Mark Malaska

Mark Malaska served as a major-league baseball relief pitcher during two seasons. In 2003, the 6-foot-3, 191-pound left-hander broke into “The Show” with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He then joined the 2004 Boston Red Sox in their fabled World Series championship run. During his major-league career, Malaska appeared in 41 games and posted a 3-2 won-lost record, with 36 innings pitched, 29 strikeouts, 24 walks, allowing 2 home runs for a 3.75 ERA. He earned a championship ring with the Red Sox.

Dennis Mark Malaska was born on January 17, 1978, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Dennis and Darlene Malaska. Dennis was was a teacher at the city’s Chaney High School. On September 12, 1980, the couple had their second child, a son, David.

Located in the northeast section of Ohio in Mahoning County, Youngstown once had a vibrant steel industry. But in the 1970s that economic sector was in decline. The municipality’s population totaled under 140,000. The Malaska family resided on the city’s south side.

From 1992 to 1996, Malaska attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown. Established in 1956, the private Roman Catholic school boasts such notable alumni as San Francisco 49ers owner Denise DeBartolo York, former boxer Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, past Oklahoma football head coach Bob Stoops, and former US Representative James Traficant. A gifted athlete, Malaska earned a total of six varsity letters in baseball and basketball. During his interscholastic sports years for the Cardinals, his outstanding performance on the diamond and the hardwood secured the teenager All-Steel Valley honors in both sports.

When it came to Cardinals basketball, Malaska was positioned either at guard or forward. In addition to interscholastic competition, he also participated in community cage leagues.

But in baseball, the left-handed hitter and thrower was a standout outfielder with a strong arm and quick bat. In his senior season at Cardinal Mooney, he hit .462. Also, he was the top hitter in the 1996 Connie Mack state tournament with a .536 batting average.1 

Looking toward college, Malaska received athletic scholarships in both sports as well as academic scholarships. Purdue, Ball State, Duke, Georgia Tech, Bowling Green, Toledo, Clemson, Ohio University, and Florida State all made bids for this student-athlete. As to the athletic scholarships, the better deals were baseball offerings. Thus, he decided to pursue a single athletic endeavor – baseball. From among the various proposals, Malaska eventually selected an institution of higher learning less than 60 miles from his hometown – the University of Akron. He made the choice in large part due to a tragic incident and to keep close to his family.

On July 21, 1997, there was a life-changing experience that nearly upended Malaska’s dream and desire for baseball. That day Mark was playing in a local league game. From the stands his father and brother saw him make four hits, including three home runs, and notch eight RBIs. However, a stellar day on the ball field turned by night into a horrific nightmare for Mark. That evening, his brother David lost his life in a fatal traffic accident. Some contemporary reports chronicle that Malaska began to think of turning away from baseball. Yet, with the support of his parents he nonetheless went onward with his athletic career.

In 2003, upon reflection of that fateful date, Malaska commented, “Along with the loss, along with my mourning and grief, something else happened on that Sunday, I began to see a larger picture in life and I have never been under any pressure doing things since then.”2

Mark attended the University of Akron from 1996 to 2000 and majored in exercise physiology. His freshman year, he was redshirted in baseball. In subsequent seasons, Malaska hit .296, .318, and .326 and built a college career total 100 RBIs and 13 home runs. He handled the positions of outfield – primarily center field – and relief pitcher.

Malaska’s athletic feats made entries into the Akron record books. He set single-game records for runs scored (5), doubles (3), and RBIs (10). In the NCAA offseason, he further developed his baseball skills by playing for the Danbury Westerners (Danbury, Connecticut) in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

Founded in 1993, the NECBL was created to be an amateur wooden-bat summer circuit with the avowed goal of permitting student athletes to improve their chances of showcasing their talents for pro scouts. Its inaugural season commenced in 1994. The league’s season runs from early June to early August. Its motto: “Keep Your Eye o the Dream.”3

Danbury was managed by Moe Morhardt, a former backup first baseman for the Chicago Cubs who played in parts of the 1961 and 1962 seasons. Malaska said of Morhardt, in a 2023 interview: “Best coach I’ve ever had. Simplified the game mentally and it clicked for me and my career took off due to him.”4

In his initial NECBL season, Malaska made the loop a personal playground with his ballplaying exploits. He ranked third for the league’s batting title. Mark led the league with 40 runs, 113 total bases, 7 triples, 58 hits, and 26 extra-base hits. In 41 games, he had 163 at-bats, for a .356 average, with 40 RBIs and 11 home runs.5

Malaska was named as an outfielder to the 1998 All-League Team. He was crowned as the league’s 1998 NECBL Outstanding Pro Prospect.

Morhardt’s 1998 team complied a 25-17 record, which earned the Westerners a bid to the first round of the NECBL playoffs. They were defeated by the Middletown Giants, three games to one.

