Miracle getting used to greetings, goodbyes

By DEREK REDD
Naples Daily News

In minor league baseball, the door to the clubhouse might as well be a revolving one. Players get sent up and moved down. Lockers are cleaned out of one player's belongings to make room for another.

The Fort Myers Miracle know the feeling. Since the Florida State League All-Star Game on June 18, the team has seen six players move up to Double-A New Britain, including all-stars Matt Moses, Denard Span and Nick Blackburn.

So the Miracle must adjust to not seeing a few familiar faces, while getting used to the new faces around the clubhouse as those new faces get used to the team.

That's just a part of the minors, Miracle manager Riccardo Ingram says.

"It's not really a big adjustment for the coaches," he says. "Players have been in the system, they know the system and what's expected of them. It's just a case of them getting accustomed to a new level of baseball."

The team just added two new players from Single-A Beloit this week. Pitcher Anthony Swarzak came in when Moses and Blackburn left and infielder Angelo Fermin was added Thursday.

Shortstop Matt Tolbert says the farewells for the old guys and the getting-to-know-you time for new guys come and go quickly.

"Pretty much right away, you have to get used to it," he says. "Guys move up all year. You miss them, but you still have to take care of business every day."

Infielder Jose Leger, who has been with the Miracle since June 20, says the Miracle is a team that's easy to get used to.

"Some guys, you get to know quicker than others," he says. "This team gets along pretty good. We have a good time. It's a good atmosphere."

HIT AND MISS: Ingram knows his players can hit. He just wants them to spread the hits out a little.

With Moses' call-up, the Miracle were left with no player batting over .264. That didn't seem to matter as they tagged Palm Beach for 13 runs on 14 hits Tuesday. Problem was, that game was sandwiched between two shutouts.

"Thirteen runs are nice, but I would have liked to have had seven in one game and seven in another," Ingram said with a chuckle.

Ingram says he'd like his players to have more consistent at-bats. The team average, he adds, should improve with game experience.

"The call-ups we've seen should open up some room for new players to get more at-bats," he says.

Miracle fall at home to Cardinals, 4-2

The Fort Myers Miracle watched the Palm Beach Cardinals streak past them with four runs between the sixth and seventh innings as the Cardinals beat Fort Myers 4-2 on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium.

The Miracle led 2-0 in the third inning, but Ty Parker's sixth-inning two-run double off Miracle starter Justin Jones tied the game. Julio DePaula relieved Jones in the seventh, but gave up the winning run on a Brendan Ryan single.