Sports
Threshers Florida State League Season Home Opener is Today
The Phillies' Class A affiliate looks to be improved on the field and just as exciting in the stands.
The good news for fans of the Threshers is that a slew of promising young players who led the South Atlantic League Lakewood BlueClaws to a division title in 2010 are moving up to Clearwater this season.
The better news could be the promotions and specials the team will run this year, which include giving away a car and hosting “the best happy hour in Tampa Bay."
It all depends on priorities, but it all comes under the heading of having a good time at the ballpark.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
And when attending a Threshers game, most people are going to have a good time, one way or another.
For those who prefer the action on the field, the team looks to improve from last season in which they went 67-72 and posted winning months in April, May and August before dropping five of its final six games in September.
Find out what's happening in Clearwaterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The 2011 club will boast six of the top 10 prospects in the entire Phillies organization according to Baseball Prospectus, including 19-year-old outfielder Jonathan Singleton, who was voted the South Atlantic League’s Most Outstanding Major League Prospect last year.
Singleton tore up the SAL last season, batting .290 with 14 homers and 44 RBI. He will man the Threshers outfield with fellow BlueClaw teammate Leandro Castro, who clubbed 46 extra base hits while stealing 22 bases in 2010.
Meanwhile the pitching staff will feature three of the Phillies top five organizational prospects – starters Brody Colvin, Jarred Cosart and Trevor May; all three can hit the mid-90s and could shine throwing gas in the mid-summer Clearwater heat.
Off the field, there promises to be as much excitement for fans as there will be on it.
Promotional games are the norm in the FSL, and this year’s lineup includes the standard fireworks, concerts, theme nights and giveaways like bobbleheads, backpacks and beach towels.
But in a departure from the norm, in a move sure to draw thousands of fans, the team will give away a used car to one lucky fan on Aug. 26.
As if that isn’t enough to bring you out to Bright House Field, how about cheap tickets and food (try to beat their $1 Tuesdays) or the return of Wednesday happy hours, where select drinks for ladies are just $2 and 16 oz. domestic bottles cost $3, whether the team is home or not.
Try getting those deals at a major league game.
On deck:
What: Dunedin Blue Jays play at Clearwater
Where: Bright House Field
When: 6:30 p.m. today
