Abe Alvarez

“You look out and you’re in a big-league park, you’re on a big-league field, you’re going to pitch. It’s a hundred emotions going through you.” – Abe Alvarez, on his major-league debut with the 2004 Boston Red Sox1

Abe Alvarez pitched four games in the major leagues, including his debut for the 2004 Boston Red Sox. The 21-year-old lefty spent just half a season at the Double-A level before being thrown into the heat of a pennant race. The Red Sox were desperate for a pitcher and optimistic about the young crooked-hat, bushy-haired pitcher who threw so soft that a Red Sox scout said, “[Y]ou can catch him with a napkin.”2 The Long Beach State phenom had dominated the college ranks the year before with his solid control and pinpoint location. Alvarez had a meteoric rise from short-season Class A to the major leagues in one year. Baseball America listed Alvarez as the top Red Sox pitching prospect, ahead of such notables as Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon.3 He spent his entire career (2004-2006) with the Red Sox and received a World Series ring.

Alvarez rose from poverty to top pitching prospect, only to watch other prospects supersede him. His experiences with the highs and lows of the game prepared him for coaching at the college level. “Baseball really doesn’t need a guy like him,” ESPN’s Brian Triplett wrote. “It needs one on every team.”4

Abraham Alvarez was born on October 17, 1982, in Maywood, California, mere minutes south of Los Angeles. His parents, Alex and Mercedes (Olivares) Alvarez, had emigrated from Mexico. Alex often had trouble finding employment to provide for his family, which included Abe’s brother and sister. Mercedes was a cosmetologist. Spotlights from police helicopters and sirens were a normal occurrence in their neighborhood, as was the presence of gangs. Their home was broken into often. “I didn’t really understand,” Abe said. “My parents didn’t make it a big deal. [Robbers] didn’t take much because there wasn’t much that we had. My parents kept us safe, and that’s all that pretty much mattered.” Alex found work when Abe was 7, and moved the family to Fontana, 50 miles from Maywood.5

Alex, a basketball player in Mexico, encouraged his sons to play baseball. Abe, around 5 years old, played in the T-ball Peanut League in the Bella South Gate area of Los Angeles County, then later Little League.6 As a youngster he checked out library books about Sandy Koufax. But the current Dodger lefty star grabbed his attention. “I was just five or six at the time,” Alvarez remembered. “Fernando Valenzuela was my first athletic idol.” His dad would take him to Dodger Stadium after Sunday Mass if Valenzuela was pitching.7 Valenzuela looked to the sky as he delivered the ball to the plate. Alvarez had only one good eye.

“I was born with a birth defect in my left eye, and I don’t have very good vision in it,” he said in 2003. His mother tried prescription drops to no avail. “Being a left-hander, it doesn’t bother me because I can focus with my right eye. But if I was right-handed, I think it would be a problem for me.”8 “If I close my good eye,” he explained another time, “it’s a blur. If things are close, maybe I can read them. I can see colors, but the vision is bad.”9 It was one more obstacle in his childhood.

Abe started wearing glasses around age 8 and faced childhood bullying since the lens for his left eye was much thicker than that for the right. “It affected me socially as a kid a lot,” Alvarez said. An optometrist recommended that Alvarez wear a patch on his right eye when not in school to strengthen the vision in his left eye. “So every Halloween for about six years I was a pirate,” he joked. Alvarez switched to wearing a single contact lens late in his high-school years.10 Tilting his cap helped balance out the lighting for his good eye, and he could peek at a runner at first from the stretch without craning his neck. It worked, and he was a successful pitcher at A.B. Miller High School in Fontana. He credited his father for his confidence.

“My dad has always been there telling me not to give up,” Alvarez said. “Much of my confidence comes from him because he believes in me. He is always pushing me and his confidence in me gives me confidence in myself.”11 Alex had never finished beyond seventh grade, so the discussion of college rarely came up at home. Neither his older brother nor younger sister attended college. Abe played in the Area Code Baseball program with future major leaguer Chad Cordero. College recruiters were watching.12 He drew more attention striking out 16 batters in six innings for the Colton Night Hawks in the USABF World Series, a tournament for 16- to 18-year-olds.13 During his sophomore year of high school, his coach took him to a baseball camp at Arizona State University. Alvarez decided to attend Long Beach State because of its proximity.

