Arlene washing out events, games

Tropical storm's rains cancel 2 tryouts, Miracle

By Glenn Miller
Fort Myers News Press

The final scores are in and Mother Nature won a doubleheader: Tropical Storm Arlene 2, baseball tryouts 0. Arlene 2, Fort Myers Miracle 0.

The Twins' annual open tryout scheduled for this morning at the Lee County Sports Complex has been canceled. A Pittsburgh Pirates' open tryout scheduled for this morning at Florida Gulf Coast University has also been canceled.

The Miracle's scheduled doubleheader Friday night at the Tampa Yankees was canceled.

Score four shutouts for Arlene.

The Fort Myers Track Club's annual Membership Run 5K, however, is still scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. today at Colonial Elementary School in Fort Myers.

"It's a go," said Tom Murphy, the track club president.

Call this one a tie: Arlene 1, Fort Myers Track Club 1.

The Twins have held tryouts in Fort Myers since 1991. They had never had one canceled. Until Arlene came calling.

Jim Rantz, the Twins' director of minor leagues, said Friday that the facility, which is also the site of a boat show, is just too wet.

"They got the right thing going on here in the parking lot — a boat show," Rantz said.

The Twins and Pirates don't plan to reschedule their tryouts.

Arlene and other recent storms have also messed up the Miracle, the Twins' affiliate in the Class A Florida State League.

The Miracle season-opener April 7 at the Sarasota Reds was rained out. They've had 12 games interrupted by rain, according to Sean Aronson, the team's media relations/broadcasting manager.

The Miracle had rainouts every day from June 1-5. Most of the postponed games have been made up. However, they've lost six games, including the two scheduled for Friday, to rain that won't be made up.

Rain is typically more of a scheduling challenge later in the season than it is the first two months.

"This is unprecedented," Miracle assistant general manager Andrew Seymour said.

They're not alone in the FSL. League president Chuck Murphy estimated Friday that the league has had "about 24 rainouts."

The rain has come unusually heavy and frequently for the first two months of the season.

"Normally our first half is pretty dry," Murphy said. "In the Florida State League in the second half, we start getting more rainouts.

"This is unusual."