Camp Preview -- "Playoffs, Rookie/Camper Game"

Well in the final installment of the camp preview is "Playoffs & the Rookie vs. Pro Staff" game -- these games are played on Friday (and Championship games on Saturday) to round out the week.

The semifinals stake the 1 vs 4 seed, 2 vs 3 seed in the upper division -- the lower division has the 5 seed vs 8 seed and 6 vs 7 seed -- winners get to play on Saturday in Hammond Stadium (home of the Twins Spring Training).  A great place to play a ball game and what the heck, why not play 9 games in 6 days, what else is going on.  The bright side is you have 51 weeks to heal up for next years' camp!!

The Rookie vs. the Pro Staff game is played on Friday afternoon -- this is a real treat for the rookies.  The rookies get to play vs Pro Staff (Blyleven, Viola, Brunansky, Laudner, Larkin, Cuyler, Campbell, Hrbek, and others.....) with some help from the veteran campers (we will play some outfield) and pinch run.  The rookies get a chance to dig into the batters box to face Blyleven or Viola -- the duo that led the Twins to the 1987 World Series Championship -- just a lot of fun.  They will play a quick 3 inning game (usually so many rookies are down here they need to make 3 different teams of rookies!!) vs the Pro Staff.  The Pro Staff usually wins a close game but it is a lot of fun to watch and be a part of it.

Saturday is "Championship Day"-- the Friday winners play in the Championship games in the "big" stadium for "all the marbles".   I have been lucky enough to play in Hammond every year I have been here (3 straight) -- hoping to make it four.

Well time to head out to the banquet this evening -- the rookie meeting is going on as I type.  Mark's anxiety is through the roof, he ended up getting the meeting 15 minutes early (and went to the wrong room.....whoops) but ended up figuring it out and found the rookie meeting room.  I ran into Bert Blyleven, Camp Commissioner, on my way back to the room - it is a great start to camp -- can't wait to play tomorrow!

Paul

~~ "Baseball is a skilled game. It's America's game - it, and high taxes." - Will Rogers ~~