Boston Red Sox players who can’t miss and did
By Rick McNair
Number Twelve
Abe Alvarez – LHP (2004-06)
MLB Stats: 0-1 W/L, 4 G, 10.1 IP, 7 W, 5 K, 11.32 ERA, 2.52 WHIP, 10.43 FIP
I was there the night they brought Alvarez in from Portland to pitch against the O’s. A 21-year-old kid in a spot start in July with a contending team. Did that start the move down? I thought Abe would be a decent number four or five in a rotation. Not overpowering, but could move the ball around. Never seemed to get it together consistently at Pawtucket. A second round pick.
Number Eleven
Donnie Sadler – INF/OF (1998-07)
MLB Stats: 418 G, 768 AB, .202/.262/.284, 6 HR, 46 RBI
Sadler was a rather diminutive player (5’6”) who suddenly improved with the bat. In 1998 Sadler didn’t do much with the Red Sox, but in 1999 with the PawSox he started to hit (.291) and returned to Boston and hit .280 the rest of the way. Then nothing. When Pokey Reese and Betts came to Boston I thought back to Sadler. Small guys with talent. Sadler never really panned out.
Number Ten
Rey Quinones – SS (1986-89)
MLB Stats: 451 G, 1533 AB, .243/.287/.357, 29 HR, 159 RBI
Rey was an outstanding defensive player – one of the best I have seen at short – but that was never translated into a long MLB career. Rey’s defense seemed to take a bit of a hit when brought up to Boston as a 22-year-old. Quinones had some sting in his bat and had two fairly productive seasons with Seattle after being traded.
Number Nine
Kevin Morton – LHP (1991)
MLB Stats: 6-5 W/L, 16 G, 86.1 IP, 40 W, 45 K, 4.59 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.59 FIP
A first round selection who made a spectacular debut in a game against the Tigers in 1991 – his only season. I had seen Morton in Pawtucket in the early going of 1991 before his promotion to Boston and his stuff was excellent – especially a curve. In 1992 Morton returned to Pawtucket and was a wreck with a 2-12 record. Never made in back to MLB and was finished in a few years.