Full name Louis William Merloni...Resides in Ashland, MA...Single...Was Boston's 10th round pick in 1993
June draft...Graduated from Framingham (MA) South High School in 1989...Attended Providence College where
he hit .420 w/10 HR...Received Big East Co-Player of the Year honors...College career avg. was .333...Hit 13 HR
in his senior year...Selected Male Athlete of the Year...Hit .324 for Cotuit in the Cape Cod Summer League and
won batting title in 1992.
2006
In his second stint with the Indians' organization, Merloni added infield depth. He spent three weeks in May and June with the parent club, batting .211 with one RBI in nine games. The rest of Merloni's season was spent at Triple-A Buffalo, where he hit .285 with seven homers and 38 RBIs in 91 games.
2005
Was limited to 5 games with the Los Angeles Angels (4G at 3B, 1G at 1B) after opening the season on the Major
League roster...Was afforded just 5 at bats from the beginning of the season until tearing ligaments in his right
ankle on May 1 at Minnesota and was subsequently placed on the 15-day DL and later the 60-day DL...Began a rehab assignment on August 21st for the Arizona League Angels and later played in AAA Salt Lake City from August 29-Sept. 4...Was recalled not to report from his rehab assignment on September 6, effectively ending his season and tenure with the Angels...Was activated and ourtighted off the 40-man LAA roster on October 25th and declared free agency...Signed a non-roster invite with the Angels on January 21 and was added to the roster on April 2nd.
2004
Spent the season in Cleveland, playing first base a great deal against LHP after coming to camp on a nonroster
contract...Made 52 starts for Eric Wedge, including 38 at first base (42G), 4 at second base (7G), 9 starts at
third base (10G) and 1 start in LF (4G)...Over his 52 starts he hit .288 (51-177) w/4HR & 23RBI...His start at first
base on 4/6 @MIN was his first since 4/22/99 vs. DET w/Boston...Hit .327 vs. LHP compared to .234 vs. RHP...
Hit .303 in June and .327 in July and his .299 (40-134) in the first half...Drive in a career-high 4 runs on 7/18 @
SEA and had "walk-off" PH single on 7/8 vs. Oakland...Scratched from game of 8/5 @TOR and was placed on the
15-day DL on 8/9 w/right elbow inflammation...Did a 2-game rehab stint at Mahoning Valley on 8/24-25....Was 1
for 10 in 4 games in September after activation and was limited to pinch hitting and running and first base duties
only...Last AB came on 9/15 vs. DET...Hit .337 (28-83) w/runners on and .372 (16-43) with RISP.
2003
The Framingham, Mass., native and Boston's 10th-round pick in 1993, Merloni spent his first 10 pro seasons in the
Red Sox organization, including parts of the 5 seasons in Boston from 1998-2002, before being claimed on
waivers by the San Diego Padres at the end of spring training on March 25, 2003...Hit .272 (41-for-151) with one homer and 17 RBI in 65 games with the Padres, for whom he appeared at first base,
second base, third base, shortstop and left field...Was on the 15-day D.L. from June 9-July 4, missing 22 games
with a sprained medial-collateral ligament in his left knee...Sustained the injury in a collision with Rondell White
in pursuit of a fly ball...His lone 2003 home run came for San Diego, July 20 vs. Arizona, in his first career at-bat
off Randy Johnson...Batted .326 (14-for-43) in 16 games in June and July for the Padres...Was re-acquired by the Red Sox on August 28 in a deal for minor league righthander Rene Miniel...Appeared in
15 games, making 6 starts for the Red Sox after the trade...Hit .233 (7-for-30) with an RBI for the Red Sox, going
3-for-22 in his final 11 games after a 4-for-8 start...Between Boston and San Diego, hit .265 with a homer and
18 RBI in 80 games and appeared in 32 games at third base, 23 games at shortstop, 17 games at second base,
3 in the outfield and 2 at first base...Came off the bench to deliver an RBI single and score a run in the Red Sox' 6-run 9th inning on September 1 at
Philadelphia...Went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and 2 runs scored in a 9-3 win September 5 at New
York...Appeared in 7 games (4 starts) at third base, 7 games (2 starts) at second base and one game in left
field...Did not commit an error for Boston...Combined on the year he hit .284 (23-81) from the 7th inning
on...Career pinch-hitting: .409 (9-22), HR, 7RBI.
2002
Started 47 games at 2B, six at 3B and 1 at SS...He was a replacement 19 times at 2B, four times at SS, three times at 1B, twice at 3B and twice in the OF...He hit .321 vs. LHP going 18-56 with 1 HR and 8 RBI...He went 1-4 with a 2B and RBI vs. TB on 9/28...13 of his 18 RBI came at Fenway Park...During Aug. he hit a season best .409 (9-22)...He had five game hit streak from 8/3-8/17 (5-11 .455)...1-2 w/BB, solo HR off S. Ponson on 7/27 vs. Balt...It was his first HR at Fenway Park since 5/15/98 vs. KC (his first Fenway Park AB)...1-4 w/career-high 4 R vs. TB on 7/23...1-2 w/BB and a 2-out, 2 R triple in the last of the 7th for a 2-1 win for P. Martinez on 7/2 vs. Tor. (Gm. 2)...It was his first triple at Fenway since 9/8/00 vs. NYY; It was his first multi-RBI game this season and first since 10/3/01...He had a career-high eight-game hitting streak (10-24 .417) during the streak from 6/3-6/10...He was optioned to Pawtucket on 4/23 and was recalled on 5/2...He went 1-1 w/PH RBI 2B on 4/12 vs. NYY...His previous PH app. was a HR on 9/28/01...He batted 2nd in 3 starts, 8th in 12 and 9th in 39.
