debut with Boston on June 21, 1987, and spent two seasons with the Red Sox before a trade brought him home to the Reds in 1989.

Benzinger’s most enduring baseball moment came as a member of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds, who swept the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the World Series.

Platooning at first base with Hal Morris, he caught the final out of Game 4—a foul popup by Carney Lansford in foul territory behind first base—securing Cincinnati’s last championship.

He later spent time with the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers before joining the Giants.

With San Francisco, Benzinger appeared in 202 games, primarily at first base. He hit .288 with six home runs in 86 games in 1993 and served as the regular first baseman in 1994, batting .265 with nine home runs.

His final MLB appearance came on May 14, 1995, with the Giants.

Over his career, the switch-hitting Benzinger compiled a .257 batting average with 66 home runs and 376 RBIs in 924 games across five teams.

His best offensive season was 1989 with the Reds, when he led the National League with 628 at-bats while posting career highs of 17 homers and 76 RBIs.

After retiring, Benzinger remained active in baseball and the Cincinnati community.

He managed the Class-A Dayton Dragons, a Reds affiliate, in 2009 and 2010, coached girls’ basketball, and worked with youth players in New Richmond.

He was a frequent participant in Reds events, including Redsfest, the Reds Caravan, fantasy camps, and Hall of Fame activities, known for his warmth and accessibility with fans.

The Reds remembered him as integral to one of the franchise’s most memorable chapters. Hall of Fame shortstop and former teammate Barry Larkin called Benzinger “a stand up guy” and a “super nice” hard worker whose death came as a shock.

Rick Walls of the Reds Hall of Fame Museum noted that while fans will forever recall the 1990 final out, those who knew Benzinger will remember far more.

Benzinger is survived by his family, including a son, Grant, who played college basketball.