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Parts of this Release Courtesy of Boston Red Sox Press Release. Article courtesy of NECBL.com

BOSTON, MA – For the second time this month, a New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Hall of Famer is coming back to the region to join the staff of the Boston Red Sox.

After hiring Craig Breslow (Middletown ‘99) as Chief Baseball Officer, the Red Sox announced Andrew Bailey as Pitching Coach heading into the 2024 season.

Bailey played for the Mill City All-Americans, a Lowell-based organization in the NECBL in 2004 and, like Breslow, was inducted into the NECBL Hall of Fame in 2013.

During his time in Lowell, Bailey led the NECBL in strikeouts (79) and innings pitched (62.1) for the 2004 season. He posted a 3.32 ERA and was selected to the All-Star Game that year. 

A right handed pitcher out of Wagner College, Bailey was selected in the sixth round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. He made his MLB debut on April 6, 2009, and in his first year in the big leagues was named an All-Star and the American League Rookie of the Year after posting a 1.84 ERA (17 ER/83.1 IP) with 26 saves for the Oakland A’s. 

Bailey would go on to pitch in 265 Major League games over eight seasons (2009-13, ’15-17), earning another All-Star nod with the Athletics in 2010. His time in the majors includes 49 games with the Red Sox (2012-13), and stints with the New York Yankees (2015), Philadelphia Phillies (2016), and Angels (2016-17). During Boston’s 2013 World Series Championship season, he pitched in 30 games and earned eight saves before he was placed on the injured list from July 19 through the remainder of the season. 

Bailey, 39, served as pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants for the last four seasons (2020-23), following two years with the Los Angeles Angels as bullpen coach (2019) and coaching assistant and video replay coordinator (2018). During his tenure in San Francisco, Giants pitchers ranked sixth in Major League Baseball with a 3.80 ERA while allowing the fewest home runs (525) and posting the third-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.16). In 2023, San Francisco issued the fewest walks in the majors (403) while recording the most complete games (four). In each of the last three years, a Giants starting pitcher finished among the top six in National League Cy Young Award voting, including Kevin Gausman (sixth in 2021), Carlos Rodón (sixth in 2022), and Logan Webb (second in 2023).

A New Jersey native, Bailey serves as the Director of Development for the Strike 3 Foundation, founded by Breslow in 2008, which aims to heighten awareness, mobilize support, and raise funding for childhood cancer research.

Article courtesy of NECBL.com

On October 25, 2023, Craig Breslow was introduced to fans as the new Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox. It was a return to New England for the pitcher-turned-executive, who spent two stints calling Fenway Park home and won World Series titles in 2007 and 2013.

It also marks Breslow’s return to the region where his baseball career began, including a stint in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). Breslow played on the 1999 Middletown Giants team, and in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U-8qa6B-vU2013 was selected to the NECBL Hall of Fame.

Breslow, a native of Trumbull, Connecticut, stayed close to home to attend Yale University, whose baseball team he captained while earning a double major in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. The summer after his freshman year, he joined the Giants and posted a 3.20 ERA in 10 appearances with five victories and 51 strikeouts.

“I certainly credit my time in the NECBL with the confidence that I could compete with and succeed against some of the most talented players from throughout the country,” Breslow said during his Hall of Fame address. “Having grown up in the Northeast and attended college in the Northeast, I wasn’t necessarily exposed to the best talent. That summer of 1999, I realized that my skill set compared favorably to those around the country.” 

Drafted in the 26th round of the 2002 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Breslow made his Major League debut on July 23, 2005, becoming the 17th NECBL alum to make it to the show. That number is now over 230. Breslow pitched for 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, and also appeared on Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He was nominated three times for the Roberto Clemente Award for his Strike 3 Foundation, which has raised over $2 million for pediatric cancer. 

For the past four years, Breslow has been in the front office of the Chicago Cubs, working with Theo Epstein in a variety of roles. 

"I couldn't be more excited to return to the Boston Red Sox, an organization that means so much to my family and to me," Breslow said in a statement. "I know firsthand how special winning in Boston is, and I look forward to once again experiencing that passion and success with our fans."

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