Roy Berger and his brother’s Fantasy Baseball Camp experience with the Yankees comes to a close. For their final hurrah, campers get to play against former Yankees and then have a celebratory feast.

Dear Mom and Dad,

This morning was what fantasy baseball is all about. The chance to turn back 40 years and for about 30 minutes live what might have been.

Our team, the Clippers, won only one game all week but we did win the random drawing on order of play this morning for the two inning game against the Yankees ‘Greats’.

Camp tradition for the final day gives an opportunity for all of the hacks to play against the former major leaguers and once again pretend. We got to do it first among the eight teams.

The wind is blowing, the temps are in the mid’s 70’s and Steinbrenner Field is in all its green glory with sprinklers softening the outfield and the grounds crew puts the finishing touches on the infield. Country music blasts over the PA and almost 11,000 empty seats had no worry about being filled until March when the real Yankees begin their spring schedule.

Yankee Stadium PA announcer Paul Olden is on hand, welcomes the 100 or so family and other campers scattered throughout the stadium and then one by one introduces the Clippers to traditional formation on the third base line as our individual picture is displayed on the stadium scoreboard.

As a team we then respectfully turn to the first base dugout and in awe watch the introduction of our opponents for the morning- 21 former Yankees. Hearts racing faster we watch Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers, Ron Guidry, El Duque Hernandez, Roy White, Jesse Barfield, Homer Bush, Ron Davis, Al Downing, Oscar Gamble, Jake Gibbs, Frank Howard, Jim Leyritz, Jeff Nelson, Gil Patterson, Fritz Peterson, Steve Whitaker, Mike Torrez, Tanyon Sturtze and Shane Spencer get introduced. One Yankee is left on the bench and then Olden brings out Don Larsen to a rousing cheer. Cool stuff.

The Robert Merrill CD sings the National Anthem like he used to for real in Yankee Stadium and then we await to see who will be pitching against us in the top of the first. It could be Nelson or Sturtze or Guidry or Davis or Torrez or any of these guys that can still throw the ball. We get Gil Patterson.

Patterson, 58, is three years younger than me which is an eye opener for sure. You have to be a loyal Yankee fan to remember him as he pitched for the Yankees for one season-1977- and only appeared in 10 games. Today he works for the Yankees in player development.

Patterson threw the ball in the 60s this morning and Mike, leg feeling better but some shoulder tightness setting in, was the first batter for the Clippers. He waited and hit a Patterson fastball to third which El Duque couldn’t handle and Mike’s designated runner beat the throw. I followed in the order and was very satisfied when I put a 2-2 pitch solidly between first and second for a single and later came around to score.

We lead 2-0 going into the bottom of the second and true to camp form gave up three runs to finish with a not so surprising 3-2 loss. It was time to put the glove in the bag and unfortunately the Brooks Mizuno bamboo bat in the trash bin as it cracked my last time at the plate.

A fun day and a bittersweet week. The week was never what it was supposed to be- a Berger baseball reunion- as Mike was injured on day one, game two and really never could give it his all. It was tough to watch him sit but he did lead the team and probably the camp in congeniality, which is no surprise. It just didn’t turn out to be what we signed up for but we got a few seconds of sweetness today during the Greats game when former Yankee Shane Spencer hit a ground ball to Mike, playing a stationary second base, and he flipped to me for the 4-3 Berger brothers put-out.

Mike said when he met our team on Monday night he thought he would be the last one to go down lame. The baseball gods thought otherwise.

For me personally, on the field, I had an outstanding week coming off a very disappointing one with the Pirates last January. After starting two for seven at the plate on the first day, the bamboo stick caught fire and I wound up with 16 hits in 30 at-bats for a .533 average and incredibly scored more runs – six – then the five I knocked in. My goal for this camp was to hit .400, so I am very content. My defense at first base was good – I made some plays I had no business making and of course booted a couple just to keep things in perspective.

This camp was blessed by outstanding weather and an overwhelmingly friend spirit among the 110 players, staff and Yankee coaches that surpassed any other. Everyday was fun, win or lose, and we did more losin’ than winnin’.

At age 61, I’m starting to give away 10-15 years to a lot of the guys. The average camp age was 54, and the average age of our team was 51, only a couple of years older than the 2013 real Yankees. I finished not only injury free but never visited the training room for treatment. I did all my own running and the quads and hamstrings, which normally go out on day two of camp when guys start to walk around like they just got off the set of Bonanza, never bothered me. I never opened the jar of IcyHot either.

