Gary Painter played professionally for 6 seasons, made AA
Closing out his first professional season in 1990, Gary Painter relayed to his hometown Tampa Tribune his contentment at having the opportunity to play.
"I'm doing what I want to do," Painter told The Tribune then. "I've always dreamed of playing baseball professionally. And now I have my chance."
Painter went on to play professionally over six seasons. He made AA in four of them, but topped out there.
Painter's career began that year in 1990, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of Florida State University.
Painter started with the Red Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League and at high-A Winter Haven. He saw nine starts between them and went 3-3, with a 2.33 ERA.
He returned to Winter Haven for 1991 and made AA New Britain. He saw 15 starts at New Britain and went 3-7, with a 4.84 ERA.
That June, Painter pitched on three days' rest to throw six scoreless for his first AA win, The Hartford Courant wrote.
"Outstanding," New Britain manager Gary Allenson told The Courant of Painter's effort. "That was just what we needed."
Painter returned to New Britain for 1992. He went 7-2 in 20 outings, 14 starts. He picked up his sixth win in an August game where he went into the eighth and gave up three earned and his team came back late, The Courant wrote.
"(The offense) helped me out tremendously," Painter told The Courant afterward. "They could have easily laid down. But they came back and sucked it up."
Painter then split 1993 between New Britain and high-A Lynchburg and 1994 between New Britain and high-A Sarasota. He also played at independent San Bernardino in 1994.
For 1995, he saw 12 final starts at independent Aberdeen to end his career.
- Tampa Tribune, Sept. 2, 1990: Weathering all sorts of difficulties
- Hartford Courant, June 16, 1991: Britsox beat London
- Hartford Courant, Aug. 13, 1992: Britsox's four-run rally beats Hagerstown, 5-3
Made the Majors:1,482-31.7%
Never Made Majors:3,201-68.3%-X