In the NECBL 1999 season, Mark repeated as the league’s Outstanding Pro Prospect. Named to the All-League Team, Malaska topped the NECBL with 41 RBIs, ranked second in extra-base hits with 19, and batted .317. He was named MVP of the NECBL All-Star game.6 

Danbury finished with a 23-19 record. The Westerners entered the playoffs and got to the championship series. Middletown again took the NECBL crown, three games to one.

During the fall of 1999, Akron held its annual Scout Day. Mark threw some batting practice. “When some of his pitches reached 90 MPH on the radar guns, major-league scouts began to notice.”7

In his final season at Akron, the Zips lacked a closer. Malaska was offered the chance to fill the team’s need. He recalled, “The coaches talked me into pitching.” The left-hander said, “I wanted to play every day. I love to hit. Scouts told my coach I could make it to the next level as a pitcher.”8 In 24 innings Mark put up a 3-1 record with four saves and a 1.12 ERA. His dual-position performance during the 2000 NCAA season earned him being named to the All Mid-American Conference First Team.

In a 2023 interview, Malaska recalled that at Akron’s Scout Day, as an outfielder he was projected to go as a 15th- to 20th-round pick. But the talent evaluators at some 2000 pre-draft workouts in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee were telling him that as a pitcher he could go in the top 10 rounds.9

In 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Arizona Diamondbacks joined major-league baseball as expansion ballclubs. On June 5, 2000, Tampa Bay selected Malaska in the eighth round (226th overall) of the major-league amateur draft. Tampa Bay scout Matt Kinzer, a former pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers, signed the 22-year-old on June 19, 2000. According to Baseball America, Malaska received a $35,000 signing bonus.10

Kinzer, having also been an NFL replacement player for the Detroit Lions, may not have been shocked by Malaska’s side job – bouncer. The offseason occupation came about because, as Malaska recalled, “I frequented that bar, had a reputation as a fighter and knew pretty much everyone in town so they figured I’d be good to stop or defuse any problems. I was also dating a popular bartender there at the time.”11 

Malaska was assigned to Tampa Bay’s low Class-A club, the Charleston RiverDogs (South Atlantic League). He was there for only a month. After two innings and two runs given up, he was assigned to the short-season Hudson Valley Renegades (New York-Penn League) of Wappingers Falls, New York.

Concerning the move to a lower level of ball, Tampa Bay minor-league director Tom Foley said, “We wanted to give him more opportunities to pitch.”12

On July 25, 2000, Hudson Valley’s number 5 starter, Nate Comer, was slated to pitch, but was injured. Malaska was tagged to start in an away game against the Queens Kings, a New York Mets affiliate. He pitched four innings, without a decision.

His second start was on August 18. With a 0-1 record and a 7.07 ERA, he entered a home game at Dutchess Stadium against the Boston Red Sox affiliate Lowell Spinners. Although the Renegades lost 1-0, the 22-year-old threw five shutout innings. About his outing, Malaska said, “Every time that I go out there, I’m improving, I’m learning the little things, the normal things that experienced pitchers already know.”13

With the Renegades, Malaska was in 10 games, five of them as starter, with a record of 0-2 in 40⅓ innings pitched, 36 strikeouts, and a 4.91 ERA.

In 2001 Malaska found himself back with the Charleston RiverDogs. As a starter in 25 games, he posted a 7-12 record, 157 innings pitched, 152 strikeouts, and a 2.92 ERA with one complete game. Malaska ranked eighth among South Atlantic League starters in strikeouts and his ERA placed him in the 12th slot.

His 2001 season included a stint with Devil Rays’ Advanced Class-A club, the Bakersfield Blaze (California League). During that tenure, with 17⅔ innings pitched, he had a 2-1 record, with 13 strikeouts and a 4.08 ERA. That year overall, Malaska tied the Tampa Bay organizational lead in strikeouts.

In 2002 Mark was cited by Baseball America as the 29th rated prospect in the Devil Rays organization. At Bakersfield, he had a 7-4 record with two complete games. The California League All-Star tossed 91⅓ innings with 94 strikeouts and only 12 walks, with a 2.96 ERA. He placed second in the California League in shutouts with two.14

That same season, Malaska got playing time for the Rays of Florida – the Double-A Orlando Rays (Southern League). At this higher level of baseball, Malaska appeared in 12 games, 11 of which he started. In 70⅔ innings pitched he went 4-5, with one save, one complete game, 49 strikeouts, and a 3.69 ERA.

Malaska and right-hander Brandon Backe led the six Tampa Bay minor-league clubs in complete games with three games each for 2002.

