The Fort Myers Sun Sox were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association

Senior Professional Baseball Association

The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...

 in 1989. The Sun Sox finished their inaugural season in second place in the Southern Division with a 37-35 record. Their offense was led by the league's top hitter, Tim Ireland

Tim Ireland

Timothy Neal Christopher Ireland is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, appearing in 11 games in 1981 and 1982. He has also managed 12 seasons at various levels of the minor leagues.Ireland was originally...

, who hit .374, and the circuit's stolen base leader, Kim Allen

Kim Allen

----Kim Bryant Allen is a former Major League Baseball player. After attending University of California, Riverside and a nondescript minor league career, Allen briefly earned prospect status with the Seattle Mariners on the strength of his spectacular season for the Triple-A Spokane Indians...

, who has 33 steals. Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....

 added 11 homers. Unfortunately, the Sun Sox were eliminated by the Bradenton Explorers

Bradenton Explorers

The Bradenton Explorers were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in . That season, the club complied a record of 38-34 and finished in second place in the league's Northern Division, narrowly holding off the Orlando Juice. Jim...

 in the playoffs. The following season, ownership squabbles in Fort Myers caused the Sun Sox to fold and the league to cease operations less than halfway through its second season.

Home Ballpark: Terry Park

Manager: Pat Dobson

Pat Dobson

Patrick Edward Dobson, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians...

Coaches: Joe Coleman, Tony Torchia

1989 Opening Day Roster:

PITCHERS: Doug Bird

Doug Bird

James Douglas Bird was a Major League Baseball pitcher from to . Bird was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 3rd round of the 1969 amateur draft's secondary phase....

, Rich Gale

Rich Gale

Richard Blackwell Gale is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with four different teams between and . Listed at 6'7", 225 lb., Gale batted and threw right-handed. From to , he served as pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox...

, Wayne Garland

Wayne Garland

Marcus Wayne Garland was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1973 to 1981 for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. Garland's best season came in 1976 when he posted a win–loss record of 20–7...

, Don Hood

Don Hood

Donald Harris Hood , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1973-1983. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals.-External links:...

, Dave LaRoche

Dave LaRoche

David Eugene LaRoche is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. LaRoche is currently the pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s....

, Dennis Leonard

Dennis Leonard

Dennis Patrick Leonard was one of the Kansas City Royals' most dominating pitchers of the late '70s and early '80s, but a promising career cut short due to injuries. In 1975, his first full year he managed to bust out with a 15-7 record...

, Steve Luebber

Steve Luebber

Stephen Lee Luebber is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Luebber pitched in all or part of five seasons in the majors between and . He currently serves as pitching coach for the Wilmington Blue Rocks, single-A farm team for the Kansas City Royals...

, Steve McCatty

Steve McCatty

Steven Earl McCatty is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Oakland Athletics from 1977 to 1985. He graduated from Troy High School in Troy, Michigan in 1972. On June 2nd, 2009 McCatty was named interim pitching coach of the Washington Nationals following Randy St...

, Eric Rasmussen

Eric Rasmussen

Eric Ralph Rasmussen is a retired professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors, between and...

, Rick Waits

Rick Waits

Michael Richard Waits is a former professional baseball pitcher. Waits, who threw left-handed, played all or part of twelve seasons in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians , and Milwaukee Brewers...

CATCHERS: Marty Castillo, Tim Hosley

Tim Hosley

Timothy Kenneth Hosley is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played parts of nine seasons in the majors between and . He played for the and World Series champion Oakland Athletics, though he was never on a postseason roster....

, Ron Pruitt

Ron Pruitt

Ronald Ralph Pruitt is a former professional baseball player. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants...

 

INFIELDERS: Kim Allen

Kim Allen

----Kim Bryant Allen is a former Major League Baseball player. After attending University of California, Riverside and a nondescript minor league career, Allen briefly earned prospect status with the Seattle Mariners on the strength of his spectacular season for the Triple-A Spokane Indians...

, Dan Driessen

Dan Driessen

Daniel Driessen is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for five teams in his eighteen year career, and is best known as a member of the Cincinnati Reds "Big Red Machine" of the 1970s....

, Tim Ireland

Tim Ireland

Timothy Neal Christopher Ireland is a former professional baseball player. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball for the Kansas City Royals, appearing in 11 games in 1981 and 1982. He has also managed 12 seasons at various levels of the minor leagues.Ireland was originally...

, Ron Jackson

Ron Jackson

Ronnie Damien Jackson is a coach and a former player in Major League Baseball. He was a hitting coach for the Boston Red Sox from 2003-2006...

, Pat Putnam

Pat Putnam

Patrick Edward Putnam , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played eight seasons in the majors from until .-Texas Rangers:...

OUTFIELDERS: Dave Collins

Dave Collins

David S. Collins is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball from to .Collins is one of three players to have made it to the major leagues who played for the storied Rapid City Post 22 American Legion baseball program in Rapid City, SD...

, Larry Harlow

Larry Harlow (baseball)

Larry Duane Harlow is a retired professional baseball player who played 6 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and California Angels of Major League Baseball. Most of his career highs came during the season when he scored 67 runs scored, recorded 112 hits, and 14 stolen bases...

, Bob Jones

Bob Jones (outfielder)

Robert Oliver Jones is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the majors from until . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons in and...

, Rick Manning

Rick Manning

Richard Eugene Manning is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers...

, Amos Otis

Amos Otis

Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....

, Tom Spencer

DISABLED LIST: Dick Drago

Dick Drago

Richard Anthony "Dick" Drago is a former American League relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals , Boston Red Sox , California Angels , Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners...

, Jim Slaton

Jim Slaton

James Michael Slaton was a pitcher with a 16 year career from 1971-1986. He played in the American League with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971–1977 and 1979–1983, the Detroit Tigers in 1978 and 1986, and the California Angels from 1984-1986.Slaton played high school baseball at Antelope Valley...

, Champ Summers

Champ Summers

John Junior "Champ" Summers , is a former Major League Baseball player who played primarily as an outfielder and designated hitter for six teams during his eleven year career that spanned from 1974 to 1984...

Other Players: Alan Ashby

Alan Ashby

Alan Dean Ashby is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and Houston Astros...