From the NECBL

Texas Ranger closer Joe Nathan and Boston Red Sox pitchers Craig Breslow and Andrew Bailey will highlight the New England Collegiate Baseball League's (NECBL) second Hall of Fame class, commissioner Sean McGrath announced today. The induction is part of a star-studded night that will celebrate the players' achievements and New England baseball.

Breslow and Bailey are members of the World Champion Boston Red Sox.  The duo's bullpen work were a vital component of Boston's clinching its third World Series since 2004.

A man critically responsible for Boston's first two World Champions- now Cleveland Indian skipper Terry Francona- will also be honored with the NECBL's Stand Up Guy Award.  Francona and long time columnist Phil Pepe will both receive the Stand Up Guy citation.

The Hall of Fame induction dinner will take place in Newport, RI at 6 pm on Saturday, November 30th at the Hyatt Regency on Goat Island. The cocktail hour and silent auction begins at 5:00. The induction and dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $100 and may be purchased on www.necbl.com

Nathan, the first NECBL alumnus to make the Majors, won the 1994 Defensive Player of the Year as a shortstop for the Fairfield Stallions. Although one of the NECBL's best hitters, Stony Brook's Nathan switched to the pitcher's mound in his second year of professional baseball and has carved out a Cooperstown-caliber career as closer ever since. Through September 24th, the six-time All Star ranked 11th on Major League Baseball's all-time saves list. Nathan was the 2009 Rolaids Relief Pitcher of the Year.

Breslow has a 2.84 ERA in his 400+ appearance Big League career. Waived or released four times before establishing himself as a dominant Major League arm, Breslow's story of battling through adversity is one of the best in baseball. He has also raised well over $1M to fight pediatric cancer through his Strike 3 Foundation. For these efforts, Breslow recently received the Boston Red Sox' nomination for Major League Baseball's Roberto Clemente Award, "goes to the player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement," per MLB.com.

  Yale southpaw Breslow made 10 starts for the 1999 Middletown Giants, posting a 3.20 ERA and striking out 51 in 56 NECBL innings. But he has since made his mark as a reliever. 

One of the Board members of Strike 3 is fellow BoSox pitcher Bailey. As a sophomore from Wagner, Bailey led the 2004 NECBL with 79 strikeouts. The Mill City All-American held hitters to a .188 average against that summer. Bailey was drafted by the Oakland Athletics and won the American League Rookie of the Year with them in 2009. During his three years with Oakland, Bailey saved 75 games and posted a 2.07 ERA.

The NECBL will also be inducting three men instrumental to the League's growth- Mario Tiani, Rich Rossiter, and the late Joel Cooney. Tiani was the founding General Manager of the Danbury Westerners and the NECBL commissioner for six years. Under his tutelage, the League strengthened and Danbury remains the longest tenured team in the New England League. Major League Baseball selected over 520 NECBL alumni in Tiani's six drafts, including nine first rounders.

Rossiter served the NECBL for the first 19 years of its existence, working as Secretary, Vice President, Deputy Commissioner and webmaster. The creator of the NECBL's Sportsmanship Award, Rossiter is the ultimate embodiment of the "utility man" who played many positions well. Cooney served as President or Commissioner of the NECBL from 1995 to 2003, growing the league from a one-state organization into the only League to have teams in all six New England states.

The NECBL is also excited to announce two other special awards honoring excellence in New England baseball. They will present the Skipper Award to both Northeastern head coach Neil McPhee and Quinnipiac head coach Dan Gooley. McPhee, who will retire in 2014, will leave Northeastern with over 700 career wins in 29 seasons at the helm. Himself an outstanding student-athlete for the Huskies, McPhee has won five conference titles and led NU to three NCAA appearances. Gooley also is retiring in 2014, after completing 32 years as head or assistant coach at Quinnipiac. He has amassed over 500 career wins, took Quinnipiac to the 1983 College World Series and coached a young Jeff Bagwell while the head man at the University of Hartford.

Recognizing that a good coach builds, and needs, a good program, Bryant, Franklin Pierce and Southern Maine are the first recipients of the NECBL's MVP award. Standing for Most Valuable Program, the award honors the New England program in each Division of NCAA baseball who had the most successful season.

The Bryant Bulldogs posted their greatest season in history in 2013, going 45-18-1 and earning a #3 seed in the Manhattan (KS) Regional. Coach Steve Owens won the ABCA's Northeast Coach of the Year and two NECBL alumni- OF Kevin Brown and RHP Pete Kelich-were drafted by Major League Baseball and earned All-American or All-Region honors. Franklin Pierce finished this season ranked fifth in the country, and the only team from New England to go to the Division II NCAA Playoffs. The Ravens, who went 37-18 under coach Jayson King, had four selections in the June MLB Draft, including former Laconia Muskrat RHP Kevin McGowan. Southern Maine went 46-10 and advanced all the way to the Division III NCAA national title game. The Huskies broke their single season record for wins and placed six on the ECAC All-Star team roster, further burnishing the resume of storied skipper Ed Flaherty.

The NECBL will also be honoring baseball luminaries who give back to the community with their Stand Up Guy and DH Awards. Breslow and Nathan will receive the League's DH Award for their charitable foundations.  New York beat writer Pepe and current MLB Manager Francona will receive the Stand Up Guy citation.  In addition to his on the diamond success, Francona is very involved with military support.  Pepe, the author of over 20 books on baseball including "My Favorite Summer" with Mickey Mantle, has covered the Yankees and sports for decades.

The NECBL hopes you will join us at what is sure to be a memorable and fun-filled evening. Tickets are $100 and open to the general public. Please go on to www.necbl.com for more details on the event or to purchase seats. 

About New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states.  Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the NECBL started play in 1994 and has sent 99 alumni to the Major Leagues.