Steve Lomasney

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=#263473
bgcolor2=#A50024
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
name=Steve Lomasney
position=Catcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=August 29 1977
debutdate=October 3
debutyear=by|1999
debutteam=Boston Red Sox
finaldate=October 3
finalyear=by|1999
finalteam=Boston Red Sox
stat1label=AVG
stat1value=.000
stat2label=HR
stat2value=0
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=0
teams=
*Boston Red Sox (by|1999)
highlights=
*Named Minor League Player of the Year for the Sarasota Red Sox, 1999

Steve Lomasney (born 1977-08-29 in Melrose, Massachusetts) was a highly-regarded catching prospect for the Boston Red Sox in the late 1990s. During his career, he batted and threw right handed, stood 6 feet tall, and weighed 195 pounds.

He starred for Peabody High School in Peabody, MA in both baseball and football. He became a local hero when he caught for the Peabody High School baseball team that won the Greater Boston League Championship as well quarterbacking (and playing defensive end for) two Massachusetts Super Bowl teams. He was named the MVP of the Greater Boston League, Player of the Year, and a member of All-Scholastic teams in football and baseball.

After being drafted by Boston in the 5th round of the by|1995 amateur draft, he signed with the Red Sox on June 29, 1995. He instantly became a rising star in the system (and given his roots, a much-hoped-for future Fenway favorite), peaking with his being named Minor League Player of the Year for Boston's Class A affiliate in Sarasota. However, a series of injuries derailed his career from that point forward.

His major league career consisted of a single game at Baltimore on October 3, 1999 (the final regular-season game of the century for the Red Sox), in which he came into the game as a defensive replacement for Jason Varitek in the bottom of the fifth inning. He batted twice, striking out both times, and was replaced by Scott Hatteberg in the 10th inning in a game the Red Sox went on to win in the 10th, 1-0.

Lomasney suffered a serious eye injury when hit with a batted ball while with the Pawtucket Red Sox late in by|2001, and his eyesight never fully recovered. This continued a somewhat morbid "Route 1A Curse" that has haunted the Red Sox over the past 50-plus years, in which popular local player who grew up close to Fenway in the Massachusetts' North Shore (north of Boston) had tragic ends or derailments in their careers (other prominent players in this category include Tony Conigliaro and Harry Agganis). He remained in the Red Sox organization until by|2002, when he was granted free agency. He moved through the farm systems of Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Minnesota, before being released by the Twins on August 3, by|2006.

He currently runs a baseball academy in Massachusetts.

References

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/l/lomasst01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com: Steve Lomasney]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/redsoxdugout/lomasney.html Red Sox Dugout - Steve Lomasney]
* [http://www.lomasneybaseball.com/ Lomasney Baseball web site]