The next year, Malaska played on two Devil Rays farm clubs – Orlando and then Tampa’s Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls (International League). At Orlando, in 19 relief appearances he went 1-1 with one save and a 2.16 ERA. Promoted to the Bulls, he made 15 relief outings and had a 1-1 record with a 4.30 ERA.

Tampa Bay needed a left-handed arm in the bullpen, and Malaska was called up.

On July 17, 2003, his first day with the Devil Rays, the 25-year-old made his major-league debut. In a home night game at Tropicana Field against the Texas Rangers, manager Lou Piniella called Malaska in from the bullpen in the top of the ninth inning. The Rangers were leading 11-3.

Malaska replaced Brandon Backe, who had just walked Rangers third baseman Donnie Sadler. (Coincidentally, Backe was also originally a position player converted to a pitcher.) With a man on first, Malaska faced Bo Díaz. He walked the Texas catcher. The Rangers’ leadoff hitter, Michael Young, hit into a fielder’s choice that forced Diaz but now put runners at the corners. Center fielder Doug Glanville singled to left field, allowing Sadler to score and Young to advance to second. Texas shortstop Álex Rodríguez – later named the 2003 AL MVP – came to the plate. Malaska got Rodriguez to hit into a double play, ending the frame. Malaska said by getting “ARod …. to ground into a double play it was def my ‘welcome to the big leagues’ moment.”15

Nine days later, with one scoreless inning of relief in between, Malaska got his first major-league win, against the Chicago White Sox on July 26 at US Cellular Field. In a tie game, he faced Carl Everett in the bottom of the fifth and retired him to close out the inning. Tampa Bay scored four runs in the top of the sixth and ultimately prevailed, 10-6. As the pitcher of record at the end of five, Malaska was awarded the win.  

For the 2003 season, the Devil Rays rookie appeared as a reliever in 22 games with 16 innings pitched, 17 strikeouts, a 2-1 record and a 2.81 ERA.

Nonetheless, after the season ended Tampa placed him on waivers.

On December 8, 2003, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein announced that Boston had claimed Malaska off the waiver wire. On March 30, at the end of spring training, he was optioned to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox.

During the 2004 season, Malaska was shuffled between the Triple-A PawSox and the parent club. Perhaps two ardent Red Sox fans best described his pitching efforts during Boston’s legendary run to make the fall classic. In their book Faithful, which chronicled the renowned season, novelists Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King have an entry for the April 9, 2004, home game against the Toronto Blue Jays. To try to safeguard a 5-4 lead after six innings, manager Terry Francona called upon “Mystery Malaska who didn’t make the club … brought up from Pawtucket because we went through the entire pen last night.”16 The writers noted that the left-hander was to face tough Toronto batsmen Frank Catalanotto, Vernon Wells, and 2003 AL RBIs leader Carlos Delgado. “And he does, one-two-three, Mystery Malaska!”17

On April 11, in an extra-inning day game against the visiting Blue Jays, “Mystery” Malaska logged his first victory as a Boston Red Sox pitcher. With the score knotted, 4-4, he was brought in the 11th inning and replaced another left-hander, Bobby Jones. Malaska faced three batters, struck out one, and got the other two out. He returned in the 12th inning and retired the side in order. In the bottom of the 12th, Boston’s Bill Mueller walked and David Ortiz homered to win the game, 6-4.

On May 14 Boston recalled Kevin Youkilis from Pawtucket and optioned Malaska to the Rhode Island farm club. On June 9 he was promoted back to Boston as Red Sox right-hander Jamie Brown was returned to the PawSox. On June 22 the Red Sox signed right-hander Curtis Leskanic and relegated Malaska to Pawtucket. On July 21 Boston recalled both Malaska and Kevin Youkilis from the PawSox. With second baseman Pokey Reese on the 15-day disabled list and reliever Scott Williamson recovering from injury, the Red Sox were making moves to bolster their infield and pitching positions.18

Malaska’s final game as a member of the Boston Red Sox occurred on July 24, 2004, at Fenway Park against their archrivals the New York Yankees. After a six-run rally by the Yankees in the sixth inning that eliminated a one-run Red Sox lead, New York led 9-4. With two outs, Malaska was brought in from the bullpen. Hideki Matsui was at the plate. Earlier in the inning the Yankee outfielder had doubled to start the scoring spree. Malaska got the New Yorker out on a called third strike, gave up a leadoff homer in the seventh to Rubén Sierra and then saw the next two Yankees reach on errors. He was replaced by Alan Embree. The contest finished with a come-from-behind ninth-inning 11-10 Red Sox victory.

On August 6, 2004, Malaska was returned to Pawtucket. With the International League club, his 2004 season numbers were a 1-1 record, one save, 36⅓ innings pitched, 31 strikeouts, and a 4.21 ERA. With Boston, he had also been 1-1, with 20 innings pitched and a 4.50 ERA.

He received a World Series ring as part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox championship team.

