In another year or so, the Boston Red Sox may be looking for someone to come out of the bullpen and close for Pedro Martinez.

Brian Marshall hopes to be the man.

In the not-too-distant future, the Chicago Cubs may need a left-hander to sandwich between Mark Prior and Kerry Wood in the rotation.

Sean Marshall already is applying for the job.

The Marshall twins, a pair of 21-year-old, 6-5 left-handers, led Manchester High and Virginia Commonwealth University to baseball titles before entering the professional ranks last June. Pro hitters didn't have much luck against them, either.

Sean, a starter for the Chicago Cub's Class A farm club in Boise, Idaho, posted a 5-6 record with a 2.57 earned-run average. He struck out 88 batters in 73 2/3 innings.

Brian, a short reliever for the Boston Red Sox's Lowell, Mass., Class A club, was 1-1 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 appearances. He fanned 15 and walked two in 16 2/3 innings.

Both report to spring training next month - the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz.; the Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla.

"I've never been to Wrigley Field, but I'd like to," Sean said of his ambitions. "Two, three years, that's my goal. There's a lot of good pitching in the organization, but guys get hurt, and I hope to keep moving up."

Sean hopes to open the season at Daytona, Fla. - the Cub's "high" A outfit. Another possibility would be Lansing, Mich., the "low" A outpost.

"It would really be nice to start the year in Florida," Sean said. "I hear there's a lot of snow in Michigan that time of year."

Brian is banking on opening the year at either low-A Augusta, Ga., or high-A Sarasota, Fla.

"It was definitely a step up in competition, and it was definitely fun," Brian said of his first pro season. "My arm feels good. I'm really looking forward to reporting to camp."

The Marshalls both were drafted following their junior season at VCU, soon after helping the Rams to a CAA title.

This winter, the Marshalls are lifting weights at American Family Fitness/Swift Creek and serving as counselors at the Richmond Baseball Academy in the Chesterfield Airpark.

"We throw with each other a lot," Brian said. "But we also go down to VCU and throw with some of their guys. There is no shortage of arms."

Brian and Sean were starters under coach John Fletcher at Manchester. While at VCU, Brian was converted to the bullpen.

"We had a lot of starters, and there was an opening in the bullpen," said Brian, who was MVP of the CAA tourney two years ago.

Sean's fastball was clocked between 87 and 91 mph this past summer. Most of his deliveries are from a three-quarter, overhand motion.

"The key for me was developing my change-up," Sean said. "As the season went on, I relied on it more and more."

By contrast, Brian unloads from several different arm slots.

"That really gives me an advantage against hitters who haven't seen me as much," he said.

The Marshalls helped the Chesterfield Little League to the area District 5 title as 12-year-olds. As American Legion performers, they led South Richmond Post 137 to District 11 and state crowns.

Now, they're hoping to become the ninth set of twins to make it to the major leagues. They also wouldn't mind playing for the same team - Sean the starter, Brian the closer.

"That would be quite a publicity thing, I would imagine," Brian said.

Especially if they were both traded to Minnesota . . . the Minnesota Twins, that is.