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Robert Marquez Feature
by Mike Ashmore
August 31, 2006 - Hunterdon County Democrat

It wasn't supposed to work out this way for Robert Marquez.

The 33-year-old right handed pitcher was drafted in the 12th round by the Montreal Expos in 1995, quickly progressing through the levels and reaching Triple-A in just his fifth year with the organization.

His 1999 season in Ottawa would be the first of five straight seasons he'd spend at the highest level of the minors, a phone call away from a well deserved taste of the big leagues.

"That final year (with Montreal in 2001), I thought for sure that I was going to get an opportunity, but that was the year they weren't sure if the Expos were going to exist anymore," Marquez said.

"They didn't offer anyone the opportunity to come up except for a 40-man catcher and a pitcher who had it in his contract that once he goes down, he gets called back up again. So I just kind of had to move on."

The affable Texan ended up moving on to Somerset, thinking he'd be spending his 2003 season with the Patriots before the Brewers called and offered him a spot in Triple-A.

But he would eventually suit up for the Patriots, signing with the club about a month into the 2004 season. He was lights out in his first year with the team, going 1-0 with nine saves and an ERA of just 2.67.

He'd win his third championship with the Patriots in 2005, after collecting rings during the Harrisburg Senators Eastern League dynasty in 1998 and 1999. For a while, it looked like his last pitch of the 2005 season would be the last pitch he'd throw, but Marquez is back for another tour of duty in hopes that he can bring Somerset their first back-to-back championships.

"I was in Mexico earlier in the year," he said. "Then I was back in Houston coaching a select team. I'd been throwing, and Adam (Gladstone) called me up to see if I'd play for the last month."

So far, Marquez has had a successful return to Somerset, allowing just one walk in his first two appearances with the team.

"I feel fine, everything feels good," he said. "I never stopped throwing, so it's not like I ever really lost anything. As far as facing the hitters go, that was a little different. But I kept my cool, and I felt OK."

SomerStuff: Somerset suffered a huge blow to their playoff hopes when third baseman Jeff Nettles was lost for the season after breaking his thumb. Nettles, who was hit by a pitch during the Camden series, was a candidate for Atlantic League MVP, hitting .277 with 21 HR and 69 RBI. He'd also played in all 101 of the team's games, the only player to have done so.

Around the Atlantic League: The Long Island Ducks signed pitcher David Manning. Manning appeared in two games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003. The team also received a boost when they re-signed All-Star outfielder Dominick Ambrosini.

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