After 18 long months without the crack of the bat, the sound of the ball hitting the mitt and the roar of an afternoon crowd, the local boys of summer will again take to the field — this time with a new look, but same traditions.   

The rebranded Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (formerly the Miracle), an affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, begin their 120-game season May 4, and will now compete in the Low-A Southeast region of a reshuffled Minor League baseball system announced by Major League Baseball in February.  The club announced tickets will go on sale today April 23 at 10 a.m.  

“We could not be more excited to see the schedule for the inaugural season of Mighty Mussels baseball,” stated Mussels owner Andy Kaufmann. “After a year off, we can’t wait to see the great fans of Southwest Florida back at Hammond Stadium to enjoy great baseball and affordable, family fun for everyone. We want the first season of the Mussels to be a memorable one.”  

The Mighty Mussels play exactly half of their schedule at home, with their new league consisting of 10 teams, all of which are previous members of the Florida State League.   

Clubs this year face off in six-game series running Tuesday through Sunday. Each team has Monday off to help reduce travel and risk of virus.   

In accordance with travel mitigation, Fort Myers plays 24 games against its closest geographical opponent, the Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh affiliate), and 12 games against the remaining eight teams in the league.   

The Mighty Mussels make their first appearance at home on May 11 versus Clearwater (Philadelphia) and will close out the season with a homestand against Tampa (New York Yankees) culminating on Sept. 19. “We could not be more excited about this year and the Mussels,” said club president Chris Peters. “When you rebrand your team there’s a lot that goes into it, and we’re very excited about the future and how we’re going to embrace the community and make the Mussels part of it and something everybody can be proud of.  

“We’ve had quite a long off season so we’re excited to one again be able to play baseball and safely do it in a socially distanced manner in which our fans can be safe at the games.”  

The restructuring of farm systems across the country came due to the pandemic, and for the first time in more than 100 years, Minor League teams will fall under the immediate direction of MLB.  

Some teams were not able to withstand the damage, as more than 40 clubs were eliminated from the system.   

MLB will now refer to the affiliated minors as the Professional Development League (PDL). In mid-February, 120 teams signed their intent to be part of MLB’s new player development system. Up until this point in time (since 1903), MLB and the Minors have operated as separate entities that worked together.   

“Missing the 2020 season due to COVID was obviously hard, but you look at the hardships a lot of people around the world are facing right now — we’re thankful that we’re still able to play baseball, thankful that we’ll get to entertain the fans, and safety is obviously first and foremost,” Peters said. “We’re going to make sure that everything we do is in a safe manner so that people can really come out and enjoy themselves.”  

Along with keeping attendees safe, spectators can expect to see some of the entertainment that makes Minor League baseball a great family affair. You never know who you’ll see at the ballpark, or what kind of special uniforms the team will sport. Promotions run all season long, as do special firework spectaculars after select home games.   

“We’re going to work as hard as we can so that all the fans that come out know they’re going to have a good time when they come to Mussels games,” Peters said. “The Miracle had a great tradition of a lot of fun promotions that we’re looking to continue to carry on, and our goal is for the Mussels to be a team that residents know they can go see on a Friday night and have fun. Get ready for the year of the Mussel.”  

Across the home schedule, there will be 13 games that include fireworks (Opening Day, Fourth of July weekend and every Friday night home game), 11 free giveaways, more than 20 promotional theme nights and more.  

In addition to fireworks on Opening Night, the Mussels will be giving away magnet schedules while also guaranteeing a win. If the Mussels fail to convert on their promise of a “guaranteed win,” everyone in attendance will receive a free ticket to the following game on May 12.  

Other promotional night themes include Star Wars, FSW, The Office (chance to meet Meredith), First Responder Night and more. 

The team also hopes to continue to see homegrown talent make its way through the ranks and be able to call Fort Myers home as the players begin their journey to the big leagues.   

Countless players have put on the Fort Myers uniform early on in their careers that now contribute to a Twins team that has ascended the ranks over the past few years. Stars such as Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, Jose Berrios and more have played in Southwest Florida. The franchise previously won two Florida State League Championships with the Twins organization (2014, 2018).  

“If you look back over the years, we’ve had a lot of great players, a lot of great managers, a lot of great talent with the Twins, and we’re fortunate enough to have a great partnership with the Twins and I’m sure we’re going to keep putting some top-notch talent on the field every year,” Peters said.   

The inaugural edition of the Mighty Mussels is being managed by Brian Meyer, promoted to replace Aaron Sutton, who was supposed to take the reigns in 2020.   

“It’s a little bit bittersweet because Aaron Sutton and I built a great relationship over the past year and a half,” Meyer said. “He’s a tremendous coach and a tremendous person. But on the flip side of that, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to lead the Mighty Mussels this year.” 

Meyer, 38, touts 13 years of collegiate coaching experience, making NCAA Tournament appearances with three different programs. He was a star second baseman for Otterbein College in Ohio (Division III) before spending three years as the team’s hitting coach and recruiting instructor.  

Starting in 2010, he led the Division I Wright State Red Raiders to back-to-back Horizon league titles. The Cincinnati native then moved to New Orleans in 2012, where he spent five years with Tulane. He also spent time with Butler as an assistant before being hired by the Twins prior to the 2020 season.  

Peter Larson and Carlos Hernandez will serve as pitching coaches. Derek Shomon and Rayden Sierra will step in to assist with the offense as hitting coaches.  

“I think there’s character that’s built when you don’t have the luxury of resources like we have here at the Twins,” Meyer said about his staff’s background. “You find creative ways to make players better. When you do have resources such as we have, it just enhances our ability to develop players. That’s what it’s all about here.” 

The relationship between the big club and the local team is one front office management hopes to continue for the foreseeable future.  

“The Mussels organization is thrilled to be continuing the long-term partnership with the Minnesota Twins for many years and generations to come,” Kauffman said. “We look forward to witnessing the development of future Twins players and Hall of Famers here at Hammond Stadium, while continuing to bring affordable family fun and entertainment to the great citizens of Lee County. We would also like to thank Lee County for all of their support both historical and present.”  

Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. on MightyMussels.com. Ticket packages, as well as season tickets are available now by calling (239) 768-4210.  

— Connect with this reporter on Twitter: @haddad_cj