Big first half by Miracle’s Slowey culminates in selection as FSL all-star

Kevin Slowey sounds like a meteorologist.

“Maybe,” the Fort Myers Miracle right-hander offers, “it’s the weather affecting the hitters, the thickness of the humidity in the air or something....”

Or maybe, the 22-year-old suggests, it’s the Grapefruit League ballparks that are a far cry from the cozy bandboxes in the Carolina and California leagues.

Whatever the reason, the Florida State League is again littered with arms pegged for the big leagues, and no one’s been better than Slowey, the Twins’ second-round pick from Winthrop in 2005.

The league leader in innings pitched, ERA and second-ranked pitcher in strikeouts is one of four Miracle players selected for tonight’s FSL All-Star Game at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.

He joins infielder Alexi Casilla, catcher/first baseman Kyle Geiger and former Sarasota outfielder Brandon Roberts, acquired Thursday in exchange for Twins shortstop Juan Castro, on the Western Division team.

Matt Garza, who was 5-1 with a 1.42 ERA and held opponents to a .169 average over his first eight starts, would have been the team’s fifth first-time all-star, but he won’t participate following a May 15th call-up to Double-A New Britain.

“It’s an honor to be selected to an all-star team, no matter the league, and here in the Florida State League there are a lot of great pitchers,” said Slowey, who is 4-1 with a microscopic 1.10 ERA while striking out 92 and issuing just seven walks in 81Ò innings. “It seems like it’s tough for a guy to come into this league and hit .300, so to be selected as one of the better pitchers here feels great. The league’s just chock full of good young pitchers, and I’m really looking forward to a nice, relaxing atmosphere this weekend.”

Slowey has not only benefited from his familairity with first-year Miracle manager Kevin Boles — who managed Slowey at low Class-A Beloit (Wis.) in his first half-season as a pro — but also from the rest of a Fort Myers staff that has posted a collective 3.72 ERA and is tied for the league lead with eight shutouts.

“You want to be the best, no matter where you are, and when the team does well you want to be a big part of that,” Slowey said. “When a guy like Garza starts with a sub-1 ERA, then as of late you see (Anthony) Swarzak or (Justin) Jones throw up zeros over seven innings, the next night you think, ‘Now it’s my turn.’¤”

Boles declined to speculate on just how much longer he expects to have that competition in his rotation.

The all-star honor can, after all, be a promising prospect’s FSL send-off.

The Miracle lost three-fifths of their rotation to New Britain at the break last season, with former No. 1 picks Denard Span and Matt Moses not far behind.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, Florida Marlins outfielder Reggie Abercrombie and the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Carlos Villanueva, who threw six scoreless innings in his first major league start in a loss at Cincinatti on Wednesday, were all FSL all-stars last summer.

“We’ve got some guys that have competed here, and when they’re ready, the Twins will make that decision,” Boles said. “Kevin’s very similar (to Garza) as far as atatcking the zone, but he’s more of a control-type with that fastball. They both induce contact, they both show no fear, and they both compete every night. It’s the overall style he has that’s been very impressive.”

The 21-year-old Casilla, acquired from the Angels as part of the J.C. Romero trade over the winter, has been Boles’ spark plug atop the order all season. The speedy second baseman/shortstop is hitting .315 in a team-high 63 games, and is tied with new teammate Roberts for second in the league with 23 steals in 28 tries.

Meanwhile, Boles said he’s “never seen anything like” what’s happening to Geiger at the plate, with the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder regularly left shaking his head after quality at-bats.

“He hits balls all over the place, but they’ve been right at people,” Boles said of the versatile 24-year-old, who’s hitting .245 with 16 RBIs while committing just eight errors between first and catcher. “He’s got good size, arm strength, some feel with the glove. He’s a guy that’s brought a lot to the table for us.”

Roberts, meanwhile, earned a unique distinction when he was acquired roughly two hours before the Miracle’s 9-4 loss to the Reds on Thursday. The 21-year-old center fielder, who was hitting .267 and led Sarasota in hits, at-bats, steals and runs, will wear a Miracle jersey for the first time when he takes the field tonight in Lakeland.

That should provide an interesting post-script to what Boles called a proud moment in the careers of not just the individual players, but the teammates and the organization they’ll be representing.

“These are guys that have worked very hard on a daily basis,” the manager said, “and it’s good to see guys who give that effort get some reward on their way to the big leagues.”