Royals 2012 Fantasy Camp!!!

[rufusandherschel]

Well, it was an incredible week. I am stiff sore and tired, but as long as there were games to play, it was mind over matter. Now that the games are over and the adrenaline is worn off, the aches and pains are much worse...

Anyhow, not a ton of time to give a full recap, but here's a shot of my postings to my family and friends over the course of the week.

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And I am off to play baseball for a week... — at Kansas City International Airport.

Landed in Phoenix. Luggage did not get lost. On bus on way to stadium. — at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

George Brett took my bags off the bus... #kindofabigdeal




Awesome first day. Sweeney said I'm a good athlete, Mayberry loves me. Brett asking me what positions I can play. Threw 5 strikes in 5 pitches and Leonard loved it. George just told me I'm on his team!

That's me to the right of Dye during outfield drills (Mike Chu on Dye's left)



Apparently my nickname is kaczynski. Somebody thinks I look like a serial killer. Might be time to shave the beard...

Rosters...


Rode to stadium with Seitzer and Jerry Terrell. Pictures this morning followed by games at 10 & 2. Then we are all going to NHL game tonight. — at Surprise Stadium.

First game down. Lost 9-6, against a good young team. My at bats; hard liner right at left fielder, roped liner single straight up middle, then lasered a ball past diving 3rd baseman for a single (normally a double but they had a shift on me with 4 outfielders). Now just gotta get the glove and the legs working. Hit every ball solid, so pretty happy about that.

Second game we won 6-1. K'ed my first at bat, college pitcher throwing 80ish, weak grounder, and hard liner at 3rd baseman. Glove worked better though, no errors recorded a few outs and playing second base threw a runner out at third on a perfect throw from deep cut-off - a strike to 3rd baseman - one of my best throws ever.

Visited in clubhouse by Eric Hosmer, Johnny Giavotella, Sal Perez, Greg Holland, Joakim Soria, Jarrod Dyson, David Lough.

Game 3 won about 12-9. RBI single on a beautiful swing took a low pitch stayed level kept the barrel back and flipped a liner over short, didn't see a strike in 7 pitches that at bat, lined out to left center and hard ground ball fielders choice to 3rd. Caught 5 innings and now hip is sore...

Best game yet. 12-4 win. Went 3-4 at plate, couple RBI shoulda been 4 but runner pled hammy halfway home. Made a few nice plays in the field. Got a game co- MVP award signed Hosmer ball. Team Blue now 3-1.

Team dinner with George Brett, John Wathan, Bill Pecota, the campers, trainers, and Brett's nephew.

At dinner last night we got another little taste of the big league life and what George goes through on a regular basis, drunk tough guy interrupted our team dinner. Kept grabbing Pecota by the shoulders, insulted Wathan numerous times, told George he loved him but hated him and that he could probably beat George in a fight or arm wrestling. Long story short, dude refused to leave, took 6 of us an...d 2 restaurant staff and several minutes to get him to leave. So if you are ever out and see George and think he seems unfriendly or unapproachable or surly, keep in mind that he is a nice funny guy but constantly aware that eventually some jerk will start a fight with him and refuse to leave when asked nicely several times.

Awesome ball and nickname from a truly great guy, Mike Sweeney, nicknamed me "Camp Serial Killer".


Through 4 games 6 for 13 for .462 average. Today we play against the alumni In the big stadium.

Phone went dead. Took trainer Nick Schwartz to fix it. Anyhow great alumni game today. Went 1-1 another punching Judy single. Pitched second inning. First time I have pitched since I was 16. First batter I face is Jermaine Dye. 6'4" 235 lbs. Double to right center. Had Willie Aikens down 1-2 but he moved Due to third on a groundout. Seitzer lasered a single rocket 6" away from my beautiful face fo...r an RBI single. Pryor weak fly ball then ended inning on a weak Frank White groundout. I'd been telling George all week I was ready to pitch whenever he needed me and he never gave me the call. After I grooved 6 strikes, he said "Teddy, where ya been hiding that arm?". I said " I told ya I was ready to pitch." And George said "Yeah, but I didn't effin believe ya could actually do it" then gave one of his big belly laughs. Jon Warden on PA announced me as " Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, steps to the plate, oh wait no, that's Wes Campbell, but I still would not open any mail from him."

I've had no fewer than six people come up to me in the last two hours and tell me how awesome my pitching was today. Crazy, can't wait to see some video of it, because from where i was standing, it didn't seem all that great... Just back from dinner with a few teammates. We are trying to keep it pretty low key tonight and get some good rest without too many drinks. Big game tomorrow morning, if we win we go to championship game, lose and we play for third, hopefully.

Me and my main man Mike "Two Time" Chu in a dizzy bat race after Alumni game, Mike beat me by half a step. He ran to 3rd, I ran to 1st.


