Delaney's time with the Miracle coming to a close

Rob Delaney was signed as a non-drafted free agent and joined the 2006 version of the GCL TWins. He finished up the year 1-3 with a 4.64 ERA, with 2 saves and had given up four home runs.

The 2006 season came down to the last regular season games against the GCL Red Sox, and it could have gone either way. The teams were tied in the standings on Friday, August 18, on the 19th they played at home against the Red Sox, a game the Twin lost, 4-1.

It came down to the 13th inning, tied, 1-1, and Delaney was on the mound when the Red Sox's Kristopher Negron put one over the wall for the game winning run. Two outs later, with one runner on, Michael Jones came up to the plate and clocked one over the center field wall for a pair of insurance runs.

Had we won that game, the worst they could've done was tied if they lost on Monday (which they did). However, with the pair of losses, we end up 4 games back, and the Red Sox progressed to the playoffs. They'd go on to win the title that year, the first Fort Myers based team to win a Championship.

Anyway, the grounds crew had gone out to retrieve the balls and when they came back they tossed me the ball Jones had put over the fence.

Delaney would take a walk across the parking lot after the GCL season was over, and do some light duty bullpen work for the Fort Myers Miracle. So I took the ball with me one night and gave it to Delaney to sign. And told him, "This is the ball Michael Jones put over the fence. Don't ever let him do this again."

He signed it, but probably wasn't feeling too amused about it the time.

In terms of moving through the system, Delaney made a name for himself in Low A Beloit in 2007 as a premier closer and was promoted to the FSL for the second half of the season.

He's spent the first half of the 2008 season here and - having been named to the All-star game - is looking at promotion to AA within the next week or so. Meanwhile, Jones and Negron are in Low A with the Greenville Drive of the Sally League, where they are being "managed" by Kevin Boles who Delaney had played under last year.

I use the term loosely as I'm not the only seasonal in the stadium who thinks that the Miracle weren't exactly managed for the last two season.

In any case, last night, while I was getting autographs, I said "Rob, good luck. Have fun in AA, and whatever you do, don't let Mike Jones take you deep." He laughed at that one.

Dunedin's four run 8th, crushes Miracle

Dunedin 9 at Fort Myers 3

Record: 5 - 6

The Dunedin Blue Jays pounded out 13 hits resulting in 9 runs to take a commanding win the final game of the series Sunday during Mascot Mania Day at Hammond Stadium.

Sean Shoffit greeted Miracle starter Cole Devries with a line drive single to left. Chris Emanuele and Travis Snider followed that up with singles of their own. J.P. Arencibia ground into a double play, but Shoffit got the run in to give Dunedin an early lead.

The home town team took it back though in bottom of the inning, despite a strong looking lead off by lefty Brett Cecil, who was making a rehab start. Rene Tosoni doubled with 1 out and Danny Valencia put one over the right center field wall to give the Miracle a lead. That would be about all they would get out of Cecil however who only gave up one hit over the next two innings.

Devries kept the Jays off the board for the next two innings despite giving up back-to-back walks in the top of the 2nd. The top of the fourth would be a different story, with Paul Franko getting hit a pitch to start off the stanza and Jonathan Diaz going yard over the right field wall to give the lead back to Dunedin.

Snider would single in the top of the 5th, and following a fly out to J.P. Arencibia, Cory Patton would single to put Snider on 3rd. Franko's line drive to right would score Snider, making it 4-2 Jays.

Even so the game was still within reach, with Juan Portes and Danny Santiesteban smacking back-to-back singles and Yancarlos Ortiz bunting to fill up the bases. A sac-fly by Rene Tosoni brought in Portes, but Valencia's ground out ended the scoring threat one shy of the tying run.

The Jays would take the run back with Shoffit taking a walk in the top of the 6th. Danny Graves, a minor league free agent signee, would come into relieve Devries, surrendering a single to Emanuele which allowed Shoffit past the plate.

Fort Myers looked for, but could find, no offense in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.

The top of the eighth turned nasty however. Following a ground out to Jonathan Diaz, Luis Sanchez singled then sold 2nd. Shoffit's ground out pushed him to 3rd, and an Emanuele ground ball single would push him over the plate. Snider would single to put runners at the corners, which prompted Miracle field manager Jeff Smith to bring in Matt Fox. Arencibia took one of Foxy's pitches over the right field wall though, the wind which had been a help in the past couple of games suddenly becoming an enemy.

With nine on the board for the visitors, it looked bad for the home town boys, who went three up, three down in the bottom of the 8th. The Jays would then turn to Chad Blackwell to finish off the game, which he did quickly, sending the Fort Myers fans home unhappy.

Devries would finish up allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6. Graves would be charged for the inherited runs, giving up 3 on 4 hits and 1 walk in 2 innings.

Ortiz was the only Miracle batter with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 at the bottom of the order.

The Miracle rest on Monday and start a 3-game series against the Clearwater Threshers on Tuesday. Jeff Manship will take to the mound against the defending FSL champions. The Threshers are 4-7 on the young season, last in the West Division, while the Miracle are in a three-way tie for 3rd place.

