Clearwater Threshers Make up Most of Florida State League All-Star Team

Things have grown a bit desperate for the Clearwater Threshers.  As always, the actual thresher shark is on the verge of extinction.  Phinley the Thresher mascot is extinct as well, only not from precious South Florida ecosystems; from the MiLB Mascot Mania tournament.

So, despite a promising start, the Phillies Single-A affiliate was not in the keenest of moods.  Fortunately, the Florida State League held its All-Star Game recently, and the Threshers took the opportunity to cheer themselves up by being most of the team.

Pitchers Jesse Biddle, Tyler Knigge, Austin Wright and infielders 1B Cody Asche, C Cameron Rupp, and OF Pete Lavin all were honored to join the ranks once occupied by future Major Leaguers.  Knigge, sadly, walked three and gave up two runs without allowing a hit and got stuck with the loss.  Biddle allowed a hit, but all of his outs came from K’s.  Asche, Rupp, and Lavin went a combined 1-for-7, and Adam Morgan was selected to join them but couldn’t due to how on the disabled list he was.

So even their honor of having six, or technically seven, reps at the All-Star Game was tainted by a bit of negativity.  Fortunately, they finished the first half of the FSL season in second place behind the Dunedin Blue Jays and scored 11 runs on them last night for the win so things can’t be all bad!

Though the same probably can’t be said about actual thresher sharks.