Miracle's Span not a morning person, but bright future is dawning anyhow

By PATRICK FINLEY
Naples Daily News

Miracle manager Riccardo Ingram decided to have some fun with one of his best players.

Center fielder Denard Span went on the seven-day disabled list on April 30 with a sore left hamstring. At the time, he was leading the Florida State League in batting average.

"My teammates were saying I was sitting on my average," Span joked.

So Ingram told Span, who would have been eligible to come off the DL while the team was on the road May 7, that he'd have to stay back with the Twins' extended spring training team until the Miracle returned home.

"Nobody likes those 7 a.m. wake up calls in extended, when they can show up at 2 o'clock here," Ingram said.

The day before the team was to leave for its road trip in Palm Beach on May 6, Span walked into Ingram's office to find out the details of the extended spring assignment.

"He said, 'You're coming with us,' " Span said. "He'd been messing with me a bit."

Said Ingram: "Ya gotta give him some incentive."

Span, a first-round draft pick in 2002, is emerging as one of the Twins organization's best prospects. Since returning from the disabled list, Span's average has dipped a bit while he's trying to regain his timing and patience.

"My theory is that the amount of time you spend on the disabled list is about the amount of time it takes you to get back into the groove when you return," Ingram said.

If that's the case, Span should be back to normal Saturday; He was activated May 7. The Tampa native was batting .338 entering the Miracle's 7-5 win over St. Lucie on Thursday, though he's never finished a season hitting that well.

"Right now, this is my best start ever," he said. "It's the best I've ever had. I've had to battle, and it's starting to pan out."

Span doesn't necessarily seem surprised by this year's events. He's always known he's had first-round talent. Before this season, Span says he redoubled his efforts to turn into a true leadoff hitter, taking pitches and working the count.

And Wednesday night, Span made Gold Glove-caliber plays on consecutive flyballs. He slammed into the center field wall to make one grab, then dove on a dead run to snag a tailing liner in right-center field.

And if a good leadoff hitter is the cornerstone of a good offense, consider this: entering Wednesday's game, the Miracle's 21-9 record was the fifth-best in professional baseball, on any level.

"He's making it real fun to get the game going," Ingram said. "He has a lot of ability. You expect him to keep improving."

Span might have gotten off to a slow start in his career. Though drafted in 2002, Span held out long enough — he didn't sign until August — that the team gave him a 2003 deal.

"I wish I would have been able to play my first year," he said.

That said, Span's putting his contract to work for him. Just before spring training began, Span closed escrow on a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom townhome in New Tampa.

"I'll hang on to that one for a couple years," he said.

The house Span lives in now is in Fort Myers, and the welcome mat says "Lohse" on it. Span's renting from Twins pitcher Kyle Lohse.

Span hopes that's not the closest he gets to major-league baseball. Ingram said he expects Span to be called up to Double-A later this season if he keeps playing this well. Span's keeping a close eye on the Twins outfield, though he said he's willing to do anything "to get up to that dome."

"I'll play left, I'll pinch run," he said. "I'll even put on a right-handed glove and play some shortstop. I just want to get up there."