Woke up early again today. 5:00 sharp. Too geeked up for this morning's championship play-in game to fall back asleep. Basically a 2 game playoff for us today. Awards Banquet tonight at the AZ Cardinals football stadium.

Last ride to the clubhouse

Frank White just put on his Royals jersey for last day of camp, sadly, probably the last time he ever suits up for the Royals. Likely his last Royals camp.

Phew.. Hydrocodone is not on the banned list, no asterisk on my stats...

Lost the play-in game. Lunchtime. ‎1 for 3, tough at bat vs another college pitcher, fouled a liner 2 foot foul down rightfield line, fouled liner 3 foot foul down left field tipped a couple more before he caught me out in front of a great changeup, routine groundout to third, then a great line drive single up the middle. 3rd place game at 2:15.
Dominating finish for the Lofters (team Blue) 15-3. Finished Camp in 3rd place. Caught the last game, was supposed to be starting pitcher but other team had a gob of injuries and requested coach pitch. As consolation I got to catch the full game pitched by opposing coach Frank White, which was pretty special. Went 3 for 4 at the plate and got robbed on a 4-4. Diving catch by third baseman on a scorched ground ball in hole at short and force out at second, only ball he fielded all game. Oh well. Coaches named me "inspirational player of the game" and awarded me with the lineup card signed by both teams coaches; Brett, Wathan, Pecota, White, Mayberry, Leonard.


Packing up the locker and leaving the stadium is depressing as hell. But leaving with so many memories and new friends, that takes the edge off.

Banquet dinner at AZ Cardinals Football Stadium.

Campers and alumni on the plane heading home to see our families after a fantastic week of baseball. — at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Heading back home today a common question was "what was your one favorite thing?". Answers were varied, some said getting to meet and be social with the Alumni players, being treated as part of the fraternal family of major leaguers, some said the clubhouse Bull Sessions, some said it was the alumni game and playing against the legends we grew up watching on TV. For me, I loved it all, but my one ...thing was simply being on that field. I would summarize it as a week of pure baseball. A week with no deadlines, no work, no stresses, no worry, just you, your teammates, the green grass, a bright sunny day and a little white ball. Just living a week of carefree baseball with a great group of like-minded guys, playing for no other reason than to test yourself and play for the love of the game.

Fabulous summary of a fantastic experience ! Thanks for sharing !

[mwbosoxfan]

One of my fantasy camp teammates works for an NPR affiliate out of Columbia Missouri... He put together this spot that aired yesterday, check out the audio just to the right of the picture.

http://kbia.org/post/baseball-fans-fantasy-week

or click this link to get just the audio.

http://cpa.ds.npr.org/kbia/audio/2012/02/OTC021712.mp3

Holy smokes... that is priceless, absolutely priceless! Congratualtions, Wes. Those top tier lifetime memory opportunities only come around, well, sometimes once in a lifetime. Great commentary by you and unbelievable radio piece. Thanks for sharing.

John

[CampWest]

today we had the Alumni Camp reunion... Went on the field for pre-game and first pitch, then went up on the party deck in right field with a bunch of the campers and their friends and family for a private party. Royals won 2-0.

It was a lot of fun seeing all the guys and several of the alumni players were there as well. We got our baseball cards today too. Got most of my team set completed, just missing a few who were not there today.

Also earlier this week we got our camp video and team photo. I'm going to try to rip a couple clips and upload, I'll post a link if I succeed.

I should see most of the guys again in a little over a month as most of us will be at the All Star Game in July.

[gingi79]

So what brand of wax pack do I have to buy in bulk in hopes I get a Wes Campbell rookie? What happened, did his success go to his head and he wouldn't sign your card?

[CampWest]

I felt like sharing this, but didn't want to create a thread just for this or drop it in the December pickups, so here we are. Over the past couple years, I've picked up a couple custom Rawlings gloves. Its a little silly perhaps, but I find playing catch or softball with a nice glove a little more enjoyable. I have always been drawn to gloves and I decided it was time to treat myself to a couple premium gloves while I'm still young enough to get a decade's worth of use out of them.

The first one is a St Louis Custom Shop infield glove with incredible Horween leather in a classic tan and black finish that I picked up a little over a year ago. The second is a Philippines custom I just received today. This one is inspired by my home team Kansas City Royals and the mitt used by gold glove first baseman Eric Hosmer, though obviously in OF pattern rather than 1st base pattern. Absolutely smitten with this new Royal Blue and Grey/Silver outfield mitt...

Hope you enjoy and thanks for looking.








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[tigerdale]

Awesome gloves Wes!!!!!

[TNTtoys]

Wes,

It took me long enough to get to this thread but I finally did today and am glad I did. Great story... thank you very much for sharing with all of us.

Nick