From the NECBL and Don Leypoldt

The NECBL was founded with a focus on New England players.  Nine alumni who played in the New England League during its first four years reached the Big Leagues; eight of those nine hailed from New England or Eastern New York.

Players like Mike Rabelo took the league to a whole new level.

Rabelo, a Tampa Bay product and University of Tampa student, caught for the 1999 Torrington Twisters (now New Bedford Bay Sox).  He was one of many talented ballplayers coming to New England from all across the country in the late 1990s.  

In 24 games, the freshman switch-hitter batted .250 with seven extra base hits, 10 RBI and a .360 on base percentage.  While Rabelo did damage at the bat, then-Twister GM Kirk Fredriksson better remembers Rabelo’s “cannon” arm.  He threw out almost 30% of would be base stealers and had the fewest passed balls per game of any catcher in that year’s NECBL.

The Detroit Tigers selected Rabelo in the fourth round of the 2001 Draft and he made his debut as a September call up in 2006.  Rabelo logged 51 games with the Tigers in 2007 and was dealt to the Marlins that off-season in the blockbuster which landed Miguel Cabrera in the Motor City.  

After catching Justin Verlander for a year, Rabelo now got to catch another ace arm in Josh Johnson; the Twister spent most of the 2008 season up with the Big Club in Florida.  

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