Throughout the 2005 season, the 27-year-old remained with Pawtucket. He had a 5-3 record, one save, 87 innings pitched, 86 strikeouts, and a 4.14 ERA. After the season he was released by the Boston organization.

On January 11, 2006, Malaska returned to the Devil Rays and signed as a free agent. But during spring training he abruptly left camp. Contemporary news articles had statements made only by his father as to Mark’s departure. Those reports note Malaska felt he could pitch in “The Show” but there was a lack of desire to continue as a pro ballplayer. On March 15, 2006, he retired from baseball.

However, there was much more going on with Malaska, the man. In a 2023 interview he capsulized his career as that of a fringe big leaguer. The back-and-forth from the minors to the majors had taken a mental toll on him. In fact, he believed he deserved to be called up by Boston in the late 2005 season.   

“I was tired. Mentally. I was engulfed in the party life off the field and was battling alcohol addiction.”19 His brother’s death was ever-present. “I was carrying a lot of that baggage too. I sat at my locker after the game and just decided that was it. I couldn’t do it anymore. Wanted a ‘normal’ life. I told some people at home I was injured but I was fine physically. So I just left without saying a word and drove 21 hours home and never looked back. Didn’t return any of my agent’s calls or media outlet calls.”20

Malaska returned to his Providence, Rhode Island, residence. He got married, but his battles with alcohol dependency took a toll on the union. Less than two years later, he found himself divorced.

In 2011 Malaska discovered his soulmate, Shelby, and married her. Having moved back to Ohio, he sought and got help to deal with his personal demons. He conquered his addiction problems.21

His off-the-field employment path took him into the world of finance and sales.

Even so in his post-baseball career, there were accolades. Malaska was inducted into the NECBL Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2012 Cardinal Mooney High School inducted him into its athletic Hall of Fame. And two years later, the Danbury Westerners retired their first number, Malaska’s 15.

How did the southpaw feel about pitching in Fenway Park with the looming Green Monster? “The Green Monster didn’t bother me. I was just thrilled to play in such a historic ballpark.”22

Looking back at the Red Sox’ 2004 legendary breaking-the-curse campaign, his fondest memory is that April 11 game. “Pitching a few scoreless innings on Easter Sunday and getting the win on a Big Papi walk-off home run with my parents in town.”23

As of 2023, Malaska plied his financial expertise as the business manager for a Youngstown automotive dealership, #1 Cochran Cars. He resided in Canfield, Ohio, with his wife, Shelby; son, Benjamin; and daughter, Alexandra.

Notes

1 “Baseball’s Mooney Malaska Hoping for a Bright Future in Boston,” December 23, 2003, Vindicator (Warren, Ohio), https://vindyarchives.com/news/2003/dec/29/baseball-mooneys-malaska-hoping-for-bright-future/.

2 He added, “My dad was always very active with me and he always encouraged me, but he was hands off, never pressuring me to play.” “Baseball’s Mooney Malaska Hoping for a Bright Future in Boston.”

3 http://www.necbl.com/view/necbl/.

4 Author interview with Mark Malaska, September 20, 2023. 

5 http://www.necbl.com/files/uploaded_documents/2083/1998_NECBL_Season_Stats006_2.pdf.     

6 http://www.necbl.com/files/uploaded_documents/2083/1999_NECBL_Season_Stats_2.pdf.

7 Sal Interdonato, “Ex-Outfielder Gets More Time on Mound for Renegades,” Middletown (New York) Times Herald-Record, August 19, 2000.. https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/2000/08/19/ex-outfielder-gets-more-time/51195800007/. Accessed October 14, 2023.

8 Interdonato.

9 Malaska interview, September 20, 2023. 

10 https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2000-draft-signing-bonuses/.

11 Malaska interview, November 20, 2023.

12 Interdonato.

13 Interdonato.

14 https://www.statscrew.com/minorbaseball/l-CALL/y-2002.

15 Malaska interview, October 29, 2023.

16 Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King, Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2005), 44.

17 O’Nan and King, 44.

18 https://fenwayparkdiaries.com/2004%20red%20sox/sox%2007-21-2004.htm.

19 Malaska interview, November 20, 2023.

20 Malaska interview, November 20, 2023.

21 Malaska interview, November 4, 2023.

22 Malaska interview, September 20, 2023.

23 Malaska interview, September 20, 2023.

mp; Schuster, 2005), 44.

^[17] O’Nan and King, 44.

^[18] https://fenwayparkdiaries.com/2004%20red%20sox/sox%2007-21-2004.htm.

^[19] Malaska interview, November 20, 2023.

^[20] Malaska interview, November 20, 2023.

^[21] Malaska interview, November 4, 2023.

^[22] Malaska interview, September 20, 2023.

^[23] Malaska interview, September 20, 2023.