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. (
GL)
Rich Garces
teams