Steamer update via Foster's Daily Democrat...

dated 1/11/09, a New Hamsphire newspaper:

"NEWINGTON — One can forgive the younger students at the USA Training Center if they don't recognize its newest employee right away. The parents, on the other hand, are the ones that take notice. Sometimes it's even the grandparents.

"The parents, they know me," said Bob Stanley, the former major-league pitcher now mentoring young hurlers at the USA Training Center in Newington. "I just talked to this kid who said 'My grandmother wants an autograph.' I relate to the grandmothers and the parents."

A native of Portland, Maine, Stanley spent his entire major-league career with the Boston Red Sox from 1977 to 1989, and was a first-round draft pick for the Red Sox in 1974. Primarily a closer for most of his career, Stanley is the club's all-time leader in saves with 132.

Since his playing days ended almost two decades ago, Stanley — known as "The Steamer" to fans — has been involved in baseball mostly as minor-league coach. He spent his last six summers as a pitching coach in the San Francisco Giants' minor-league organization, working with the double-A Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League.

Now Stanley finds himself at the USA Training Centers after turning down a reassignment within the Giants' organization.

"They wanted me to go to Augusta, Ga., and I nixed that," Stanley said. "A friend of mine introduced me to Dave (Hoyt, the proprietor of USA Training Centers). He asked me if I wanted to do pitching lessons. I've been helping with the AAU team, and hopefully I can do a lot more."

Hoyt — who this week celebrated the two-year anniversary of moving his USATC complex from its old home on Lafayette Road in Portsmouth to its current home in Newington — said that Stanley's experience as a closer is invaluable to the young pitchers who work out at USATC.

"He constantly battled," Hoyt said. "Whenever he came on, there was always someone on first and second, no one out. He got his ground balls."

Stanley will be working with young pitchers on mechanics so they can avoid injury and rehab from the injuries they do suffer. In 1988, Stanley suffered a freak injury to his hand, where several tendons and nerves were damaged as a result of an accident while taking out the trash at his home.

"This is the best time to work with young pitchers," Stanley said. "You try to teach them the proper mechanics so they don't have to see a guy like (former Red Sox team physician) Dr. Bill Morgan."

And while Stanley isn't as recognizable to the young players he mentors as current stars such as Jonathan Papelbon and Josh Beckett would be, Stanley said he's careful to make sure every player is comfortable around him.

"Some of them are a little nervous in the beginning, but then they get to know that I'm a loosey-goosey guy," he said. "Everything worked out well. We have some good arms in this program, so it's fun to work with these kids."

Hoyt also said that it's good for young players in the Seacoast Region to have players like Portsmouth Chris Anderson, now in the Minnesota Twins' organization, Sam Fuld, who played in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs and is still in their minor-league system, and Stanley to look up to as players from the northeast who have gone on to play professionally.

"We all aspired for a big-league career," said Hoyt, who himself was a minor leaguer in the St. Louis Cardinals' system. "Here's a guy you can touch, feel and see, working out with you."

"The Steamer" is probably best known to Red Sox fans as a member of the 1986 American League Championship team that came tantalizingly close — one strike away — to winning the World Series that year. Leading the New York Mets 3 games to 2 and leading two runs in the top of the 10th inning of Game 6 with two outs and no one on base, the Mets rallied for three runs to win the game and even the Series. Two nights later the Mets again rallied to clinch the title.

Stanley was on the mound in the 10th inning of the fateful Game 6. He was tagged with the wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score, and was on the mound when Mookie Wilson hit a grounder that slipped under the glove of first baseman Bill Buckner, allowing the Mets to win.

"I got amnesia right after that," Stanley said with a laugh. "But playing in the World Series was great. A lot of people don't get the chance to be in the World Series, to be in the position we were in. It was tough to lose. I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Stanley was quick to note that the Red Sox lost that World Series in the same fashion they won their playoff series against the California Angels. Down to their last strike in Game 5, Dave Henderson hit a home run that capped a four-run rally in the ninth inning. The Sox won that game in 11 innings, and swept the next two games at Fenway Park for the pennant.

A few years later, Stanley faced a personal crisis that put the World Series loss, and his entire playing career, into perspective.

"When I retired (in 1989), my son got cancer and beat it," Stanley said. "That was more important than any World Series."

After his son's recovery, Stanley got into coaching. One of his first jobs was, interestingly enough, with the Mets' organization.

"I thought it was a joke when I first got the call," he said.

Though Stanley is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame (inducted in 2000), the former hurler said he has little to no relationship with the Red Sox. After six years with various minor-league franchises in the Mets' organization, Stanley tried unsuccessfully to land a job with the Red Sox.

"I'm hurt by it," he said. "I really am. I tried twice to get back in the organization, and things didn't work out. I didn't do anything wrong — I left on my own. Somebody doesn't want me there apparently. But what are you going to do?"

Despite the hurt feelings about not being able to land a position with the Sox, Stanley said his memories of his playing days in Boston are nothing but fond ones.

"There were good times and bad times, but I wouldn't change it for the world," Stanley said. "I'm glad I played there. I grew up in New Jersey, and was in Maine every summer. I was a Red Sox fan all my life and I had a dream of playing with them."

His career stats with the Red Sox are as follows — a 115-97 career record, 693 strikeouts, a 3.64 earned-run average, 21 complete games, seven shutouts, and 1,707 innings pitched in 637 games, 85 as a starter.

Now Stanley calls Stratham home. While one might think Stanley crazy for passing up a chance to live in Georgia for the snow and cold of New Hampshire, Stanley is happy with his choice to settle in an area he's called home for most of his adult life.

"It was a little too far away," Stanley said of Georgia. "A lot of bus rides, long days, and you only get one or two days off a month if you're lucky. I loved doing it, but this will be my first summer home in 14 years."

Stanley noted that his two favorite stops in the Eastern League were Manchester and Portland — the former because he could sleep in his own bed at night, and both because the stands were full of Red Sox fans who always had a kind word to say.

"People still remember you," he said. "I always enjoyed going to Manchester and Portland. People knew who I was. You go to Altoona, Pa., not too many people know me there."

Stanley also said he's looking forward to spending his time away from pro baseball with his wife and three grown children, all of whom live in the New England area.

So while "The Steamer" will miss the thrill of mentoring professional baseball players and watching them perform every day, he's looking forward to finding out what life outside pro baseball, and summer in New England, is all about.

"This could work out nice for me," he said. "I can spend my summer in New Hampshire. I just hope my wife doesn't mind having me home all the time."

**This is Newington, New Hampshire and not Newington Connecticut.