Boston Red Sox players who can't miss and did

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May 5, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox hall of famers Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski stand in left field as part of the pregame ceremony before the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have had their share of Can’t miss players who did. Here is a list of sixteen.

The Boston Red Sox have a wealth of minor league talent and some will surface within the next few seasons and contribute significantly while others will never quite reach the projected promise. For every Mookie Betts, there is a Lars Anderson since sometimes can’t miss means just that – miss. What could have been but never was.

The current team has players who are either stars right now or certainly will be in the future. You can see it on the pitching staff, infield, outfield and catching. The organization is very fortunate since this certainly allows management to operate in the trade department as noted by the acquisition of Craig Kimbrel.

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I have followed the Red Sox since the early 1950s and have been a semi-regular at Pawtucket games when that team was actually in the Eastern League. Now it is the Triple-A team and has been for decades. I have seen players who I just know beyond a doubt will be stars. But something happens on that pathway – they fall short. Something happens when they reach the majors and that promise dissolves like a 401(k) in 2008. The level of talent at the MLB level? Injuries? Psyche? They just fall short of my personal expectations.

I have cobbled together a list of players who meet that criteria of disappointment for me and probably for those who remember them. Of course, I have no set rubric, but just sifting through my memories of players who impressed when I saw them in the minors and even – if briefly – in the majors. If I drifted back to the 1950s the list would be quite extensive with the numerous “bonus babies” who tanked, so the list is somewhere in the mid-1960s to early 1970s for a start and finish into the 21st century.

If I have missed a few I am sure readers can add to the list.

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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.

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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.

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Number Eight

Jackie Gutierrez – SS (1983-88)
MLB Stats: 356 G, 957 AB, .237/.262/.285, 4 HR, 63 RBI

Gutierrez, a right-handed hitter, had a decent introductory season with Boston in 1984 hitting .263 in 151 games, but had 31 errors. Excellent range, but blunders with the glove – just think of Xander Bogaerts in 2014. My perception was Jackie would have a long career as a utility player. Glove and arm killed that.

Number Seven

Mike Nagy – RHP (1969-74)
MLB Stats: 20-13 W/L, 87 G, 418.2 IP, 210 W, 170 K, 4.15 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 4.51 FIP

Nagy burst on the scene in spring training of 1969 with a huge jump from A league into the Boston rotation and a 12-2 record. Nagy finished second in the Rookie of The Year voting and looked like a potential force with a nasty sinker. More career walks than strikeouts gives a clue. Eerily similar to Don Schwall in 1961. I had him down for a future 20 game winner. Some arm issues didn’t help.

Number Six

Mike Garman – RHP (1969-78)
MLB Stats: 22-27 W/L, 303 G, 433.2 IP, 202 W, 213 K, 3.63 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 4.10 FIP

Twenty years old and beating the Yankees in your first start. That was Garman’s intro to MLB and it was impressive, but he never reached the potential that I thought he had. A recurring theme among pitchers is walks and Garman just walked too many. I thought Garman and Nagy would key the staff for a decade.

Number Five

Dick Pole – RHP (1973-78)
MLB Stats: 25-27 W/L, 122 G, 531 IP, 209 W, 239 K, 5.05 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.48 FIP

A successful and longtime pitching coach at the MLB level who never quite brought his early promise to the surface. Pole may have had complications from a horrendous line drive to his face that shattered his cheekbone. Maybe that derailed him? Appeared in game five of 1975 WS without getting an out.

Feb 28, 2014; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen (17) waits in the bullpen during the spring training action against the New York Mets at Tradition Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

Number Four

Billy Conigliaro – OF (1969-73)
MLB Stats: 347 G, 1130 AB, .256/.311/.429, 40 HR, 128 RBI

Homered in the same game with brother Tony Conigliaro and 1970 looked like a real career turning point with a .271 average and 18 home runs in just 398 AB. A first round pick who was sent packing in the George Scott deal. Part of the problem with Billy was the issues with Red Sox management who cleansed themselves of the Conigliaro family.

Number Three

Manny Delcarmen – RHP (2005-10)
MLB Stats: 11-8 W/L, 298 G, 292.2 IP, 135 W, 249 K, 3.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 4.01 FIP

A round two pick and a local kid who mixed a mid-90s fastball with a curve and change. Delcarmen ‘s control was a significant factor with a career BB/9 of 4.2. Pitching behind and relying on heat to bail you out eventually costs and for MDC (Major Disaster Coming) it did.

Number Two

Craig Hansen – RHP (2005-09)
MLB Stats: 4-9 W/L, 95 G, 93.2 IP, 63 W, 70 K, 6.34 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 5.27 FIP

Hansen should be closing for Boston now, but then came the wildness as Hansen turned into Ricky Vaughn and when you pitch behind comes trouble – as in 10 career home runs allowed. Hansen burst on the scene as a first round pick in 2005 and eventually pitching in Boston the same year. A home run by Melvin Mora seemed to break Hansen. Rushed?

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Number One

Sam Horn – DH (1987-95)
MLB Stats: 389 G, 1040 AB, .240/.328/.468, 62 HR, 179 RBI

Quite possibly the most disappointing player I can remember. I thought Horn, a first-round pick, would have a plaque at Cooperstown. A huge left-hand batter that was David Ortiz like in build and power. Horn could put on a BP display that would rock. In games some of his shots were magnificent to watch.

At Pawtucket in 1987, I saw Horn play many games and he totaled 90 games with the PawSox hammering out 30 home runs and accounting for 84 RBI. Horn was hitting rockets and batted .321 before he got the call to Boston.

Boston Red Sox players who can’t miss and did

The Boston Red Sox have had their share of Can’t miss players who did. Here is a list of sixteen.

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