Rockland Boulders Name Carlos Mirabal New Pitching Coach

Recently the Rockland Boulders announced the hiring of Carlos Mirabal as their new pitching coach. Mirabal takes over for Bobby Jones who was hired by the Sussex County Miners as their new manager.

Jones was the pitching coach for the Boulders the past three seasons with Rockland winning their first Can-Am League Championship in 2014 and returning to the postseason in 2015. He also has extensive major league experience having played and pitched for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Boston Red Sox.

“A great situation for Bobby being a Rutherford, New Jersey guy, from the area and learning the last three years on the independent side,” said Manager Jamie Keefe. “We have no doubt what he can do with a pitching staff and immediately Sussex County becomes better on the mound. His in-game management speaks for itself and he has done very well.”

Keefe said when an opportunity did arise for Jones he would have to take it and help better his family life. “You can’t stay together forever because that’s the nature of this business and we’re all in it for the same reason because we want to do better for us,” added Keefe. “Taking over a club that struggled in year one and has a pretty good idea of what to do in getting them back headed in the right direction.”

Mirabal is also a New Jersey native, born in Englewood and attended Bergen County Technical High School and Fairleigh Dickinson University. He started his professional baseball career with the Altoona Rail Kings of the North Atlantic League in 1996. Mirabal spent the next nine seasons in Taiwan, China and Japan before returning to the United States in 2006 where Mirabal joined the Newark Bears and pitched three seasons for the organization.

This past season Mirabal came out of retirement to pitch for the Trois-Rivieres Aigles.

“He had a ton of success in Japan for a good six seasons,” said Keefe. “This is a guy at the age of 42 who pitched against Can-Am League hitters and fared pretty well. He has the knowledge of how to get hitters out.”