2006 Minnesota Twins Fantasy Baseball Camp Day 6

Friday morning we played our 6th game. As mentioned before, we knew we were seeded into the championship game regardless of the outcome of this game. But, we wanted to carry into the championship game the momentum, and psychological advantage, of being undefeated. Abby Geisler, an 11 year veteran, started the game on the mound and was relieved by Terry Amundson. Once again our hitting and fielding served us well and we won the game rather handily. Record is now 6-0!

Following the morning games pictures were taken of campers sitting with all the pros. Joan said to me, "I am going to come with you and sit on your lap." We figured why not, as the only thing that might come of this is a fine in the Court. So she did! The camp photographer has that shot and it won't be available for a few more weeks. In this picture Mudcat Grant is messing with Al Neuman.

One of the other traditions of the camp is what is called the "3-Man Lift". Promotion for this event begins in the middle of the week with bulletin board material telling everyone to put their cash on the line (for the kids!) and bet either for or against Abby exceeding her current lift record of 695 pounds. Proof of the lift being made is the Lift Judges being able to pull towels out from under the 3 people lying on them. Yes, it takes some degree of gullibility to even imagine this happening, but one soul is always found.

After the proper bodies are chosen (to achieve the desired weight), towels are laid on the ground, arms and legs are linked, towels are wrapped around torsos, and the lift is attempted. Here our team manager and Lift Judge, Gary "Mugsy" Allenson, makes sure everything is in order.

What ACTUALLY happens, is once Abby gets into position and the 1-2-3 count is started, a number of individuals armed with Gatorade, baby powder, whipping cream, etc. step forward and on the 3 count plaster the poor guy in the center with their ammunition. This year's dupe was Bill Phillips who took it all in good spirits.

After all THIS excitement we have the Camper - Pro games. A team made up of the pros in the camp (and augmented by former Camp MVPs and Hall of Famers (campers with 10 years of attendance)), play a series of 3-inning games against each of the camp teams. In order to make sure each camper gets a chance to hit against the pro pitchers, the campers get 4 outs in their half of the inning. And to ensure a degree of competition, the pros get only 2 outs per inning and start each at bat with a one-strike count. Our team lost, as did all the others, 2-1. We were, however, the only team to score a run against the pros. This game, as is the championship game, is played in Hammond Stadium, home of the Twins' Ft Myers Miracle minor league team.

After dinner Friday evening several of the pros, including Julio Becquer, made some speeches.

Saturday at 11 am the championship game will be played between our team and one that didn't do too well in the qualifying round-robin games, but came on as the week went on. And this was the intent when the schedule was set up.