Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Paul Rappoli had a slow first couple of appearances for the AA Trenton Thunder in 1996, but he didn't exactly mind, The Trenton Times wrote . That's because he'd missed the entire previous season to an elbow injury, The Times wrote . "Hey," Rappoli told The Times , "I'm just happy to be here playing baseball again. I'm looking forward to a good year even if I'm on the bench, or called on to bunt against a lefty or whatever." That season marked Rappoli's sixth in the pros. It also marked his last. He topped out at AA . But his connection to the game has continued, as owner of his own baseball academy. Rappoli's career began in 1990, signed by the Red Sox as an undrafted free agent out of Xaverian Brothers High School in Massachusetts. Rappoli started with the Red Sox in the rookie Gulf Coast League . He hit .284 in 53 games. He then moved to high-A Winter Haven and short-season Elmira for 1991. He hit .257 that year. For 1992, he pl...