Boston Red Sox players who can’t miss and did
By Rick McNair
Number Sixteen
John Marzano – C (1987-98)
MLB Stats: 301 G, 794 AB, .241/.289/.344, 11 HR, 72 RBI
A first round selection from Temple that moved up rapidly in the system. In 1987 at Pawtucket in just 70 games, Marzano hit 22 doubles and 10 home runs while hitting .282. In Boston the average for the next half was .244 with five home runs. Strong arm and great footwork, but the bat never materialized. Was as impressive as Blake Swihart.
Number Fifteen
Ken Ryan – RHP (1992-99)
MLB Stats: 14-16 W/L, 240 G, 285.2 IP, 164 W, 225 K, 3.91 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 5.75 FIP
Another pitcher that I thought would rack up the saves. Went to Seekonk High School in Seekonk, Massachusetts. His first full season (7-2, 3.60) looked promising, but it eventually fell apart. Now has a baseball academy in Lincoln, R.I.
Number Fourteen
Carlos Quintana – First Base (1988-93)
MLB Stats: 438 G, 1376 AB, .276/.350/.362, 19 HR, 165 RBI
Quintana, a right-hand hitter, was not a power player that you would normally see playing first base, but he had very good bat control and would not murder you in the field – in fact, Carlos could really “pick ‘em” at first. Carlos beat out Bill Buckner for first base and had two nice seasons for the Red Sox holding down that position and hitting .291. Then came the “crash.”
The crash was a mysterious off-season car accident that centered on a shooting of his two brothers and a rush to the hospital. Injuries forced Carlos to miss the 1992 season and he was never the same.
Number Thirteen
Brian Rose – RHP (1997-2000)
MLB Stats: 15-23 W/L, 68 G, 284.1 IP, 110 W, 151 K, 5.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 5.89 FIP
I saw Rose several times at Pawtucket in 1997 and he just flat-out dominated. Rose was the International League Pitcher of The Year. Another local product (Dartmouth, MA) who made his debut at age 21. A very high ranked prospect on Baseball America that I envisioned as a solid number two and possibly a number one in the Red Sox rotation.