Alvarez pitched just three innings as a freshman. “We had a lot of older guys on our staff,” he said. “I think it was good for me to sit and watch how the older guys did it.” He received extra training in Alaska that summer. “I think pitching in Alaska really helped me. I’m just glad they didn’t rush me at Long Beach.”14 The extra work was beneficial. He finished his sophomore season 12-3 (2.72 ERA), walked only 27 while striking out 89 in 102⅔ innings, and was Big West Pitcher of the Year.15

Alvarez followed with an 11-2 junior season (2.35 ERA). His 23-5 combined record (2.56 ERA) is the most for any Long Beach State University left-hander and he shared the 2003 Big West Pitcher of the Year Award with teammate Jered Weaver. The two were a powerful one-two punch (25-6 combined) along with their freshman shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki. Alvarez led the top-ranked 49ers into their first NCAA home regional playoff game against Pepperdine. He allowed one run on four hits for a 6-1 victory.16

Alvarez pitched for Team USA in the summer of 2002, appearing in the World University Championship. He allowed only an unearned run in 1⅓ innings. His valuable relief work helped Team USA win the Haarlem Baseball Week Tournament in the Netherlands.17

Jim Woodward of the Boston Red Sox scouted Alvarez. His bad left eye became an issue for the first time. “MLB sent one of their guys in,” Alvarez recalled. “He said, ‘Your vision in your left eye is really bad. I don’t get how you’re able to pitch.’”18 Alvarez learned he was legally blind, with 20:16 vision in the eye. It may have cost Alvarez a first-round selection in the June 2003 amateur draft. The Red Sox selected him in the second round (49th overall) with a $700,000 signing bonus.19

The Red Sox assigned Alvarez to short-season Class-A Lowell (Massachusetts) of the New York-Penn League. With his high number of innings at Long Beach State, the Red Sox were cautious with the 20-year-old’s workload. Alvarez started nine games but was limited to 19 innings. He struck out 19, walked 2, and was unscored upon. “They made me understand,” Alvarez said. “I got used to it and I know it was good for me.”20

The Red Sox promoted Alvarez in 2004 to Double-A Portland (Maine) of the Eastern League. “My favorite city in minor-league baseball,” Alvarez remembered. “It was like a college town.”21

“It’s a big jump, no doubt. We could have sent him to Sarasota (Advanced A level),” confessed Red Sox farm director Ben Cherington. “We felt that challenging him was the right thing to do.” Alvarez struggled, allowing five runs in his first start, but settled down and allowed only five runs in his next four starts. His fastball was not overpowering (85-88 mph) and he relied on location, control, and mixing pitches. “He’s a very mature kid who has a good idea about pitching,” Cherington said.22

The Red Sox were desperate for a starting pitcher in game one of a doubleheader with the Baltimore Orioles on July 22. They were struggling at 51-42, eight games behind the New York Yankees, after being just one game behind at the start of June. “I think we’ve had a couple of instances recently where we’ve gotten behind in a game and have become semi-lifeless,” said outfielder Gabe Kapler. “I think it’s important that we show a little amount of tenacity right now.”23 The Red Sox hoped Alvarez could bring the team that tenacity and summoned him from Portland. He was 8-6 (3.53 ERA) in 19 starts with an 82/24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 99⅓ innings. Opponents were batting .261 against Alvarez. He learned of the promotion two days before it happened.24

“You’re going to the big leagues,” manager Ron Johnson told him. “I started shaking,” Alvarez said. “I didn’t sleep that night.”25 “Really, I thought more about my dad, what he did and what he worked for, everything he pushed for me to get this opportunity.”26 Alvarez was chosen partly because the Orioles struggled against left-handers at the time (10-21 vs. left-handed starters, batting .245 vs. .296 against righties).27 To make room on the roster, left-hander Jimmy Anderson (6.00 ERA in six innings) was designated for assignment. Anderson had thrown his last pitch while Alvarez prepared to throw his first.

“With a bushel of curly black hair jutting out from under a hat turned to the side,” wrote Paul Doyle in the Hartford Courant, “Abe Alvarez strode to the mound with the urgency of someone approaching the ceremonial first pitch. Alvarez looked more like a college kid in the bleachers than a major league pitcher dropped into the pennant race by a desperate team.”28 At 21 years and 9 months old, the young Alvarez stepped into the heat of a pennant race.

