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Marty Barrett No player enjoyed more success in the 1986 postseason than Red Sox second baseman Marty Barrett. So it was an unfortunate irony for the renowned contact hitter that he went down swinging for the final out of Game 7. Except for making the final out in the Mets' 8-5 World Series winning Game 7 victory, Barrett is remembered for having a postseason like none before. He was named the ALCS MVP after he hit .367 (11-for-30) against the California Angels, but he was even better in the World Series, batting .433 (13-for-30). Barrett set a major-league record with 24 hits in 14 postseason games. In addition to finishing with a .400 batting average between the ALCS and World Series, Barrett was flawless in the field and struck out only three times in 59 at-bats, until Jesse Orosco whiffed him on at-bat number 60. So what happened to Marty Barrett after the 1986 season? Although the '86 season was the best of his career, Barrett had two more productive seasons, capping off a five year run from 1984-88 in which he averaged 148 games per season. In his only follow up attempt to his '86 postseason success, Barrett went 1-for-15 (.067) as the Red Sox were swept by the A's in the 1988 ALCS. Barrett's career came to a screeching half in the summer of1989 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while trying to avoid a tag running to first base. But the injury that would shorten his career became a source of controversy itself when he filed a malpractice lawsuit against Red Sox team physician and part owner Dr. Arthur Pappas. According to Barrett, Pappas diagnosed the injury as torn cartilage, but after famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman determined that the ACL was torn, a far more serious injury, Barrett filed the lawsuit. He settled in 1995 for $2.4 million (the most money he ever made as a player was $1 million in 1990). His last year with the Red Sox was at the age of 32 in 1990, but by then Jody Reed had taken over as the primary second baseman. In his last year in Boston, Barrett played in only 62 games. Barrett finished his playing days in 1991 with the San Diego Padres, where he appeared in the only 12 games of his career outside of the Boston organization. Although Barrett played 99% of his 10 major league seasons in a Red Sox uniform, he remained with the San Diego organization following his retirement. The key reason behind that decision was that the Padres' AAA affiliate resided in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada and for two seasons Barrett served as a coach with the Pacific Coast League franchise. In 1995 Barrett accepted his first managing job with Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Padres) of the Class A California League. Although he considered staying in professional baseball as a manager, he decided to leave after the '95 season to remain full time in Las Vegas with his family, which includes his wife Robin; sons Eric, 18, and Kyle, 10; and daughter Katy, 14. Since leaving Rancho Cucamonga Barrett has remained involved in baseball, working recreationally with the youth of Las Vegas, where the city named a local Little League chapter in his honor. On February 12, 1999 Barrett was recognized locally for his stellar career when he was inducted into the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. The 2001 season was a busy one for Barrett, as he entered the broadcast booth for the first time as a color commentator for Sunday home pages of the Las Vegas 51's, the renamed Dodgers AAA affiliate. On June 23 Barrett made the trip across the country to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to participate in the festivities surrounding the 20th anniversary of the longest game in baseball history. It was Barrett who crossed the plate at McCoy Stadium with the winning run in the 33rd inning in Pawtucket's 3-2 win over Rochester. Barrett closed out the year as a coach at the Las Vegas Baseball Academy Christmas camp. Among the instructors at the camp were fellow Las Vegas residents Greg Maddux and recently disposed Red Sox hitting coach Rick Down. As for Barrett's future, he would like to manage professionally again but not until his kids grow up. In the meantime, Barrett is happy to coach his son's Little League team and help his daughter with her golf game.
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