EAST BRIDGEWATER – Manny Delcarmen lll doesn’t view his father through the lens of his World Series-winning Major League Baseball career.
To him, he’s just simply dad.
A junior at East Bridgewater High School, Delcarmen is a pitcher and outfielder for the Vikings, and is the son of former Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen.
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Delcarmen played six seasons in the MLB, making his debut with the Red Sox in 2005, playing with them until 2010. He appeared in 298 games during his career and pitched more than 290 innings out of the bullpen.
“I don’t see him as an MLB baseball player,” Manny said. “I see him as my dad.”
East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School baseball junior pitcher Manny Delcarmen on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
For Manny growing up, their conversations rarely centered around his dad’s pro career. He’ll still pick his brain about his MLB days on occasion, but it’s not something that the elder Delcarmen ever forced on him.
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“He supports me whether it’s baseball or anything I choose to pursue,” Manny said. “At the end of the day, I can do my own thing on the side. He supports me no matter what I do.”
Still, the two share a tight bond through the sport. It was always something Manny wanted to pursue, regardless of his dad’s baseball past. Delcarmen had been his coach for several years of his childhood, and has also been a lifelong mentor to him.
“From then to now, he’s been my coach, helping me through pitching, hitting, everything,” Manny said.
Like his dad was at West Roxbury High School and then in professional baseball, Manny is a pitcher for the Vikings. He is also a top hitter for the No. 8 ranked team in Div. 4. He leads the team in RBIs with 12 and batting average at .364 with 20 hits and 11 runs.
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Delcarmen and the Vikings host the winner of No. 26 Hampshire Regional and No. 39 Roxbury Prep in the Division 4 state tournament round of 32 on Monday, June 2 (4:15 p.m.).
“He’s been mashing the ball this year,” said starting pitcher Collin Meserve, who is 5-0 this season with an ERA under 1.00.
In 13 innings on the mound, Delcarmen has struck out 14 batters.
East Bridgewater Jr./Sr. High School baseball team players on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
He doesn’t feel any added pressure to perform. The only pressure felt comes within the game itself for Manny, batting as the cleanup hitter for the Vikings.
Though he plays the same position in the same sport as his dad, head coach Jeff Ghiloni said Manny doesn’t try to be anyone else but himself.
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“He really is his own guy, his own person. He brings his own thing to the mound,” Ghiloni said.
With one more year left in high school, he wants to continue playing in college, where he can continue doing his own thing on the field.
“I want to make my own name. So that if you look up on Google ‘Manny Delcarmen’, my name pops up too,” Manny said.
Being the son of a former baseball pro and world series winner has its benefits. He’s gone to numerous games at Fenway Park, and has met a few Red Sox players along the way.
But perhaps the biggest benefit is being able to learn from his dad.
“Knowing that he knows the game more than most people, and that he can mentor me one-on-one, it really helps,” Manny said.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: East Bridgewater baseball’s Delcarmen has special bond with father