John Marzano Dies at Age 45



John Marzano, the former Olympian, Major League baseball player turned baseball analyst, has died, according to officials. He was 45.

Marzano, a native of South Philadelphia, was found dead inside his home on Passyunk Ave. in the city today. It was there, published reports state, that a family member called police to break down the door where Marzano apparently fell. Marzano reportedly suffered a heart attack, but the official cause of death has not yet been determined.

I remember when Marzano, Ellis Burks and Greenwell were all rookies at about the same time in the 80s and I had such optimism on the Red Sox future. I think John was the catcher on a Pawtucket team that won the AAA Championship. God Bless, John Marzano.

Wow - this is really sad. I was a big Marzano fan when he first came up, and I was really hopeful that he would be able to take over as our #1 catcher. Obviously, that never happened.

It always seemed like he had a good relationship with Roger Clemens, as I recall him catching a number of Roger starts in '87 and '90. Of course, I may be messing up the years and the events, but IIRC, Clemens drilled Detroit's John Shelby in 1990. Shelby didn't like it, and started to charge the mound, with his bat in hand. Marzano sprang out from behind the plate, and tackled Shelby from behind, saving a potentially disatrous confrontation. Does any one else remember this?

In recent years, I've enjoyed seeing Marzano on Comcast, and I think he also worked on MLB.TV in recent years.

I can't even begin to express how shocked and saddened I am to see this news (someone posted it towards the end of the game thread for last night's M's game).

Marzy was one of my favorite '90s-Red-Sox players because of his great sense of humor, and he was a welcome addition to the Mariners (see the file photo alongside the AP story).

This is my absolute-favorite picture of Marzy. The only guy ever to have Clemens on a short leash...

I DO remember that, and I remember optimism regarding Marzano when he came up.

Here're his stats for anyone interested:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/marzajo01.shtml

"Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1st round (14th pick) of the 1984 amateur draft. Player signed August 21, 1984."

Wow, Marzano's one of those guys who had almost disappeared from my memory because it's been so long since he was a RS and his career with them was so undistinguished. But to hear that he's dead at 45 is absolutely horrible.

I heard about it when I turned the Mets game on the radio this afternoon in the car. A real stunner.

terrible news.

amazing that he was a grandfather.

Terrible news. Far too young.

I was fuzzy on the details, but this is the first thing I thought of when I saw that he passed away.

Part of me was surprised that he was so old -- it seemed like he broke in so long after Clemens, who is also 45. (In fact, he came up in '87, the year after Roger's breakout season...I guess it just seemed like Marzano came so much later because Clemens seemed to go from phenom to vet in that one season).

Part of me was surprised that he was so young. He's been out of baseball for so long as a player, I'd almost assume that he was in his later 40s. (There, too - he actually hung around until '98 in MLB, '99 in the minors -- seems longer ago than that, though.)

I guess it's not just a reminder of how short life can be, but how short baseball careers can be.

Anyhow...MLB.com story says he fell down a flight of stairs after his apparent heart attack. Also, he was supposed to be at Fenway this weekend covering the Patriots Day game.

Paul Hagen, Philadelphia Daily News - Marzano remembered for his passion for baseball, and friends

Marzano's passionate fan's voice, brash and opinionated, has been silenced. The 45-year-old former big-leaguer, operator of a baseball clinic in Northern Liberties and proud South Philly native who had become a ubiquitous presence in the local media, was found dead of a possible heart attack at his home on Passayunk Avenue Saturday morning.

"He did not die from falling down the stairs," said Jeff Moran, spokesman for the Medical Examiner's Office. "The case is still pending. The outcome will be based on additional lab tests."

The tributes continued to roll in yesterday.

I remember some of Marzy's first starts - I was still a kid at the time, but was totally Red Sox-obsessed. That he was a rookie at the time made him one of my faves; I guess it was easier to identify with younger players as a kid (Clemens was also one of my faves at the time, breaking in as a rookie). I assume when he left the Sox laundry I lost track of him, still being pretty young and not really following the news or reading the paper or anything. Hearing his name brings back a flash of childhood memories, and obviously, extreme sadness knowing that he died far too young.

Dafney Tales - Alcohol intoxication contributed to Marzano's death

But Marzano's life was cut tragically short in what the city's medical examiner's office ruled an accidental death.

Yesterday, Jeff Moran, spokesman for the medical examiner's office, said the 45-year-old died from postural asphyxia, or suffocation.

Contributing conditions that lead to his death were blunt trauma and ethanol - or alcohol - intoxication, Moran said.

The news came 3 months after Marzano was found dead in his Passyunk Avenue home, on April 19. After a 10-year career, news of his death sent shockwaves throughout the Major League Baseball community.