It is still one of the greatest nicknames in Dodgers – and baseball – history. It belonged to a versatile utility infielder who looked more like a WWE wrestler than a major league baseball player. But even that had nothing to do with his immediate and widely accepted nickname. And though it undoubtedly had something to do with a ridiculous spoof horror movie that was popular at the time, it was given to him by his teammates more so because it simply rhymed with his first name: Olmedo Sáenz – ‘The Killer Tomato.’

Sáenz was yet another Dodger who, for the most part, came out of nowhere. The (generously-listed) 6′-2″/185-pound right-handed hitting and throwing Chitre, Panama native was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago White Sox on May 11, 1990 as a 19-year-old. He began his professional career in the minor leagues in 1991 with the South Bend White Sox of the Single-A Midwest League. His seven-year minor league career in the White Sox organization also included stops at Single-A Sarasota, Double-A Birmingham, Triple-A Nashville and Triple-A Calgary, although he missed most of the 1997 season due to a torn right Achilles tendon suffered during spring training.

Sáenz made his MLB debut with Chicago on May 28, 1994 at age 23, appearing in a grand total of five games while slashing .143/.143/.286/.429 in his 15 plate appearances (14 at-bats) before being sent back down to Triple-A Nashville.

…and then he fell off the face of the earth for five years.

After becoming a free agent in 1998, Sáenz was released by the White Sox and signed with the Oakland A’s on November 13, 1998, making their Opening Day roster. He was used primarily as a designated hitter during his four seasons with Oakland but occasionally saw playing time at first and third base. But during the 2002 ALDS against the Minnesota Twins, he again suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon while running out a grounder and was sidelined for the remainder of the post season and most of 2003.

Concerned about his injury history, Sáenz was not retained by the A’s and wound up attending Spring Training in 2004 as a non-roster invitee with the Dodgers, earning a spot on their Opening Day roster as a right-handed pinch hitter and backup corner infielder. He became part of major league history when, on September 8, 2004, he hit a pinch-hit grand slam home run, marking the first time in MLB history that a team had pinch-hit grand slams in back-to-back games, with former Dodger Robin Ventura having done so the day before.

Sáenz’s best year as a Dodger – and in his career – came in 2005, when he set career highs in nearly every offensive category, including home runs (15) and RBI (63). He also had a solid season in 2006, when he hit .296 with 11 home runs and 48 RBI.

Although Sáenz was (at best) an average defensive player, he was, hands down, the Dodgers’ most consistent bench player and became known around the league as a dead fastball hitter; a skill which Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully was forced to frequently acknowledge because of his rare playing time in the field.

While with the Dodgers, Sáenz also played for Team Panama in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, collecting two hits and one RBI in three games.

Sáenz’s four-year run with the Dodgers ended after the 2007 season when he applied for and was granted free agency. On February 12, 2008, he signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets with an invitation to major league spring training camp, but failed to make the Open Day roster, after which he officially retired from the game.

The Killer Tomato and his wife Sylvia currently live on their ranch in his native Panama.

Thanks for many great memories, Killer T.

Play Ball!

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