A solid line-drive hitter and an aggressive base runner, he excelled as a speedy center fielder with a strong arm who gained notoriety for his spectacular diving and shoestring catches.
[1] Redondo, as he was dubbed by teammates and fans alike, made his professional debut in the First Division of Baseball of Venezuela, playing for five teams in eight seasons spanning 1938–1945.
[5] The 18-year-old Benítez gained international exposure with the Venezuela national baseball team in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games held in Panama City, being used as a pitcher and cleanup hitter.
[1][3] But for much of the next decade, he was a valuable addition to the Venezuelan squad during the 1941 and 1945 Baseball World Cup tournaments, where he helped his team to win Gold medal at both championships, usually batting third in the order.
[7] In this one, Daniel Canónico won a pitching duel over Conrado Marrero in front of a crowd of more than 30,000 spectators, as the Venezuelan baseball team captured its first international title with a 3–1 victory over Cuba.
[7][8][9] A three-run rally in the first inning was enough of a cushion for Canónico, especially being backed by Benítez, who drew a significant walk to put two men on with one out and scored on a two-run RBI-double by Chucho Ramos.
[7][9] But Benítez was much better in the 1945 BWC, when he claimed the batting crown with a mark of .526 (20-for-38), leading also the tournament in hits, runs scored (16) and RBI (16), to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
[5][11] This time, Vidal López won the batting title with a .374 average, while Benítez finished sixth behind Luke Easter (.341) and above Roy Campanella (.336).
[5][11] Benítez resurfaced in the 1949–50 season, when he hit a solid .316 average (49-for-155) and slugged .458 in 44 games for Cervecería, adding 10 doubles, four homers, 30 runs, and a career-high 25 RBI.
In Game 2 of the Series, Benítez hit an RBI single in the top of the 11th inning, to give his team a 2–1 victory over the Carta Vieja Yankees of Panama.