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NP Notebook: Graves
Breeze

Notes: Graves was added to the roster Saturday. The 34-year old notched a career-high 41 saves with Cincinnati in 2004, when he was picked for his second All-Star appearance. Graves holds the Cincinnati club record with 172 career saves.

The Minnesota Twins signed the former University of Miami product to a Minor League deal on March 30. Graves pitched last season for the Long Island Ducks, leading the independent Atlantic League with 33 saves.

The former fourth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 1994, was born in Saigon, Vietnam. He is the first and only Vietnam-born player in the history of the Major Leagues.

Miracle reliever Rob Delaney has been named Twins Minor League Player of the week.

Delaney, 23, pitched six scoreless innings last week and went 3-for-3 in his save opportunities. The St. John’s University graduate is 0-1 with a 0.00 ERA. He has not allowed an earned run or walked a batter in eight innings this season. Opponents are hitting .179 against him. Delaney compiled 35 saves in 53 games last year, playing for Fort Myers and low Class A Beloit, Wis.

Graphs: Since I was looking for Adrian Martin, who is evidenlty on Dunedin's disabled list, I somehow managed to overlook the fact that Blackwell was on the roster and missed getting is autograph yet again. It's becoming a habit.

I also missed Matt Fox who was up at the autograph table on the concourse on Friday. I actually had pulled the 8 x 10 I needed to have him sign on Thursday night, and managed to forget to take it to the park with me on Friday. Back to remedial autographing 101 for me...

Dunedin does not return until June 2nd. T.J. reports that Travis Snider is very nice and gives a good graph, so if you missed him this time around be sure to get him then, as he's unlikely to stay in the FSL after the All-Star game.

Blue Jays slide by Miracle

News Press blogger Ed Pelegrino with his son, Owen.

Dunedin 5 at Fort Myers 4

W: E. Rodriguez (1-0, 0.00); L: R. Delaney (0-1, 0.00); SV: Z. Dials (4)
HR: FTM: J. Woodard (2).

The Miracle managed to take a 4-1 lead going into the sixth inning, but Dunedin was able to whittle it away, eventually finding the game winning run in the 9th helped in part on a wild pitch by Miracle closer Rob Delaney.

Alex Burnett took the start for the home town team, allowing a triple to Chris Emanuele in the first which give Dunedin the early lead when Emanuele came home on a Travis Snider ground out.

Dunedin's Gustavo Chacin would hold Fort Myers scoreless in the first, but a triple by Danny Santiesteban and a walk by Allan de San Miguel set the stage for a run. Toby Gardenhire singled at the bottom of the order to bring in the speedy Santiesteban. A Brian Dinkelman double saw de San Miguel across the plate, but a questional call by the umpire saw Gardenhire out at home on the throw to the plate.

Still it gave the lead to the Miracle, who would extended it in the third. With two outs, a slimmed down Johnny Woodard singled and stole 2nd base. Wilson Ramos' double brought Woodard in, but in what seemed like a repeat of the prior inning, Ramos was called out at home when he tried to reach on a Rene Tosoni single.

After a scoreless fourth inning, Woodard would hit his second home run of the season into the wind over the right field wall.

That would be it for the Miracle though, as Armando Benitez replace Chacin on the mound and then Benitz left almost immediately with an injured leg. Submariner Conner Falkenbach came into the game and would hold the Miracle to only 1 hit through 2.1 innings.

Burnett started the sixth but a double to Travis Snider and a walk to Brian Dopirak saw Jose Lugo come into the game. After striking out Cory Patton, Lugo allowed a single at J.P. Arencibia to bring in Snider, cutting the Miracle lead in half.

The 7th inning was scoreless, but Dunedin opened with a pair of singles and a run in the eighth which saw Fort Myers turn to ace closer Robert Dalaney. However, Dopirak greeted Delaney with a double, to bring in Snider, tying up the game.

The Miracle could find no offense though in the bottom of the stanza against the Blue Jay's Edward Rodriguez, recording a ground out and a pair of fly outs.

Luis Sanchez got on base for the Jays on a fielding error by Toby Gardenhire. He moved to 2nd on Sean Shoffit's ground out, and to 3rd on Delaney's wild pitch. A single by Chris Emanuele gave the Jays the go ahead run.

With 2 outs in the ninth, hopes were briefly raised when Edward Ovalle singled, but Valencia ground into a force out and the game was finished with the Jays on top.

Woodard and Tosoni were both 2-for-4 in the game, Woodard with 2 runs. Dinkelman and Valencia were both 2-for-5.

Lugo would be charged with 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 2 in 1.2 innings, jumping his ERA up to 10.13. Delaney still has not give up an earned run this year, despite being hit with the blown save and the loss.

The series concludes on Sunday on Mascot Mania Day as Fort Myers mascot Miss A-Miracle celebrates her 4th birthday. Cole Devries will be making the start for the Miracle.

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NP Notebook: Jeff Smith