Jeff Smith Returns to the Miracle in 2016
December 1, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release
Fort Myers Miracle Manager Jeff Smith Watches the Action
(Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, Credit: Linwood Ferguson/Fort Myers Miracle)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Miracle, in conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, are pleased to announce the return of Southwest Florida native Jeff Smith as manager for the 2016 season.
Smith, 41, enters his second consecutive season and fourth overall at the helm in Fort Myers. In 2015, Smith guided the Miracle to the best record in the Florida State League South Division at 76-63.
"I am very excited to come back in 2016 and manage the Fort Myers Miracle," said Smith. "After an exciting 2015 season on the field and in the community, it will be fun to keep building on that momentum. There is a lot of excitement in our organization going into the new year and being able to be a part of it is a huge honor."
The 2016 season will mark Smith's eleventh as a manager in the Twins organization. Previously the manager of the Miracle in 2008 and 2009, Smith has a record of 233-180 in 413 games in the Florida State League. In ten seasons, Smith has amassed an overall mark of 716-682 including stops in Beloit (A) and New Britain (AA) along with Fort Myers.
A graduate of Naples High School, Smith attended Stetson University and was selected in the 20th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft in 1995 by the Twins. Primarily a catcher, Smith totaled nine years experience in the minor leagues as a player and appeared in 658 games, including 55 with the Miracle. Spending parts of the 1997 and 1998 season with the Miracle, Smith hit .292 with four home runs and 27 runs batted in.
Smith currently resides in Naples.
"I'm very lucky to wake up each morning and drive to the number one facility in all of baseball to put on the Twins and Miracle uniform every day," said Smith. "Being able to help develop our young players and watch them grow into MLB players is something that drives me and it's something our fans love to see."
Jim Dwyer returns for his eleventh season as hitting coach with the Miracle and 20th year in the Minnesota organization. Dwyer, 64, served as the Twins' minor league roving hitting coordinator from 1997 to 2005 and is a resident of Cape Coral. Spending 18 years in the Major Leagues, Dwyer is 17th all-time in pinch hits with 103.
Henry Bonilla joins the Miracle staff as the pitching coach for the 2016 season. Bonilla, 37, served as the pitching coach for the Cedar Rapids Kernels (A) last season, at rookie-level Elizabethton in 2014 and in the Gulf Coast League in 2013. An eight round draft pick by the Twins out of Tulane University in the MLB First-Year Player Draft in 2000, Bonilla spent 10 seasons in the minor leagues and posted a 61-71 career record with a 4.66 earned run average over 987.1 innings pitched. Bonilla played two seasons in Fort Myers with the Miracle and appeared in 29 games with a 4-3 record, 5.01 earned run average and four saves.
Alan Rail, 36, returns for his third season as the athletic trainer on the Miracle staff. Previously, Rail worked eight seasons with the Beloit Snappers and began his athletic training career in 2004 with Elizabethton.
Season tickets and mini-plans for the 2016 Miracle season are currently on sale now. To order, call (239) 768-4210. Get your tickets and catch all of the excitement including the 2016 FSL All-Star Game at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex on Saturday, June 18! Visit www.miraclebaseball.com for more information.
Images from this story
 Fort Myers Miracle Manager Jeff Smith (Linwood Ferguson/Fort Myers Miracle) |
 Fort Myers Miracle Manager Jeff Smith Watches the Action (Linwood Ferguson/Fort Myers Miracle) |
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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
