Rongey: Sox (Fantasy) Camp, Day One
By Chris Rongey--
Coming back for a second year is like coming back to school after summer break, except you're off for 11 3/4 months and you'd much rather be in school (camp) than be on break (real world). Many of the same faces are back from the year and it's a good feeling to see them and remember and have them remember you, like you had social studies class the year before.
And that's really the most remarkable thing about the camp, is that in just six days time, you'll make some terrific friends and get to know some fascinating people and some incredible stories. (There's a guy here that didn't even have his house on the market but was randomly offered $30 million for it, and he turned it down. Why? Because his grandkids liked using the pool and he didn't need the money. I want to be this person. Except for maybe the grandchildren (Not just yet). And just about everyone here is participating for the same reason: It's a wonderful bucket list item. Even for the younger guys. Just something that you want to do at least once just to say you did it.
I have news, though, for the 25+ rookies this year: This probably won't be your last time. Something I've mentioned a number of times on the air, and probably during last year's blogs too, is that there were so many campers last year that told me the same story, "I only meant for it to be a one time thing. Twelve consecutive years later..."
Many of the same coaches are here from last year (Kittle, Hickey, Salas, Paciorek, Baines, Skowron, Herrmann, May, Cox, etc.), while we wait for Art Kusyner and Ken Kravec to get here. They were stuck in Atlanta 'til tonight. Heck, that's how our day in Chicago nearly started on Tuesday. Stuck on the runway for about 45 minutes while the snowed piled around us. I figure we made it out just in time. Sort of like that scene in "Independence Day" where Air Force One lifts off just before being consumed by the explosion. It was a lot like that except not nearly as dangerous or ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, before we left Midway, the Southwest rep at the gate asked Kittle and May to sign their boarding passes and she kept them as autographs. I'm also pretty sure she didn't really know who they were, she just knew they were former baseball players.
As for the on-field stuff, the first day at camp was day of acclamation. My team (coached by Kittle and Wimpy), lost both games. We lost both games. I need some work at first base. I am not good over there.
Back at 'em tomorrow.
