Outfielder Lis gets honor for play

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News-Press

Fort Myers Miracle outfielder Erik Lis, who homered against New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens earlier this year, added another highlight to what has been an eventful season.

Lis was named the Florida State League Player of the Week for his efforts last week.

Lis, 23, hit .400 (12-for-30). Entering Monday, Lis was hitting .279, with a team-high 16 home runs and 89 RBI.

Lis became the fifth Miracle player to be named a league player or pitcher of the week this season.

The others:

Pitcher Jeff Manship (July 23-29)
Third baseman Danny Valencia (July 16-22)
Pitcher Yohan Pino (June 18-24)
Pitcher Kyle Waldrop (April 16-22)

BUCKLE UP

The Florida Department of Transportation Safety Office has partnered with the Miracle to encourage the team's fans to fasten their seat belts. Local law enforcement will be "ticketing" motorists and their passengers for wearing their seat belts in the "You have been ticketed" promotion. The Miracle has provided local law enforcement agencies with tickets to the games Wednesday against the Dunedin Blue Jays and Sunday against the Clearwater Threshers. The tickets will be distributed to Miracle fans who are caught wearing their seat belts by participating law enforcement officials. The first 500 fans who pledge to wear their seat belts at Wednesday night's game at Hammond Stadium will receive a Miracle buckle up T-shirt.

INTERN WINS AWARD

Sarah Padove, an intern with the Miracle, has won the Florida Marlins/Florida State League scholarship. Each year, the Marlins, the Miracle and the 11 other FSL teams award one student from each club a $1,500 scholarship. Padove, a native of Hammond, Ind., is the daughter of Burt and Susan Padove. She helped the Miracle this summer with game-day operations and media relations. She attends the University of Indiana in Bloomington and is majoring in business marketing. Padove also starts at second base for the Hoosiers' softball team. Padove and the other 11 winners were honored Sunday at the Marlins' game at Dolphin Stadium.

ROTATION SET

Kyle Waldrop (6-3, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Miracle tonight against Adrian Martin (4-2, 2.63 ERA) of the Dunedin Blue Jays. Zach Ward (5-15, 3.44 ERA) will start for the Miracle at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday against Dunedin's Brandon Magee (7-7, 4.09 ERA).