Sports
FSL Names McCullough Manager Of the Year
The stage is set for a great finish when the Jays and Threshers begin the next home series Thursday.
Two Dunedin Blue Jays received Florida State League honors this week.
Manager Clayton McCullough, 30, was selected as the Florida State League manager of the year and D-Jays first baseman John Talley earned FSL player of the week honors for Aug. 22 to 28.
McCullough, an East Carolina University product, enters his fifth season as a manager, all with the Blue Jays. He led the Lansing Lugnuts to the playoffs in 2009 and the Dunedin Blue Jays in 2010.
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Before this year, Talley, 22, had not hit more than six home runs in any of his first four seasons as a pro. Talley popped 17 for Dunedin in 2011 and went deep in three consecutive games this week. He went 3 for 4 on Sunday.
Talley drove in 12 runs in four games, six of them against Daytona on Friday night. He slugged that game, helping the Jays dismantle the Cubs 16-3.
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As for last night's game (Aug. 29), the Daytona Cubs defeated the Jays 9-6.
The Jays had to use reliever Scott Gracey in a starting role because of last weeks rainout. The New Mexico native allowed four runs on eight hits in four complete innings.
Brian Van Kirk brought the Jays some hope when he bombed over the rightfield fence with two runners on in the eighth. It brought the Jays to within a run, but the Cubs would seal it with two in the ninth.
Even with the loss, the stage is set for a great finish when the Jays and Clearwater Threshers begin a four game series Thursday. The Threshers defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers Monday, and now trail the Jays by just a game and a half.
On Deck: The D-Jays travel to Lakeland and play a doubleheader today (Aug. 30) and a single game on Wednesday.
