So I get up at 7 am refreshed from a decent nights sleep, shave and shower, then leave the hotel to fill up the rental car with gas and turn it back in at the airport. Our camp itinerary said the bus would leave the airport at 11:30, I arrived early at 10am. After a half hour of standing there looking for some sign of anyone involved with fantasy camp, I spotted a guy wearing Mets stuff and carrying a gym bag. I went up to him and introduced myself. Turns out Jay was from San Mateo California. We chatted a bit and then we were joined by a couple more guys. Then the whole group that flew in from New York showed up to claim their bags near us. I spotted Phil Forman whom had first emailed me in April about going to camp and introduced myself. Our large group was led outside where we all boarded the bus for the hour drive to Port St. Lucie.

I was nervous on the bus but meeting Phil for the first time after months of emails and a phone call, plus meeting Jay from California helped to settle me down. Some conversation was started with Greg & Noah on the bus, both of whom had seen my little one page website I had put together when I started planning my Dream season. Noah and I became good friends during the week. One of many friendships I came away with at camp. Greg admitted to being a metalhead and listening to my internet radio station, we also have kept in contact since camp. I hadn't even gotten off the bus to Port St. Lucie yet and things were feeling comfortable.

Hotel check-in/Voluntary workout

The bus took us to our hotel where everyone got in long lines to check in with camp coordinator Doug Dickey. We signed our release forms and got a packet with an itinerary for the week. The other long line was to get our room keys. I knew that I would have a roommate but did not know who it would be. Some rooms were not yet available so instead of waiting, the hotel put our luggage aside and most of us jumped back on the bus. While sitting on the bus the hotel called my cell phone to tell me my room was ready. Oh well, now I was ready to go to and see our lockers. The hotel room would have to wait. The bus trip to the clubhouse was only about ten minutes.

Ed, our transportation director, watching us disembark on day one

The clubhouse was huge, three aisles with blue lockers on each side, a trainer's room, showers & bathroom, coach's meeting rooms and a small dinning area for breakfast. Each locker had a blue jersey hanging in it with a camper's last name showing. My uniform has number 37 instead of my favorite #24. Speculation was that it was for Casey Stengel, or the year my parents were born, or how many Heinekens I can drink at an Iron Maiden concert. All wrong. The 37 represents how many years I worked at MID to be able to have my Dream Season in retirement. From the age of 18 to early retirement at 55. I'm glad to have worked there, even more glad to retire.

Headed to the clubhouse, behind me is new friend Matt

The entrance to the clubhouse

The pro's lockers were spread among the campers, everyone found a former Met player or coach just a few feet from their own. My locker is next to original 1962 New York Mets pitcher and pitching coach Al Jackson. On my left is my friend Phil Forman's locker. Inside my locker I found a wealth of goodies, two uniform tops with pants, belt, socks, two shirts, hat, shorts, gym bag, and an awesome warm hoodie. All emblazoned with Mets or Fantasy Camp logos.

Skid's locker

Everyone went outside to throw some catch on the fields. It felt like I should have had my golf clubs with me the grass was so nice. While playing catch, I tried not to throw out my arm the first day and not to make my catching partner run after my bad throws. Campers were spread out over two fields so I wandered over to take up position at first base on the far diamond. Suddenly camp field director and former Mets catcher John Stearns walks up and starts up infield practice. Major League infield practice. And screaming at campers. "Come on throw the ball" "Run in on grounders" "Ok, let's turn two". Everyone was in shock because we thought it would be low key and they kept saying "Don't overdo it, take it easy". Campers were getting in the way of others trying to field as Stearns barked out for us to rotate each grounder. Stearns moved to behind third base and starts hitting fly balls to left and center field. Matt and I hid in right field while Stearns is screaming at the others to hit the cutoff man. His best line was "Come on, you paid $4,000 to be here, catch the damn ball!" It was pretty funny really. I got to catch some fly balls as others were taking swings in the batting cage, something that I had not done in a long time. When my turn came to take some swings in the batting cage, I hit a couple good ones so I felt a bit better about my batting eye. I felt like I was 15 again playing Babe Ruth league but that didn't last long. Reality set in while chasing a flyball over my head, I felt something in my front thigh (quad, I learned is the proper term) and it slowed me down a bit. I knew it wasn't a good feeling and the pain haunted me all camp.

Catching a fly ball with my eyes shut during the voluntary workout

After the voluntary workout, the bus took us back to the hotel where I got my room key. The only person I knew before camp was Phil. However a few weeks before camp I saw on Facebook, an interview with former Mets catcher Barry Lyons talking about Fantasy Camp on WLIE 540 AM Sportstalkny. One of the interviewers was wearing a black Mets jersey and said he too was going to be at camp. His name was Mark Rosenman and I thought to myself, well here is at least another face I will know in camp. While attempting to enter my hotel room, the darn keycard would not work. After several attempts the door opened from the inside and my "roomie" let me in. It was Mark Rosenman! We were laughing as we shared stories about getting here to camp. Mark had also seen my webpage about my Dream Season ideas. Although we were tired and sore every night when getting back to our room, we enjoyed sharing the week together as roommates.

Welcome Dinner

We had a welcome dinner at the PGA Country Club about fifteen minutes away from the hotel. The team bus took us over to the dinner. First class [I don't get out much!]. A nice place but the room really wasn't big enough for everyone, some were around a corner or behind a pillar. Waiters & waitresses were at the ready to fill up the water glasses or get you a fresh drink. I had not even finished my Heineken when I was brought another. Super Service! [a Three Stooges reference]. They introduced all the former players and coaches one by one. The names were very familiar but some of the faces were a little different from the baseball cards I had. Then they let all the campers briefly introduce themselves. Around the room the mic was passed to each of the 120 or so campers. My wife had been asking me what I would say at this point, she knew I was nervous to speak in front of a crowd. But I tried to be as brief as everyone else and succeeded. One of the highlites was when Les held up his cellphone to the mic and played the original "Meet The Mets" song and everyone in the room joined in and sang along. Very cool. I was able to talk to a couple of the former Mets players and tell them I was born and raised in California but I was a die hard Mets fan. They probably thought I was crazy. It was a nice evening to start off camp.

I tried to keep it short and sweet

There is the team bus that drives us around to the stadium each morning and back in the afternoon. The bus also takes us to the other events in the evenings. Ed, our transportation director/busdriver, does the same for the Mets minor league team in Port St. Lucie and for the Big League Mets when they are there for spring training. During one lunch, Ed told me about when he went to a Mets game at Shea Stadium in 1972. It was when Willie Mays hit a HR to beat the SF Giants in his first game as a NY Met. It was the first time I had ever heard a first hand account of Willie's first game as a New York Met. I learned that it was raining most of the game and that Willie's home run was a line drive just over the left field fence. Ed was a highlight to the week, standing guard as we entered and exited the bus each trip.

When I got back to my room I was so tired, I just posted the picture of my locker and went to bed! Tomorrow is player evaluations by the coaches so they can draft their teams.