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Returning To Fantasy Baseball Camp: Tips & Orientation

Peter Greenberg Worldwide
Locations in this article:  Detroit, MI Pittsburgh, PA

Baseball glove - Fantasy Baseball CampIf you were once a kid who dreamed of playing Major League Baseball, listen up.

In part two of his dispatches from fantasy baseball camp, Roy Berger starts off at the Detroit Tigers camp by meeting some childhood heroes, and shares some important lessons on playing the game as an adult.

Sunday afternoon was orientation day for all the wanna-be fantasy Tigers. It was a big turnout for this week: Enrollment hit 91 campers representing 12 states.

The average age for this session is 52.5, which soberly puts me among the upper portal.

This is the 28th year of the Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp and it’s considered to be the largest fantasy camp in professional sports.

Of the 91 in our session an incredible 54 are returnees. We have some that have been here for as many as 20 consecutive years. The dean of all fantasy camper—a gentlemen at his 31st annual play week—is also with us!

I was told last year at the Pirates fantasy camp, “It’s like a drug, you’ll see.” We have 60 percent of this camp being addicts. Incredible.

Check out the stories from Roy’s rookie Fantasy Baseball Camp series:

Jim Price, former Tigers catcher and now broadcaster and co-camp director, told us the mantra for the week is “Start slow and taper off.” He wasn’t kidding.

Old Baseball - Fantasy CampThe parade of former big leaguers who serve as our coaches were introduced all with pretty stellar Tigers backgrounds. On hand are Dave Bergman, Darryl Evans, John Grubb, Dan Petry, Dave Rozema, Jon Warden (who doubles as Kangaroo Court Judge), Frank Tanana, Larry Herndon, Tony Phillips, Jack Billingham, and the big Tigers bopper Willie Horton.

Detroit legend and Hall of Famer Al Kaline is the honoree for the week.

Opening dinner followed with the unveiling of the teams and respective coaching staffs. My colleague Fred and I will be playing together on what looks like a fun team managed by former Major League star Darryl Evans, who hit 414 home runs in 20 big league , and Frank Tanana, a hard-throwing lefthander with 240 career wins.

(Ironically this was the second year in a row I was at the opening camp banquet and forced to miss the Jets win a playoff game that seemed improbable. So please indulge me for a minute. J-E-T-S. Thank you. Boy that feels good.)

I learned three things last year at Pirates camp to be kept foremost in mind if I ever did this again:

Previously: Returning To Fantasy Baseball Camp: Part 1

Baseball In Grass1. If you use Icy Hot for the hamstrings and quads, it’s probably a real good idea if you don’t rub your inner thighs together while walking. I was hoppin’ around at first base like the proverbial Mexican jumping bean of days long gone by. No inner leg application, please.

2. Bring a duffel bag with you to carry gloves and other accessories you might need on the field.

I didn’t know this little tidbit last season. While the Pittsburgh guys are marching to the field with totes, duffel bags and even some larger bags to carry their bats, here came this aging, balding first baseman from Birmingham, Alabama with a Westin Hotel laundry bag. No kidding. I was bit embarrassed and humiliated.

On day two or three I even went to a local schlock store looking for a duffel bag. All they had were these wonderful prints and styles of palm trees ready for a day on the beach. I couldn’t do it and rode the week out with my laundry bag.

So for this year’s camp I had to make a decision: Bring a duffel bag or upgrade to a Ritz-Carlton laundry bag. I brought the duffel and told Fred, if you do nothing else I tell you this week bring a damn duffel bag!

Pirates Camp - Fantasy Baseball Camp - photo by Roy Berger3. Remember the older you get, the further apart the bases seem.

That was a long run to first base last year and a year older I’m thinking it’s probably three or four steps farther this year. I decided to subscribe to the Southwest Airlines philosophy for running the bases this week: point to point. Go from first to second. Stop and refuel. Go from second to third. Stop, grab a drink and refuel. Final destination is home plate. You can eventually get there but don’t pass up a rest stop in route, just as Southwest will never pass one airport without stopping and refueling. If for any reason I need to go non-stop from first to third I’m calling a cab!

We get things started tomorrow. Clinics and pictures in the morning and opening games in the afternoon.

Last year with the Pirates, my goal for the week was not to be embarrassed doing something I haven’t done in 47 years.

My expectation was to get one base hit in a real game and I would have been satisfied. That hit came early, in our first game in my first or second time at bat. I finished last year surprising myself: eight hits in 19 at-bats for a .421 average, eight RBIs and I lumbered around the bases to score two or three runs. Also accumulated multiple aches and pains all week.

Stay healthy on the road with our Health & Fitness section.

Pirates Fantasy Camp - photo by Roy BergerThis year my goal is simple: enjoy; have a good time; relish the opportunity. As a kid you want to play in the major leagues but very, very few get that chance. Fantasy camp gives you that as long as you can write a check and have it clear the bank.

The moments in my photos batting against 100 game winner Zane Smith and playing first base and keeping an eye on slugger Sid Bream—are really times to savor as the innings of life pass by.

So my goal is to enjoy being here with Fred and don’t take the moment for granted. My expectation is to return to the airport on Sunday morning without a medical escort.

And all through the week I plan to start slow and gradually taper off.

By Roy Berger for PeterGreenberg.com.

Previously: Returning To Fantasy Baseball Camp: Part 1

Check out the stories from Roy’s rookie Fantasy Baseball Camp series:

 

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