Alvarez fell behind early. He walked leadoff hitter Brian Roberts, who stole second and scampered home on Melvin Mora’s double to right. Miguel Tejada launched a home run into the Monster seats in left, and the Orioles led, 3-0. Mora later homered. Alvarez gutted out five innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, five walks and two strikeouts. The Red Sox fell, 8-3. “We all think that he has a bright future. Maybe not quite yet, here,” said manager Terry Francona. “He kept his composure and actually kept us in the game.”29

“It was kind of like a welcome-to-the-big-leagues type of deal,” Alvarez said honestly. “That was a big inning just for me being out there for the first time.” While the outcome was not what he wanted, he found the positive. “I’m glad that they have a lot of confidence in me, and I am moving up quick. Hopefully, I will be able to stick around, or come back quicker.”30 But Alvarez would have just a cup of coffee, or as Mark Murphy wrote in the Boston Herald, “There was no time to add the cream and sugar.”31 Alvarez was optioned back to Portland to make room for the recently acquired infielder Ricky Gutierrez. Alvarez finished 10-9 for Portland with a 3.66 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He was 1-2 in August despite a splendid 2.14 ERA, holding batters to a .167 average.32 The Red Sox turned their season around in memorable fashion, winning their first World Series in 86 years and everyone on the team, including Alvarez, received a ring.

Alvarez spent most of 2005 with Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League. He was 11-6 with a 4.85 ERA (1.20 WHIP) in 26 starts. In June he threw a seven-inning, one-hit shutout against Richmond.33 In July he was briefly recalled to Boston but never made an appearance. He was recalled again on August 28 and had back-to-back relief appearances, throwing a scoreless inning against the Tigers, and then getting pounded for four runs by Tampa Bay. He was back in Pawtucket on August 30.34

Alvarez returned to Pawtucket in 2006 with a cutter added to his pitching repertoire. “I think it’s a big part of my success,” he said. “With a cutter, I’m able to come inside to righties instead of always using my change-up.”35 He was a stellar 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA and lefties batted a weak .167 against him. Alvarez was recalled to Boston in May. “My confidence is high,” he said. “This is a challenge I look forward to take on.”36

The Red Sox were in Philadelphia. Alvarez relieved Lenny DiNardo in the third with runners at first and second and the Red Sox trailing, 4-1. He got out of the inning unscathed and pitched a scoreless fourth. In the fifth, Ryan Howard smashed a changeup for his 14th home run to deep left. Alvarez didn’t record an out in the sixth, allowing a double to Jimmy Rollins, a single to Chase Utley, and a home run in the center-field bushes by Bobby Abreu. Alvarez walked off a major-league field for the final time in a 10-5 loss. David Riske was activated and Alvarez was back in Pawtucket.37

Alvarez went 1-9 with a 7.58 ERA upon returning to Pawtucket. He finished 6-9 (5.64 ERA, 1.49 WHIP). Staying mentally focused was the majority of the problem. “You know you had a shot and you come back down and you’re thinking the wrong things,” he said. “That’s why you go out there and give up eight runs in three innings (vs. Columbus), because your head’s not in the game. I talked to (Red Sox mental skills coach) Bob Tewksbury, and people can tell you things, but you are the one who has to make the adjustments.”38 In August he fractured his ankle in an off-field accident and missed the remainder of the season.39

Alvarez was placed on the 60-day disabled list and removed from the 40-man roster. He was no longer a top pitching prospect but accepted the Red Sox’ invitation to spring training in 2007 as a nonroster invitee. Alvarez, now 24, was surrounded by youngsters. “I pitched with a lot of these (younger guys in camp),” he said. “I came up faster, but they’re catching up to me on the fast track. And now I have to get over the hump.”40 He pitched for Pawtucket the entire season, going 5-8 (4.77 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) with 16 starts in 25 appearances. He was released in May 2008 after 13 appearances and a 6.46 ERA (1.76 WHIP).

