COASTE | COMMUNITY
Fort Myers is decidedly different — taking him literally across the world and back more than once in his quest to make it to the majors. Born in Australia, Van Steensel was 16 years old and
back in the middle of the night, then back on the field the next day to play another game. Even if you don’t feel your best, you get up and grind through it, give it your best effort and hopefully it turns out your way.”
pitching in a national tournament when the Philadelphia Phillies offered him a contract. After high school graduation, he spent two years with the Phillies farm team but was released. He then returned to Australian baseball, signed with the Twins in 2011 and
“(It’s) a grind. That’s the easiest and best way to describe it. The long bus rides, getting back in the middle of the night, then back on the field the next day to play another game.”
The Miracle is one of 12 teams that comprise the Florida State League — a bus league, as Andrew Seymour calls it, with road trips up to four hours “that’s all about player development. This is not glamorous baseball.
returned to the U.S., was released the same year, played in Australia again for a few years — then re-signed with the Twins in 2014 and relocated to Fort Myers. Now 25 years old, Van Steensel calls being a minor league ballplayer “a grind. That’s the easiest and best way to describe it. The long bus rides, getting
The guys playing here, most of them haven’t signed for a bonus. They don’t make a ton of money, believe me. They’re putting in a lot of sweat equity to advance their careers because they want the opportunity to one day make it to the majors and get that payoff. In the meantime, they live off their meager monthly checks, and they all make the same salary.”
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