Morlan team's only All-Star

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News-Press

Relief pitcher Eddie Morlan will be the lone Fort Myers Miracle representative at the 46th Annual Florida State League All-Star Game this weekend.

All-Star weekend will include a home run derby Friday night and then the game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Jackie Robinson Field in Daytona.

Morlan entered this week with a 4-2 record, a 2.48 ERA and eight saves. He had struck out 46 batters in 32.2 innings.

"I wasn't expecting it," said Morlan, a Cuban native and an offseason Miami resident. "Of course, I got excited when I found out. It's quite an accomplishment. It makes you want to keep working hard.

"You have to keep in mind that you have another half of the season to go."

Starting pitcher Ryan Mullins also was selected to the All-Star Game, but the Minnesota Twins promoted Mullins to Double-A New Britain, Conn., so he will not be able to appear in the game.

Mullins compiled a 3-3 record, with a 1.98 ERA and 56 strikeouts, in 54.2 innings and nine starts for the Miracle.

MIRACLE CAMP

The Fort Myers Miracle helped a group of 12 area children with special needs with their baseball skills Saturday at Hammond Stadium. Isaiah Sparks, 13, of Cape Coral, returned to the camp for the second year in a row.

Last year, Sparks, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, became fast friends with Miracle pitcher Kevin Slowey. A year later, Slowey is in the big leagues with Minnesota.

"He's my favorite player," Sparks said.

Sparks said he was happy to learn baseball skills from a mostly new group of players.

Lisa Sparks, Isaiah's older sister, praised Slowey for working with her brother. "He was so nice to him," Lisa said. "When Isaiah is around new people and in a new setting, he tends to be nervous. But not around Kevin. It was kind of amazing. We couldn't believe it."

The Miracle players said they were happy to help this year. "It's hard what the parents have to go through," Morlan said. "It's exciting to see everyone out here having fun. If I have the chance, I would do this more than once."

SEEING A MIRACLE

The Miracle's Kevin Boles missed managing Twins major-league catcher Joe Mauer during his one-game rehabilitation stint Wednesday because of right eye surgery. "It's from the sun and the wind," Boles said of his condition, which requires him to try and stay out of the sun and to wear sunglasses while outside.

"I first had the problem four years ago.

"I thought about taking care of it in the offseason, but you don't want to mess with something like your eyes."