Tejada learning some new tricks on and off the field

When you only have to work every five days, it leaves plenty of down time.

For Fort Myers Miracle pitcher Manny Tejada, the four days in between starts can get pretty boring.

Sure, there's lifting and running to do and pitches to chart, but there's also hour upon hour to fill in the clubhouse.

Tejada needed a hobby, so he picked up a magic book. Next thing you know, he's become an amateur Houdini, doing card tricks for any teammate willing — or is it gullible? — enough to stop by his locker and ask him to (literally) pull out his bag of tricks.

He's gotten so good, a local TV station stopped by last week to watch.

It's a fun, goofy thing to do during the dog days, but don't expect to see Tejada take his act on the road anytime soon. He's still hoping this pitching thing works out.

Like the rest of the Miracle pitching staff, it has been an up-and-down year for the 22-year-old Tejada. He's 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 11 starts this season.

"My arm feels pretty good," said Tejada.

"But you have one bad game and your ERA gets blown into the sky."

He's talking about a two-inning performance against Daytona on June 27 in which Tejada gave up nine runs and saw his ERA jump from 3.00 to 4.79.

Yet he's steadied himself recently, throwing seven shutout innings against Palm Beach on July 7, scattering three hits and striking out three as he and Eric Lohse gave the Miracle its seventh shut-out of the season.

"It's nice to see a shutout, our pitchers have been struggling in the second-half and a good outing like gives some of our bullpen guys a rest," said Fort Myers manager Jose Marzan.

Tejada hopes he can continue fooling opposing batters as easily as he fools his teammates.

"The first time they watch, they're always amazed, like 'How did you do that?' " Tejada said. "But if they just watch, it's pretty easy. Now I'm teaching them a couple."

NEW HALF, NEW PROBLEMS: During the first half of the season, the Miracle bats couldn't seem to get in a groove enough to keep out the pitching staff.

Since the season's second-half started three weeks ago, the trend seems to have reversed itself.

The Miracle is off to a 6-13 start in the second half, but is averaging 5.15 runs per game, almost two runs a game more than they averaged in the first half and batted a league-high .268 last week.

Problem is, now it's the pitching that is struggling. Opponents are scoring 6.47 runs per game. And it's not just the starters having trouble getting outs, but the bullpen too.

The Miracle lost two games to Palm Beach at Hammond Stadium over the weekend when it took a lead into the ninth inning. Palm Beach scored six runs in the ninth on Thursday night to win 8-3 then plated both runs in the ninth on Saturday to steal a 2-1 win.

"It gets a little frustrating," Marzan said. "We just have to go out and play the game. We need to learn to (fight through the struggles)."

RALLY CUTS?: You won't find Ice Cube or Cedric the Entertainer in the Miracle clubhouse, but for an hour before Saturday's game against Palm Beach, Danny Matienzo helped turn the area around the bathroom sink into a "Barbershop."

The Miracle first baseman/designated hitter dealt out a handful of buzz cuts to willing — and some not-so willing — teammates, including outfielder Doug Deeds.

"First time in my life," said Deeds, his reddish blonde hair cut tight. "Man it feels short."

Deeds then tried to put on his cap.

Without his usual spiked-up do gone, the cap fell down over his eyes.

NOTES: Michael Sandoval hit himself out of an early-season slump in 2003. He couldn't do it this season. The Miracle released Sandoval last week. He was hitting .179 at the time of the release, though he did lead the team in home runs with six. "It was a whole bunch of different things with him," Marzan said.

"Last year he started rough but we worked with him and he came around.

This year, he wouldn't."

Garrett Guzman hit .500 last week, with a homer, a double and four runs scored.

The Miracle have a winning record against just one Florida State League West Division opponent this season, the Lakeland Tigers. Fort Myers is 6-4 against Lakeland this season, but doesn't face the Tigers against until mid-August.