Teen sets Fort Myers age mark

17-year-old logs time for Miracle

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

Allan De San Miguel, the youngest player in the seven-team Minnesota Twins organization, also became the youngest player ever to wear a Fort Myers Miracle uniform upon his promotion last week.

The Miracle are in the midst of a youth movement, as de San Miguel, 17, still has two-and-a-half years to escape being a teenager.

Miracle starting pitchers Anthony Swarzak and Jay Rainville, both 19, are also among the 10 youngest Miracle players ever.

"Age is not a factor," Twins minor league field coordinator Joe Vavra said. Not if you're good enough.

Only six months and nine days had elapsed from de San Miguel's 17th birthday Feb. 1 to his debut with the Miracle on Aug. 10. He signed with the Twins at the age of 16.

The catcher, a native of Success, Australia, has unseated former Miracle infielder Ramon Borrego as the youngest Miracle player since the team began playing in Fort Myers at the Lee County Sports Complex in 1992.

Borrego, now 27 and an assistant coach for the Twins at their Dominican Republic academy, made his debut for the Miracle in 1996 at the age of 18 years and 18 days.

The Miracle play host to the Clearwater Threshers, an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, at 7:05 tonight.

"It was a big shock," de San Miguel said of his promotion last week from the Gulf Coast League, the lowest level of rookie ball. "I didn't expect that at all."

De San Miguel had been hitting just .204 in 54 at-bats for the Gulf Coast Twins with one home run and 11 RBI when coach Nelson Prada informed him of the promotion, which leapfrogged him over two other low Class A teams, the Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins and the Beloit (Wis.) Snappers.

"I just couldn't believe it," de San Miguel said. "I thought he was lying. I just expected to finish the season here and then come back next year and see what happens."

The twists of fate leading to the promotion began when Double-A New Britain (Conn.) catcher Brian Kennedy landed on the disabled list with an injured back.

Former Miracle catcher Kyle Phillips received a promotion to replace Kennedy.

Miracle manager Riccardo Ingram then promoted former backup Kyle Geiger to replace Phillips as the starter.

Because Elizabethton and Beloit are both in the middle of trying to make the playoffs, Vavra decided to give de San Miguel a chance as Geiger's backup rather than disrupt the other two teams, which were shorthanded at catcher.

"This late in the year, you have to try to fill the gaps the best you can," Vavra said. "Allan was the most advanced guy who could go up there and fill that role. We wouldn't send a third-string catcher from the Gulf Coast League."

De San Miguel had gone 1-for-8 (.125) at the plate entering Tuesday night's game, but he has stood out defensively and handled the pitchers well, Ingram said.

"He's fitting right in with the role that he's in," Ingram said. "He still has a ways to go as far as offense, but he's getting the opportunity to get more at-bats and get more comfortable with it."

De San Miguel may step back a level or two next season in order to get more playing time and not hinder his development, Vavra said.

But Vavra also said a late-season stint as a Miracle backup could pay off in the long run.

"By sending him over here, we're not going to hold back his progress," Vavra said. "That's going to go a long way in his development."

THEY WERE ONLY 17

At 17, catcher Allan de San Miguel is the youngest ever to play for the Fort Myers Miracle baseball team. Here's a look at what some Miracle employees were doing for work at age 17:

Linda McNabb, president: She worked at the junior department of the J.C. Penney store at the Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted, Ohio. "I was making like $3-something an hour," she said.

Steve Gliner, general manager: He worked as a camp counselor for 9-year-olds at an eight-week summer camp, Camp Summit, in Wurtsboro, N.Y. "I had free room and board, and I made $500 for the summer," Gliner said.

Andrew Seymour, assistant general manager: He taught tennis lessons at a high school in Toronto. "I made like $10 an hour," Seymour said. "That's more than I'm making now."

Riccardo Ingram, manager: He cut grass between the end of his senior year at Coffee (Ga.) High and Georgia Tech, making about $3.35 per hour from the local parks and recreation department.