Miracle boss from Naples

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

Jeff Smith will enjoy a major luxury that he hasn't had over the past 12 years as a professional baseball player, coach and manager: sleeping in his own bed.

The Fort Myers Miracle and its major-league affiliate, the Minnesota Twins, announced Tuesday that Smith, 33, has been named the eighth manager in Miracle history.

Smith replaces Kevin Boles, who said Monday that he had stepped down from the position.

"You don't get many opportunities to stay at your own house and do what you love to do," said Smith, a Naples resident and 1992 Naples High School graduate. "I love the Minnesota Twins. To manage the Miracle is one of the best moments in my career."

Smith and his wife of 10 years Ronna have two children, Cooper, 5, and Cutter, who is 9 months old.

"I don't think I've been at my house year-round for about 15 years," said Smith, who played for three seasons at Stetson University before turning pro and being selected by the Twins in the 20th round of the 1995 draft.

"I never got called to the big leagues," said Smith, a former catcher. "I went to nine big-league spring trainings."

Three surgeries on his left knee later, he retired from playing.

"You know what, when I had to retire, it was time," Smith said. "I would have loved to have played three or four or five more years. But when your body tells you can't do it, you can't do it.

"I had always hoped to become a manager or a coach in professional baseball with the Twins."

Playing catcher should have him well-prepared for his latest managing job, said Smith, who compiled a 153-125 record over the past two seasons of managing low-Class A Beloit, Wis.

"We always see the whole field," Smith said of playing catcher. "You do have to learn every position, because the other spots on the field dictate what you do.

"As a catcher, you're always in the back pocket of your manager. You're always in the back pocket of your hitting coach. You're always in the back pocket of your pitching coach.

"All three coaches, you're constantly talking to the three guys."

Smith said that advancing players to the next level will be his primary goal. Two pitchers who Smith has managed — Matt Garza and Kevin Slowey — already have reached the majors following Smith's guidance in Beloit.

"Smitty is a good baseball man, you know," said Jim Rantz, the Twins' director of minor leagues. "He's a good teacher. He's organized.

"He has a good rapport with the players. He's a student of the game. For all those reasons, we think he's going to be a good manager at the high-A level, and we'll take it from there."

MIRACLE MANAGERS

Jeff Smith, a 1992 Naples High School resident, became the eighth manager of the Fort Myers Miracle.

Here's a look at the former Miracle managers and where they are now:

Manager	Miracle tenure	Current job
Dan Rohn	1992	Fresno Grizzlies (Triple A Giants' affiliate)
Steve Liddle	1993-94	Twins' bench coach
Al Newman	1995	Retired from baseball
John Russell	1996-97	Ottawa Lynx manager (Triple-A Philadelphia Phillies' affiliate)
Mike Boulanger	1998-99	Texas Rangers' minor-league hitting coordinator
Jose Marzan	2000-04	Twins' Latin American coordinator
Riccardo Ingram	2005	Rochester Red Wings assistant coach (Triple-A Twins' affiliate)
Kevin Boles	2006-07	TBA