I knew age was against me but experience, this my fifth camp, made me a little smarter. I did my baseball training with former major leaguer Jarrod Patterson, training at his baseball academy in Birmingham and three weeks before camp I began stretching the quads, hamstrings and other parts I never knew I had nightly at home. It worked.

I was asked multiple times over the week how does Yankee camp compare to the others I’ve been to. I automatically dismiss the Detroit Tigers camp of 2011 as it rained virtually all week and never really had a chance to get into full swing.

Yankees camp is particularly grueling especially as you get older. The Yankees play four straight days of nine inning doubleheaders- eight games in four days. It’s take its toll on weary bodies. The Yankees play the more friendly staff pitch for the first six innings of every game and the campers pitch the last three, which helps move along the pace of play. Also the Yankees use four outfielders, instead of the conventional three, to also help speed up nine inning games. Only once this week did I lose a base hit to the fourth outfielder. There are no playoffs and the champions are the ones with the best record for the week.

The Pirates play seven games, unless you advance to the championship game for one more. The Pirates games are seven innings, conventional three outfielders and campers pitch the whole game which gives it a little more authentic feel. However once arms get weary on day three, the games can take forever and look like a very poor brand of Little League. The Pirates also play a single game only on the third day of camp which is welcomed by all.

Probably somewhere between the two formats is the answer. The Yankees can cut out one game in the middle of the week to give everybody a break. On the single day of Pirates camp they should make that a nine inning game. Right now in Yankees camp you play 72 innings of old guy ball; with the Pirates you play 54 or 18 innings less. Pirates camp is about $1200 cheaper so there is a justification. The Tigers on the other hand play one camp game at night which is a very special touch. The Tigers and Yankees have one day of games against other fantasy camp teams during January and it helps everyone rally around their camp flags. I know the Pirates have been looking at doing it too and would be a real nice touch if it happened.

A tip of the Yankees cap to our coaches this week- Jim Leyritz, Fritz Peterson and Oscar Gamble. Three very nice men with Leyritz and Peterson having some personal baggage to carry. Leyritz went through a DUI manslaughter trial in which he was acquitted. Peterson will always be remembered for swapping families – wives, dogs and kids – with teammate Mike Kekich back in 1972. Peterson, 72, and the former Susanne Kekich are still together some 40 years later. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have this story on their movie radar.

Oscar Gamble is Oscar. Chatty, witty and just about never quits razzing the other team and umpires during a game. These are three gentlemen who perhaps could have given us a little more on-field instruction and attention but straight up guys that were very willing to talk about their respective backgrounds with no hesitation.

I’ve now been fortunate to play for Bill Virdon, Jerry Reuss, Frank Tanana, Darrell Evans, Homer Bush, Oscar Gamble (twice), Don Robinson, Mike LaValliere, Jim Leyritz and Fritz Peterson. All great, approachable guys but LaValliere and Robinson the two best at coaching a fantasy team.

The closing banquet tonight ended the week with the Yankees doing something I haven’t seen at other camps – they name a camp all-star team and gold glove award winners along with the outstanding rookies, seniors and the MVP of camp. It’s really neat and everyone enjoys it. Of course the coaches also get a few minutes to roast their teams for the ‘action’ they had to watch all week. Fun night and put into perspective best by former relief pitcher and camp wise guy Tanyon Strutze who said ” when you leave here, remember you all stink.”

So Mom and Dad that wraps up our week. We will drive from Tampa in the morning to spend Sunday with you at Del Boca Vista and take Dad out for his 85th birthday upcoming on Tuesday. We’re excited to get there and hope you are pleased I finally took Mike out to play, though his body didn’t want to cooperate.

Dad, you know that walker you have that Mom won’t use? Please leave it close to the door for Mike.

As for me, a very satisfying week but one that was marred by Mike’s injury. I’m tired and probably getting too old for this and I need some quick rest.

Pirates camp begins in 75 days.

Roy Berger’s previous adventures starting with:

• Pt. 1, Fantasy Baseball Camp: Choosing Your Camp
• 5 Places to Catch Baseball’s Spring Training
• Adventure & Sports Travel section
• Top Five Baseball Stadiums to Visit this Summer

By Roy Berger for PeterGreenberg.com