Miracle help deputy's family

Niedermeyer's wife, kids benefit from auction

By DAVID DORSEY
ddorsey@news-press.com

In a packed Hammond Stadium on a Friday night that paid tribute to a fallen sheriff's deputy, the Fort Myers Miracle wore green caps with pride.

The Miracle, who normally wear blue caps, then proceeded to rally for a 5-3 victory against the Sarasota Reds, a team that included big league catcher David Ross, first-round draft pick and center fielder Drew Stubbs, and starting pitcher Alexander Smit, who played for the Miracle last season.

Ross, on a rehabilitation assignment, went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.

The Miracle wore the caps - they had a gold star on the front - in honor of the late Sgt. Mark Niedermeyer, a 14-year veteran of the Lee County Sheriff's Office. Niedermeyer, 44, died last month, collapsing from a heart attack during a charity football game.

Julia Niedermeyer, his wife, threw a ceremonial first pitch along with daughters Cydney, 12, and Carly, 6, with mascot Miss-A-Miracle serving as the catcher. Clayton Niedermeyer, 9, missed the game while in Tampa, visiting Busch Gardens with some friends.

"That was tough," Miracle manager Jeff Smith said of seeing the family. "That was very emotional.

"I'm thrilled we had a chance to raise some money for the family. That was more important than the victory itself."

The Miracle players and coaches autographed their caps, with a silent auction being held during the game in order to raise money for the family.

The Miracle were on their way to raising $2,500.

An online auction of a cap autographed by the entire team will take place over the weekend at miraclebaseball.com.

"It's nice that he's thought of," Julia Niedermeyer said of her late husband. "Obviously, my husband was a very special person.

"I'm having my good days and my bad days."

The Niedermeyers then watched among an announced crowd of 8,215 as the Reds took a 3-0 lead in the second.

But the Miracle enjoyed a five-run second inning, combining for five hits and two walks off Smit, a left-hander who pitched in 18 games for the Miracle last summer until being released by the Minnesota Twins and picked up by the Reds on July 12.

Miracle shortstop Toby Gardenhire, son of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, hit an RBI single for a 3-2 lead. Second baseman Brian Dinkelman hit an RBI double, tying the score at 3.

Gardenhire scored the go-ahead run, tagging up on a Juan Portes sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead. Then Dinkelman scored on an error for the 5-3 advantage.

"It was a huge crowd," said Gardenhire, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. "This team has a lot of energy. I'm excited about the season."

Gardenhire's cap fetched $65 in the silent auction. First baseman Danny Berg had the highest-priced cap, at $110, to the surprise of his teammates.

The Twins took Berg in the 30th round of the 2004 draft out of Texarkana (Texas) Junior College.

Third baseman Danny Valencia, who went 3-for-4 a day after hitting a home run, had his cap auctioned for the second-highest amount, at $100.

"I thought Toby would win," Berg said of having the highest-priced cap. "I'm happy not for me, but that we were able to raise money for the Niedermeyer family."