Miracle open 2010 vs. Bucs
The Fort Myers Miracle open their 19th season of baseball in Southwest Florida on April 8 in Bradenton against the Florida State League’s newest team. The Hammond Stadium opener is the following night with a return engagement with Bradenton
Special pre-game activities and ceremonies are planned for April 9 with a spectacular postgame fireworks show. The opening weekend homestand concludes against Bradenton on April 10.
The FSL owners recently approved the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bid to purchase the Cincinnati Reds’ Class A affiliated in Sarasota and relocation to Bradenton, where the Pirates already hold spring training and base their Gulf Coast League team.
The Reds needed to find a team to play in Sarasota after moving their spring training home to Arizona.
The Sarasota Reds will move to Lynchburg, Va., which had been the home of the Pirates’ high-A Hillcats team. The Pirates’ new Bradenton club has not yet been given a name.
The 2010 season also marks the Miracle managerial debut of Jake Mauer.
The Florida State League is a split season schedule of 140 games, with two halves each consisting of 70 games. The league’s annual all-star game will be played in Brevard County on June 12, and the regular season concludes Sept. 5.
The Miracle play nine home games in April, 14 in June, two in September and 15 in each of the other months. The home schedule features 10 Thursday games, nine Friday dates, and 12 action-packed Saturday night games.
Five postgame fireworks shows are scheduled for April 9, May 22, July 3, July 31 and Aug. 28.
“We are eagerly anticipating the upcoming season of baseball here in Southwest Florida,” Miracle General Manager Steve Gliner said in a prepared statement. “Our schedule allows us to continue to create that buzz around the ballpark that is synonymous with Miracle Baseball.”
The Miracle face Bradenton 20 times and the other four clubs in the South Division 18 times each.
The Miracle and Charlotte Stone Crabs renew their rivalry on April 13 in Charlotte. The two teams met in the South Division Finals last season.