My first day as a Red Sox camper

Hello fellow members of Red Sox Nation and those who wish they could be!

Day one is done except for the draft of the 10 teams at 8 pm tonite...in the bar!  Where else? You have to do this  stuff with adult libations in your hand a sense of humor as well.

I survived the day and it was a hoot. I did end it all with two large ice packs wrapped around my left quad and right shoulder.  Did not feel so bad as half the guys lined up in the training room seeking relief from assorted pulls, aches and pains suffered during the day.  My MVP already--the training team.  Magicians with balms, lotions and ice.  Hell with the Sox coaches and legends; these guys are gonna help me survive the week.  

After a long Sunday of Super Bowl, beer, junk food and great photos with the 2007 Sox Championship Trophy (the one and only) and the 2004 and 2007 rings, it was off to bed by 11 as the wake up call is a 6.  No sleeping in here.  No comment on my snoring; my room mate, like my wife is most tolerant.  He said I was louder than a chain saw but that happens after I have 6 or 7 beers and then hit the rack.

Boarded the van at 6:45 and it was still dark when we got to the complex and while we saw all of our stuff yesterday, putting on the official Sox uniform was very cool.  And it all fit perfectly from hat to sox.  Looked pretty good even!  It's nice to be in Fantasyland.

So after some breakfast, we have our first team meeting run by camp boss Ken Sanders who pitched for 6 teams including the Sox, Angels, Brewers, Twins and Indians.  He spent most of the briefing talking about the "Kangaroo Court" where you can and are fined for everything from having your uniform pants pocket hanging out, to having an empty beer cup at the end of the day to not buying coaches drinks in the bar at night.  He had some serious things to say but the fines were the most interesting.  Oh yes, and the fact that the Hooters Girls would drop by at lunch.  We all snapped to attention on that one.

So we broke into groups and headed out for a round of evaluation drills with Sox legends who are also coaches.  My first stop was infield with John Valentin and Lou Merloni the pride of Providence, Rhode Island.  Valentin played 11 years with the Sox and Mets and hit 124 home runs and hit .280 and made the All Star team once or twice.  Merloni played 9 years with the Sox, Padres, Indians and A's.  Good tips on infield and yours truly fielded flawlessly during the drills.

Weather was cool and rainy but who cared?  We were playing on our own "Field of Dreams."  Headed over to outfield drills with Clell Laverne "Butch" Hobson.  Folks in Alabama name their kids these kind of names.  He played 8 seasons for the Sox and was a solid hitting third baseman but a terrible manager of the Sox during some ugly years.  Everyone got deep fly balls and yours truly caught 'em all.  You keep telling yourself, "Don't screw up in front of all these guys and coaches. " Big relief when you don't!

BP was next.  That's batting practice for those of you non-baseball fans.  I have been hitting at the batting cages for several months at 60-70 mph so I had to adjust to the slower speeds but former Sox catcher Bob Montgomery gave me some good tips and follow through and it worked. "Monty" is a hoot with a great sense of humor and a lot of patience with us hackers. He was a ten year Sox vet. The typical image for a catcher--loud, big and burly.  Rich Gedman another catcher/coach at camp is the same kind of guy.

We then moved inside (started to pour) for a session on base running and signs.  All the stuff you see base coaches is largely crap and only one sign is real during a whole sequence. Still, we listened to how to gauge running each base and looking out for signs.  My philosophy is simple: try to get 90 feet at a time without stumbling or falling down!

Final morning stop was pitching and I ain't no pitcher but courageously suffered thru "Spaceman" Bill Lee's lecture on marital fidelity (or lack of it; he's had three wives); athletic supporters (the kind you wear) and the two seam fast ball.  Probably the most well read and goofiest pitcher in the history of the game who pitched for 14 years, ten bizarre and loopy years which did have some big winning seasons including two games in the 75 World Series against the Reds.  A Burbank native and USC grad where he no doubt knew more than the professors and probably told them so.  He lives out in the deep woods of Maine or Vermont I think still opining on all topics from baseball to space travel.

LUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!  Forgettable fish and broccoli or PBJ on white bread for those still attached to high school lunches.  Can't we get some good deli in here?  Former Twins All Star and World Series pitcher Frank Viola stopped by for autographs and what a nice guy who said the Sox really sucked for the two years he was there in the nineties.  Hobson was the manager. Viola is a giant dude with hands the size of a catcher's mitt and a mench.

Was in the food line with Joe Castiglione the radio voice of the Sox.  "Way back, Way back.  Wall ball double."  Friendly guy.  My wife hates his voice but the again she's an Angel fans with radio guys from the "Close cover before striking" school of broadcasting.

Then the Hooters girls came in.  Four leggy ladies who caused on run on silicone in Southwest Florida recently.  They had great bodies and vacant stares and handed out discount tickets and took pictures with a lot of us including yours truly. Sox All Star and fourth place MVP finisher Kevin Youkilis came to work out early before the regular reporting date in two weeks but I missed him as I was preoccupied by the Hooters Hotties.  Hopefully, I can meet "Youk" manana.

So then it was off to one of the fields for 15 minutes of stretching before our afternoon games.  Gedman was my coach.  He caught most of Roger Clemens great games in the 80s including the 20 strikeout Roger Clemens game against Seattle and the '86 World Series.

I played first base and went one for two (opposite field drive to right),  but was stranded on third base during a rally that fell a bit short. Felt good to play on a real major league field even in the  rain. I did okay in the field but in my second at bat the ump had a strike zone a big as the Grand Canyon and I K'ed.

Finished up the game, got iced, had a beer and chatted with my temp team mates about our game and also got a few more autographs on my custom Fantasy Camp bat.  No, I did not have the Hooter ladies sign it.  Bat signings are for the players not diversionary divas of deshabille. That, I think is a French word for various stages of undress!

So, we now anxiously await this evening's draft (in the bar) and it will be interesting to see who my team mates and coaches are.  Everyone takes this week seriously and the two best teams will play on Saturday in the big stadium where the Sox actually have their games. 

I am excited about tonite but spare me Bill Lee!  He is too weird for words.

More,  domani.

#60