“It was awesome to be on the fast track,” Alvarez said in 2010, “and to go from Low A to Double A and then get a chance to start in the majors. Then I had a good first year at Triple A. But I felt in that second year there that I had missed a step in my development.”41 “I would put a lot of blame on myself,” he said. “It’s a business, it’s your career. What are you trying to do to get better? I felt pretty good in who I was, but at the same time I didn’t realize who was coming behind me. I probably would have benefited even more from going to high A and learning.”42

Alvarez signed with the Camden (New Jersey) Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League. He pitched one game and was traded to the Long Island Ducks. He went 7-4 in 31 appearances, then spent the winter pitching for the Lobos de Arecibo of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Alvarez went overseas to pitch for Palfinger Reggio Emilia in the Italian Baseball League in 2009. He finished 3-8 with a 2.96 ERA. “It was still fun,” he said, playing on the weekends and sightseeing during the week. “The fields were nice, and I loved traveling in Italy.”43 Abe went home and married Natalie Casas, an elementary school teacher. They had two children, Isabella and Benjamin.

In 2010 Alvarez served as a volunteer undergraduate assistant coach at Long Beach State which provided free tuition while he attained a bachelor’s degree in history. “I promised my mom I would finish college,” he said. “First one in my family.”44 In 2011, he became the baseball coach at Cerritos High School. He moved on to St. Bernard High School, where he coached, taught, and served as dean of students. Alvarez led St. Bernard to its first league title in 30 years. In 2017 he earned a master’s in secondary education from Loyola Marymount University. In 2018 Alvarez joined the Nevada State baseball program as a volunteer and was promoted to a paid assistant in 2019. In 2021 he led the Wolfpack to the Mountain West championship and on to the NCAA Regionals. In 2022 Alvarez became the pitching coach at Brigham Young University.45

“My dream was to play in the major leagues, and I achieved that,” Alvarez said. “But I learned it’s hard to stay there. I knew coaching was something I’ve always to do.”46

Sources

College statistics were taken from the baseballcube.com.

Besides sources listed in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-reference.com, Familysearch.org, Findagrave.com, and Retrosheet.org.

Notes

1 Abe Alvarez interview on Brett Lorin’s “Too Tall Sports Podcast,” Season 1, Episode 29, November 19, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2022. youtube.com/watch?v=Yn9Cx_fUYhc. Hereafter listed as “Podcast.”

2 Gordon Edes, “Alvarez Is Back in Business,” Boston Globe, May 20, 2006: E5.

3 Cited by Michael Silverman, “Baseball – Team Won’t Split Hairs With Lefty Alvarez,” Boston Herald, March 16, 2004: 84.

4 Brian Triplett, “Gangbanger? Try Modest Abe,” ESPN. Retrieved June 25, 2022. espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1873839.

5 Triplett.

6 Podcast; Doug Krikorian, “Alvarez in Good Form for D’Bags,” Long-Beach Press Telegram, May 8, 2003: B1.

7 “Alvarez in Good Form”; Janis Carr, “Alvarez Usually Finds Way to Win. The Long Beach State ace Is 22-4 the Past Two Years,” Orange County Register (Santa Ana, California), May 27, 2003. Retrieved June 20, 2022. Infoweb-newsbankcom.hpld.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0FB85941DA9630F8.

8 Krikorian, “Alvarez in Good Form.”

9 Dana Oppedisano, “A Reason for Alvarez’s Appearance,” Naples (Florida) Daily News, March 7, 2005: 6C.

10 Podcast.

11 Carr, “Alvarez Usually Finds Way to Win.”

12 Podcast.

13 “Rangers Off to 2-0 Start at Series,” San Luis Obispo (California) Tribune, August 5, 2000: C2.

14 Krikorian, “Alvarez in Good Form.”

15 James Lee, “Relief Effort,” Los Angeles Times, August 1, 2002: A8.

16 “Baseball Program Picks Its All-Time Greats.” Long Beach State University. Retrieved June 21, 2022. longbeachstate.com/sports/2018/8/1/_trads_alltime_base_html.aspx; Eric Stephens, “Two Aces, One Tough Team,” Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2003: D15; Eric Stephens, “Long Beach Works Fast,” Los Angeles Times, May 31, 2003: D13; Darrell Moody, “Three Players See Action in College Baseball Playoffs,” Sacramento Bee, June 6, 2002: 47.

