In what was perhaps Marty Barrett’s best all-around season as a pro, he belted only four home runs. This was down from the five that he hit the previous season which was done with a little over one-hundred less plate appearances. Sure, Barrett was never going to win the home run crown or bat in the cleanup spot, but no one would ever think he was that type of player. Barrett was a hitter not a slugger. Contact and patience, not power, was his game. Having said all that, let us look at each of the four home runs Barrett deposited over the fence in 1986.

1986 Fleer #340

1) April 14th, the seventh game of the young season and Boston’s home opener, the Red Sox host the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. The Sox are down 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Charlie Leibrandt is making his first start of the season coming off a terrific 17-9 campaign the year before. Batting in the eighth spot and having drawn a walk off of Leibrandt in the second inning, Barrett leads off the fifth. Including the second inning, he had faced Leibrandt ten times, drawing three walks and collecting two hits, both doubles. Barrett subsequently smacked his first home run of the season and tied the game 2-2.

The Sox would not score again. In the top of the 8th, the Royals erupted for six runs and never looked back. Barrett finished the game with another walk while also grounding out to Frank White to end the ballgame.

2) Nearly three months later, on July 2nd, the Red Sox hosted the visiting Blue Jays of Toronto. On the mound for Boston, the undefeated (14-0) Roger Clemens; his counterpart, the rising star southpaw Jimmy Key. Up until this game, Barrett had little success against Key, grabbing only one hit in seven previous career at-bats. July 2nd was different, though. By this point in the season, Barrett was firmly entrenched near the top of the order due to his very low strikeout rate and his ability to make contact. He led off the bottom of the first with a single but ended up being the first out on a double play ball hit by future Hall of Famer Wade Boggs.

In the bottom of the fourth with one out and a man on second in a scoreless game, Barrett drew a walk.  With runners on first and second, Boggs promptly hit a grounder to first which forced Barrett out at second. Bill Buckner ended the inning with a harmless grounder to second.

The Jays scored first; the result of a George Bell solo shot off of Clemens in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, the score 1-0 in favor of the Jays, center fielder Kevin Romine singled to lead off the inning. Light-hitting shortstop Ed Romero followed with a fly out to center for the first out. Barrett strode to the plate and smacked a two-run home run to give the Sox a 2-1 lead.

Barrett batted again in the seventh and flew out to center. Ultimately, Clemens and the Red Sox could not hold onto the slim lead. In the top of the eight, Clemens surrendered the tying run to Rance Mulliniks who doubled in Damaso Garcia. Reliever Bob Stanley replaced Clemens, inheriting two runners and one out. After an intentional walk to Lloyd Moseby, Stanley gave up an RBI single to George Bell and a sacrifice fly to Jesse Barfield. After walking the bases loaded, he was relieved by Joe Sambito who stopped the bleeding. Boston could not recover from the two-run deficit as Tom Henke came in for the ninth and struck out the side.

Vintage Bob Stanley.

3) A month later on August 6th the Sox hosted their hosiery rivals the White Sox. On the mound for the ChiSox was lefty Floyd Bannister, making his fourth start versus Boston on the season. In his previous three starts, Bannister took the loss each time. Barrett, for his part, had two hits including a triple to go along with a walk in his nine plate appearances against the southpaw.

1986 Fleer #340

In the bottom of the first, Boggs led off with a walk. Barrett followed and deposited the Bannister offering into the stands for a two-run home run. Things did not get better for the hurler as he surrendered four straight hits and two runs without recording an out before getting yanked for Bill Dawley. The Red Sox would roll and win the game 9-0. Barrett recorded two more hits and a walk, going three for four on the day. His home run marked the third time that season that his yard work either tied or provided the go ahead run for Boston. Fortunately this time, they won the game.

4) Barrett’s fourth and final home run of 1986 came on September 5th. Once again, Boston was at home, this time hosting the Minnesota Twins.

Facing starter Frank Viola, Barrett lined out to left in the first. In the third he walked and was driven in thanks to a Jim Rice grand slam. Up 5-1, he faced Viola once again in the fourth and struck out, one of only 31 times he did so in 1986. The Sox tacked on two more runs and Viola was pulled for Frank Pastore.

By the time Barrett came up to bat again in the fifth, beleaguered lefty Ray Fontenot was on the mound. Up until this game, Barrett had only one hit and a walk in nine career plate appearances against Fontenot; that was about to change. With two on and two out, Barrett took Fontenot deep for a three-run ding dong and increase the Sox lead to 7-1. Barrett got one more at-bat and Fontenot promptly walked him. The Sox ended up winning 12-2.

In the four games where Barrett homered, the Sox went 2-2. His personal line was 12 at-bats, 7 hits, 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, 8 runs, and 6 walks, good for a .583 BA/.722 OBP/1.583 SLG; not too bad. Also worth nothing, all four home runs came at home off of lefties.

Card Thoughts

The 1986 Fleer set looks a little like the ’85 release only with the player’s name on the bottom instead of the top. It is not the most exciting design in the world but it is classic in its simplicity. The blue borders are nice and the player/team name part is colored in the appropriate team color. The photo used is the first that shows Barrett actually making contact with a ball. I can only assume he has just slapped an opposite field single. The back is typical of Fleer from the 80s. To me, they had the best backs. Vitals and full stats, including minor league totals, are present and easy to read. The ‘Did You Know’ is always appreciated and mentions Barrett’s successful execution of the hidden ball trick from the previous season as documented here. Also, Fleer was the first and only company to group players by team for their numbering, something I always liked.

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