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Returning To Fantasy Baseball Camp: At Bat And Rounding The Bases

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

Roy Berger At Bat At Tigers Fantasy Baseball CampRainstorms or not, baseball enthusiasts will still find a way to play.

Even with record rainfall in Lakeland, Roy Berger still had the chance to get some batting practice with Darryl Evans, and got his first hit of the season for the team.

This experience sure isn’t going the way I had scripted nor what I experienced a year ago with the Pirates.

And it gets compounded with self-imposed guilt in enticing Fred to pony up and join me.

We woke up Tuesday morning to the news that a late Monday night severe thunderstorm had swept through Lakeland. When combined with the rain all during the day on Monday, which wiped out our afternoon games, it was a record in this area for the date with more than 2 inches falling.

Leaving the hotel for the Tiger complex on Tuesday morning it was foggy with a light mist falling but the forecast was for sun and temperatures in the mid-70s. We arrived in the clubhouse and were instructed to put our uniforms on for the morning games. We were the home team so whites were in order.

Roy Berger Fielding A Ball At Baseball Fantasy CampNobody was sure whether or not the fields would be playable. We did some throwing and right at 9 a.m. got word the morning games would be canceled due to unplayable fields. We ad to concur: the outfield was slippery and the infield too muddy to be able to play.

Tiger brass tried to overcome the second day of disappointment from the 91 campers and told us they would do their best to get the fields were ready for the afternoon games at 2 p.m.

Kangaroo Court immediately followed and that’s always one of the highlights of the day. A longtime baseball clubhouse tradition, one player serves as judge and fines others for indiscretions that usually took place on the field of play.

Fantasy camp judge is Jon Warden, a lefthander who pitched one season in the major leagues in 1968 for Detroit’s World Championship team. He appeared in 28 games with a 4 win, 1 loss record, 11 saves and a 3.62 ERA. Arm trouble followed and he was never seen in the big leagues again.

Warden then went on to a career that to this day includes stand-up comedy and in fact was a wise-cracking humorist on ESPN’s Cold Pizza for a spell. Very funny guy.

Dressed in a judicial robe and a long flowing white wig, he had no on-field indiscretions to fine guys with this morning. Most of it revolved around uniform shortcomings, i.e. missed belt loops, zippers left open and the like. Each fine is $2, must be paid by the end of the day or it doubles. All proceeds go to The Tiger Foundation for children. You can appeal but if you lose the appeal the fine triples. Warden is also the appellate judge and proudly told us that nobody has ever won an appeal.

I got popped for $4 this morning. “Where’s Roy Berger?” Words you never want to hear in Kangaroo Court. I got hit for $2 for wearing a Yankees cover-up shirt on Monday and then another $2 for showing up with a Pirates cover-up this morning.

Read about Roy’s experiences at the Pittsburgh Pirates Camp:

Baseball player at batWarden was kind enough to reduce my fine when he learned I chose Tiger Fantasy Camp over Pirates camp this winter. He is a gentleman and very understanding. He reduced my fine to $3.99. Seriously. I paid $5 figuring I still have a Yankee cap to wear and I probably should get a running start on my next sanction.

To fill the morning void each team was sent to the indoor batting range for an hour or so with our coaches.

Frank Tanana tossed some soft batting practice and Darryl Evans with 414 major league home runs in his pocket gave us swing tips. This is stuff you just can’t get anywhere else.

Lunch called, so off came the uniforms again while we still awaited word on the afternoon games as the sun finally broke through.

I had the pleasure of lunching with Frank Tanana, who is an absolute class act. He couldn’t have been any nicer or kinder.

Frank still lives outside of Detroit after a stellar 21-year Major League career with 240 wins and 2773 strikeouts. He was the first-round draft choice of the California Angels in 1971 and also spent time with Boston, Detroit, Texas, the Mets, and Yankees.

He made three All-Star appearances and in 1975 not only recorded 17 strikeouts in one game but also led the league in K’s that year as well.

