Rich Garces

Affectionately nicknamed “El Guapo” by Fenway fans, the hefty righty signed with the Boston Red Sox in April 1996 after bouncing around several organizations. He shuttled between Boston and Triple-A Pawtucket for a few years before landing a permanent middle relief job in Beantown in 1999. While posting a 1.55 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 40 innings that year, Garces mysteriously established something of a cult following in the city, and heard his name exuberantly cheered whenever he trudged out to the mound.