Postseason:
Played in 3 G during the 1999 Division Series vs. Clev. and hit .333 (2-6) w/1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB and 1 K...Walked in only plate app. in 1999 A.L.C.S. vs. NYY.
2001
Began season at AAA Pawt. and called up on 4/6 when Chris Stynes
went on 15-day D.L. w/strained rt. hamstring...Made season-debut
that night at Balt. as a defensive replacement at 2B (1-
1)...Optioned to AAA Pawt. on 4/24 when Stynes was
activated...Recalled on 5/10 after Stynes was placed on the 15-day
D.L. w/facial fracture in cheek bone...Optioned to AAA Pawt. as
Craig Grebeck was activated on 5/18 and called up again on 6/
3...Placed on 15-day D.L. 6/6 w/contusion in left elbow after being
hit by a pitch by Chris Holt (Det.)...Did not make an E at SS in 1st
21 G (76 TC); Made 1st E by Sox SS of the season at Clev. on 7/
5...Had the 1st 4-hit G of his M.L. career at Tor. on 6/
30...Optioned back to Pawt. on 7/28 as Nomar Garciaparra was
activated and recalled once again on 9/1...Hit 1st HR of the season
(PH solo off M. Perisho) in Sox 4-1 loss at Det. on 9/28...Had his
1st M.L. 2-HR G (both solo off T. Sturtze and J. Wallace) in Sox 10-
3 loss at TB on 10/1...Played 3B in 1 G for Sox (0 GS), 5 G at 2B (3
GS) and 45 G at SS (36 GS)...Made 1 E in 19 TC at 2B and 2 E in 156
TC at SS.
2000
Played in Japan's Central Lg. w/Yokohoma Bay Stars for part of 2000
before re-signing w/ Red Sox to minor league contract on 7/31...In
11 G for AAA Pawt. he batted .410 (16-39)...Contract purchased by
Boston on 8/14 and made Sox season debut on same day at 3B vs. TB
(1-2)...Started w /a 6-game hit streak incl. 5 consec. multi-hit G
8/14-8/19 (14-25 .560)...Left game in 3rd inng. on 8/29 at TB w/mild
concussion (due to brawl) and missed 4 G...Batted .333 (22-66) in
Sept...Had season-high 7-G hit streak 9/19-9/26 (13-28 .464, 5 2B, 6
RBI)...Hit safely in 24 of 40 G for Sox and had 11 multi-hit
G...Started 35 of 40 G at 3B and committed 7 E in 97 TC.
1999
Opened season on M.L. roster for the 1st time...In April he played
in 6 G (5 GS) and hit .333 (6-18)...Optioned to AAA Pawt. on 5/
2...Recalled on 6/17 after he hit .292 (38-130, 3 HR, 18 RBI) for
PawSox...Tied a career-high w/3 RBI on 6/26 vs. CWS...Hit .313 (10-
32) w/2 2B and 6 RBI over 9 G in June...Optioned to Pawt. on 8/2 and
recalled again on 9/7...Played 32 G at Pawt. from 8/3-9/6 and hit
.229 (26-99) w/4 HR...Tied career-high 3 hits twice:4/16 vs. TB and
6/22 at Balt...Scored career-high 3 R twice:6/26 and 6/28 vs.
CWS...Played in career-high 43 M.L. games.
1998
Contract purchased from Pawt. on 5/9...Made ML debut at 2B on 5/10
at KC (0-3)...Recorded 1st ML hit 5/14 at Minn. off Mike Morgan in
6th...Hit 1st ML HR 5/15 vs. KC off Jose Rosado, 3-R HR in 2nd inng.
in his 1st AB at Fenway Park...Batted .300 (12-40) in 16 G w/3 2B, 1
HR and 8 RBI in May...Made 11 starts: 8 at 2B and 3 at 3B...Recorded
a career high 3 H 6/14 vs. TB...Tied career-high in hits 6/16 at
CWS...Batted .286 (14-49) in June and made 14 starts at 2B...Placed
on the 15-day DL 6/29 w/patella tendinitis in the left
knee...Transferred to 60-day DL 8/31...Reinstated from DL 9/
12...Overall made 22 starts at 2B (Sox were 15-7) and 3 at 3B (Sox
were 3-0)...12-28 .429 w/RISP.
1997
Began season w/AA Trenton...Hit.310 w/17 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR and 37 RBI
in 69 G...Batted .322 in April, .337 in May and .320 w/2 HR in 7 G
in June...Selected to AA All-Star Game at 3B...Reached season-high
BA of .352 on 5/24...Promoted to Pawt. 6/23...Hit .320 w/3 HR and 18
RBI in 28 G w/Pawt. in July...Season-high 8-G hit streak 7/4-12 (13-
30 .433)...Had 2 4-hit G:7/2 vs. Richmond and 7/4 vs.
Norfolk...Sprained his left knee 8/16 vs. Rochester...Played for
Oreiente in the Venezuelan Winter Lg.
1996
Hit combined .243 (52-214)w/A Fort Myers, AA Trenton and AAA
Pawtucket...Played all 4 INF pos. w/Trenton (1 G at 1B, 8 G at 2B,
20 G at 3B, 2 G at SS)...Homered in consec. G 4/19-4/20 w/Trenton.
1995
4th on team in BA (.277), 5th in AB (318) and T5th in G
(93)...Played for Phoenix club in 1995 Arizona Fall Lg. (35 G, .271,
5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 16 RBI).
1994
Spent season at A Sarasota and hit .286 (120-419) w/16 2B and 63
RBI...Played in Florida Instructional Lg.
1993
Split 1st pro season between A Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers of the
GCL...Hit a combined .253 (43-170).