Players relaxing on a benchTanana holds the dubious distinction of being only one of two pitchers to give up home runs to both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. After admitting to that he then said, “And I’ll tell you something else. No American League pitcher gave up more home runs in a career than I did!”

Only a guy real comfortable in his own skin would volunteer a tidbit like that.

It also marks the second fantasy camp in as many years that I played for a coach that was nicknamed by Chris Berman of ESPN. Last year Jerry “Rolls” Reuss was one of my coaches. This year it’s Frank Tanana: “Daiquiri.”

After lunch we went back to the clubhouse and dressed for the afternoon game while awaiting word on status.

It seems field conditions are out of the Tigers hands. The City of Lakeland owns Tigertown and the Tigers rent the complex. Field maintenance is the responsibility of Lakeland and they decided they didn’t want anyone on the fields during the afternoon to give it one solid baking to be ready for Wednesday and limit any lingering damage. It was 76 degrees and the sun shining at 2 p.m.

If you’ve ever heard the expression “restless campers,” that defined the clubhouse. Uniforms came off again and a revamped schedule was posted. Grumbles everywhere. It gets ugly from here.

Previously in this series:

Walking To BatAll teams will play tonight at historic Henley Field in downtown Lakeland. Henley Field saw its first baseball game in 1925 making it older than some of our campers.

The good news is we finally get to play. The not-so-good news is our game is scheduled for 9:15 p.m., a time of the evening I don’t see very often. I’m not sure how I’m going to pull this one off. We are the third of three games which means 9:15 p.m. may be hopeful at best. All games tonight have been reduced to five innings which should move things a little quicker.

At least we get to the put the uniform back on for the third time today. At some point before midnight I hope to stay awake long enough to take it off one more time.

At the same time  the evening schedule was announced, it was also revealed we will play three games on Wednesday: 10 a.m., 2  p.m, and 6 p.m. to try and make-up all games that were lost. It’s one thing to make up the games, it’s another to have aging bodies well enough to play. This will be very tough on everyone with the 30 and 40 year olds on each team having to carry the load.

We finally got underway Tuesday night at about 9:30 p.m. and as the clock struck 11 p.m. we closed it down with a 9-3 win over a team coached by former catcher Jim Price and legend Willie Horton. It was a nice way to start the season.

Roy Berger At BatSpeaking of good beginnings, I got the first hit of the season for us. In my first time up hitting the second pitch I saw through the middle for a single. That felt good. The second time up with the bases loaded I grounded back to the pitcher. I got another chance with the bases loaded in my third at bat and walked. So opening night line for me is 1-2, a walk and a RBI.

Fred’s first time with a bat in an official game in 25 years was humorous. He has been warned by me and some of his cronies from back home in Connecticut to make sure he stretches regularly as he will be using muscles he normally doesn’t. He pooh-poohed us all and said how fit he was playing tennis, paddle tennis and racquetball regularly.

First at bat he grounded to third and, sure enough, popped a hamstring on the way to first. He forced me out at third and was able to gimp to first to avoid the double play.

A pinch runner was summoned and a visit to the trainer was ordered.

I wanted to laugh, but really felt for him. The trainer told him to ice it and come visit in the morning. Fred stayed in the game and sure enough in his second at bat put one right through the middle for his maiden camp hit. Now I really felt good. Another pinch runner but that’s OK. A hit’s a hit!

His third time up with a pop to short to finish his initial fantasy camp voyage with a respectable 1-3.

The night was late but the setting at historic Henley was pretty. Night baseball is something the Pirates don’t do so this was special especially capped off with a win.

I kept thinking all night how much I enjoyed doing this. Then I wondered if I would feel the same way after three games on Wednesday!

It’s late. Time to taper off. Tomorrow is sunshine and plenty of baseball.

By Roy Berger for PeterGreenberg.com.

Previously in this series:

Read about Roy’s experiences last year at the Pittsburgh Pirates Camp:

 

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