Young Miracle players look to thrill

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

The Fort Myers Miracle has been a showcase for rising, young stars.

This season, emphasis will be on the word "young."

The Miracle unveiled their 25-man roster Tuesday, with the regular season set to open Thursday in Sarasota.

Projected starters include shortstop Trevor Plouffe, 19; third baseman David Winfree, 20; and starting pitcher Anthony Swarzak, 20.

Kevin Slowey, 21, is scheduled to start the Miracle's home-opener at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Hammond Stadium against the Sarasota Reds.

"Everybody's out to prove something," said Swarzak. "It's going to be fun to watch."

Even the new manager, Kevin Boles, has a youthful quality to him. Although he's just 31, he has been managing in professional baseball since he was 23.

"Being young helps me relate to the players in a lot of ways," Boles said.

Boles takes over for Riccardo Ingram, who was promoted to the Minnesota Twins' Double-A New Britain, Conn., affiliate.

Boles inherits a team that closely resembles the one he managed last season at low-Class A Beloit, Wis. The Beloit Snappers finished with a 69-71 record, but they rose from sixth place in the first half of the season to second place in the second half.

Boles said he hoped his players have caught up to their relatively older peers across the Florida State League.

"Last year in Beloit, they weren't ready for the speed of the game," Boles said. "This year, we're telling our guys to be ready, to be on their toes.

"We hope with the experience they have now, that those players have improved quite a bit. But there's still a lot of unknowns at this point."

MEET THE MIRACLE

The Fort Myers Miracle will have batting practice from 5 to about 6 p.m. today, with the session being open to the public at Hammond Stadium. After practice, players and coaches will be available to meet with the fans.