Record crowd watches as Miracle lose home-opener

Fort Myers falls to Reds in 12 innings

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

A juggler, a ventriloquist, a steel drum band, bubbles, balloons, bratwurst, beer and — oh yeah — baseball, filled the Hammond Stadium atmosphere Friday night.

Opening Day at home for the Fort Myers Miracle arrived without the fireworks but with plenty of fanfare. It also included three extra innings.

A Miracle-record crowd of 8,147 fans watched as the Sarasota Reds defeated Fort Myers 3-2 in 12 innings, with Reds first baseman Jeremiah Piepkorn slugging a run-scoring double in the top of the 12th for the decisive run.

Miracle starting pitcher Oswaldo Sosa, who hails from the same hometown as Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana — Tovar Merida, Venezuela — struck out two batters and gave up one unearned run and five hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Miracle first baseman Whit Robbins hit a two-RBI double to deep right field that scored second baseman Steve Tolleson and right fielder Juan Portes as Fort Myers took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Sosa would have had the win, but ninth-inning pitcher Frank Mata walked the bases loaded and then walked home the game-tying run. Miracle shortstop Toby Gardenhire grounded out with two outs and a runner on second, sending the game to extra innings.

The first home game will serve as a powerful reminder of the players’ persistence, second-year Miracle manager Kevin Boles said. Some will move on someday to the major leagues. Most will not.

“They work so hard in the offseason, and they’ve made this club,” Boles said. “We keep the big picture in mind, and that’s getting these players to the big leagues. But whenever you make a team, they should feel a sense of accomplishment.”

Although the ongoing drought forced officials to cancel the traditional post-game fireworks show because of the threat of fire, plenty of fans still filed through the turnstiles.

“They took the fireworks off, but they still wanted to see the game,” said Fort Myers resident Jennifer Rojas, 32, who attended the opener with her husband Tony Rojas, 37, and their three children: Gabby, 11, and twins A.J. and Alyssa, who were celebrating their 9th birthday. Their grandmother, Anna Livorn, also joined the festivities.

“We love to go to Opening Day,” said Jennifer Rojas, as the Cypress Lake Middle School Steel Drum Band played in the background. “We all get to be together.”

Soon after entering the stadium, they were greeted by a one-man circus named Steven Lombardo, 45, of Tampa.

Standing on what looked to be an exercise ball painted to look like a giant baseball, Lombardo, also known as “Fritz,” juggled three baseballs, pausing to shake hands with fans, one of whom was A.J. Rojas.

“This is one of the easier things I do,” Lombardo said of juggling while balancing on the ball. “It looks good, though.”

Lombardo has only been to two baseball games with his circus act, the first being the Miracle home-opener two years ago. He sometimes does events with the balancing ball painted like a soccer ball, but that proves to be a challenge.

“When it’s a soccer ball,” he said, “everybody tries to kick it out from under me.”

Meanwhile, ventriloquist Brenda Stelzer of Naples stood inside the stadium, holding her purple puppet “Yo-Yo,” as they — yes, they — spoke to fans.

“I usually bring George,” said Stelzer, who left her third puppet, Belle, at home. “She’s not into baseball. Her hair would get messed up.”

As Stelzer continued to entertain, Dan Campos, who answers to the name on the back of his T-shirt — Beerman — worked on opening night as a beer vendor for perhaps the last time.

Campos, who is in his 50s, has worked for more than 30 years during the day in construction as a block mason. But he has been attending nursing school, and a future job as a nurse might prevent him from vending beer in the future.

Friday marked the 16th opening night for both the Miracle and for Campos as a beer vendor.

“Opening Day is always fun,” said Campos, who expected to sell 13 or 14 cases — between 312 and 336 bottles of beer. “A lot of people are here for a lot of different reasons.

“I love the crowd here during the summer. You get to know all of the people. There’s a lot of fun out there during the Miracle season.”

The fun, of course, belonged to the players as well.

“Playing at home with the home crowd behind you — it’s just an awesome feeling,” said new Miracle first baseman/outfielder Erik Lis.

“You get a little amped,” said Miracle outfielder Dwayne White. “It’s a totally different feeling from spring training.”