Miracle's new mentor loosens up

Ingram stressing a relaxed attitude

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

Riccardo Ingram intends to make his job as a professional baseball manager a much bigger hit than his one as a player.

Ingram will do so with the Minnesota Twins on his side.

"He's the type of guy who could be a manager in the big leagues down the line," said Joe Vavra, the Twins' minor-league field coordinator. "He knows the game.

"What he brings to the ballclub every day is a fresh outlook."

Ingram, 38, became the seventh manager of the Fort Myers Miracle during the offseason. He replaced Jose Marzan, who is now the Twins' Latin American coordinator.

The Class A Florida State League home season for the Miracle will begin at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, with Fort Myers playing the Sarasota Reds at the Lee County Sports Complex.

"I just try to keep the guys relaxed, loose and aggressive," Ingram said. "Don't play the game tight. Just try to take advantage of what the other team gives you.

"I'm a guy they can come and talk to about issues on the field — good and bad. We want to help them achieve their goals. We know how tough it is to make it to the big leagues. It's even tougher to stay there."

Ingram reached the big leagues. He just had trouble staying there.

A baseball and football player while at Georgia Tech — the defensive back turned down seven invitations to NFL camps — Ingram the outfielder was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the June 1987 draft.

After toiling in the minor leagues for six seasons, Ingram finally logged 12 big-league games in 1994 for the Tigers.

In 1995, following the Major League Baseball strike, Ingram played in four games for the Twins.

Ingram's career major-league statistics: .194 batting average, six hits, three RBI and three strikeouts in 16 games.

"Everybody has a story — I got robbed, I didn't get a fair chance," Ingram said. "I just didn't get it done. If you're that good, it always works out. You have to have a lot of things go right for you."

Ingram admitted that the timing of the 1995 strike and the year of replacement-player spring training did not help his cause to stay in the major leagues.

"No excuses, but I think that was a little bit of a factor," he said. "That was my winter to become a big-leaguer."

Since 1995, Ingram has held various minor-league coaching and managing jobs, all with the Twins. Last summer, he guided the Gulf Coast League Twins to a 31-26 record. While at Double-A New Britain as a hitting coach, he worked with current major-leaguers Matthew LeCroy and Michael Cuddyer, among others.

"It makes it rewarding for the minor-league staff, to know we've coached a lot of the guys who are up there," Ingram said. "We tell every guy who comes through our camp that they have a chance to go up there. And we mean it."

After four weeks of spring training under Ingram's watch, Miracle players have taken to competing for him.

"He's funny," shortstop J.R. Taylor said. "He keeps everybody on their toes. You're not tense or uptight playing for him."

"He seems like a very upbeat manager," said outfielder Scott Whitrock. "He seems aggressive. We'll be running around the bases."