Once you get beyond the pitching staff, you'd be hard pressed to find familiar faces on the 2013 Sioux Falls Canaries roster.  In fact, just two position players are back from 2012: infielders Jake Taylor and Cory Morales.

For Morales, 2012 was the best of times and the worst of times. He began the year on a tear, hitting well over .300 during the first 46 games of the season; including a red-hot month of June, when he hit .391, with nine doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI and two nine-game hitting streaks.

All of that came crashing down July 6th, when a collision at second base left the Sioux Falls shortstop with a high ankle sprain and 11 days on the bench. Morales talked with ESPN 99.1's Jeff Harkness about the good and the bad that was 2012.

Morales returned July 17th and played in 44 more games, but struggled to re-capture his first half success at the plate.

After the season ended, Morales went to Southern Maryland of the Atlantic League, to help with a five game playoff run, where he had just one hit in 16 at bats.  From there it was back home to California to get ready for what he hopes is a healthy 2013.

In a sport where a change of scenery is all too common place, Morales says he's happy to be back in a familiar setting in Sioux Falls this season.

Just how important was Morales to the Birds last season?  With him in the lineup, Sioux Falls was five games over .500 (25-20), without him the Birds were 15 games under (20-35).

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