17 Lee, “Relief Effort.”

18 J.P. Hoornstra, “Abe Alvarez Hits the Mark,” Long Beach Press-Telegram, May 23, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2022. presstelegram.com/2012/05/23/abe-alvarez-hits-the-mark/.

19 Pete Marshall, “Cordero, Alvarez, Begin Quest for MLB Glory,” Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, California), June 27, 2003: 3.

20 Kevin Thomas, “Sox Hope Alvarez Is What’s Left,” Portland (Maine) Press Herald, May 9, 2004: 1D.

21 Podcast.

22 “Sox Hope Alvarez Is What’s Left.”

23 Bob Hohler, “Home Sickness,” Boston Globe, July 22, 2004: E1.

24 Bob Hohler, “Gutierrez Acquired After Reese Lands on DL,” Boston Globe, July 22, 2004: E3.

25 Kevin Thomas, “Keeping His Cool on the Hot Seat,” Portland Press Herald, July 23, 2004: D1.

26 Podcast.

27 Bob Hohler, “Like Night and Day,” Boston Globe, July 23, 2004: E7.

28 Paul Doyle, “Salvage Job for Wake – Orioles Rough Up Alvarez,” Hartford Courant, July 23, 2004: C1.

29 Mark Murphy, “O’s Rock Rookie – Alvarez Takes Loss in MLB Debut,” Boston Herald, July 23, 2004: 124.

30 “O’s Rock Rookie.” .

31 “O’s Rock Rookie.”

32 Bob Hohler, “Only a Few Will Realize Big Dreams,” Boston Globe, August 29, 2004: F11.

33 Joe McDonald, “Alvarez of PawSox Stays on Fast Track by 1-Hitting Braves,” Providence Journal, June 7, 2005: C5.

34 Jeff Horrigan, “Alvarez Is Ready to Go,” Boston Herald, July 3, 2005: B11; Tony Massarotti, “Vazquez a Surprise Cut,” Boston Herald, July 4, 2005: 58; Jeff Horrigan, “Remlinger Doesn’t Make Cut,” Boston Herald, August 29, 2005: 98; Jeff Horrigan, “Red Sox Notebook – Wells Called to MLB Office,” Boston Herald, August 31, 2005: 88.

35 Karen Guregian, “On Call When Need to Re-arm – Four Top Prospects Working to Be Ready,” Boston Herald, May 14, 2006: B16.

36 Michael Silverman, “Red Sox Notebook: Honest, Abe Up – Lefty Called from Pawtucket,” Boston Herald, May 20, 2006: 48; Edes, “Alvarez Is Back in Business.”

37 Gordon Edes, “Sox Absorb Blows,” Boston Globe, May 22, 2006: D6.

38 Steven Krasner, “Alvarez Out to Show Sox He’s Not So Forgettable,” Providence Journal, February 15, 2007: C1.

39 Gordon Edes, “Hinske’s Versatility a Big Plus,” Boston Globe, August 18, 2006: C6.

40 “Alvarez Out to Show Sox He’s Not So Forgettable.”

41 Bob Keisser, “Back to Basics – Former Pitcher Is Back at LBSU to Get an Education, Both in Class and on the Field,” Long-Beach Press Telegram, March 24, 2010: 1B.

42 Podcast.

43 Hoornstra, “Abe Alvarez Hits the Mark.”

44 Hoornstra, “Abe Alvarez Hits the Mark.”

45 “Abe Alvarez,” Nevada Wolf Pack Coaches. Retrieved June 19, 2022. nevadawolfpack.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/abe-alvarez/2016; Chris Murray, “Abe Alvarez Promoted to Full-Time Assistant for Nevada Baseball,” Nevada SportsNet. Retrieved June 19, 2022. nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/abe-alvarez-promoted-to-full-time-assistant-for-nevada-baseball; “Abe Alvarez,” BYU Baseball. Retrieved February 28, 2023. byucougars.com/staff/baseball/1300431/abe-alvarez.

46 “High School Baseball – Alvarez Named Coach at St. Bernard,” Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, September 11, 2013: 2; “Abe Alvarez,” Nevada Baseball 2020 Media Guide, 43. Retrieved June 24, 2022. s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/nevadawolfpack.com/documents/2020/2/18/BaseballMediaGuide_2020_ALTTEXT.pdf.