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#1
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
Hello to all. |
#2
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Bruce Babcock
You said it, Ken. What a great week! Wow! I am envious. |
#3
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Sounds pretty cool. Did you get to speak to Eddie Vedder? |
#4
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Did any of the campers throw one high and tight at Billy Williams because he was crowding the plate? |
#5
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Such as when Joe Pepitone crowded the plate on Kramer (who punched out Mickey Mantle)? |
#6
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Exactly, Barry. |
#7
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
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#8
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
sure did. He's a huge Cub fan. He's also a really nice guy. For the banquet last night he wrote a song that he sang about the camp. He said he was probably going to record it. He sat at the table right next to mine. One morning he asked to follow me to the ball park because he didn't know the way. Phil Donahue was master of ceremonies for part of the banquet. Earlier in the week, I had Eddie autograph a ball for a friend of mine. Eddie is pretty fast on the base pads, but he doesn't hit very well. Guess he should stick to singing |
#9
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Trying to decide which I like more: the sideburns or the hat. |
#10
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
now you don't throw high and tight against a Hall of famer. A team mate did hit one back at Fergie however. Brian (my team mate) said he would have felt really bad if he would have hurt Fergie. Our pitcher did however throw in high and tight to Joe Pepitone. Good thing camp was over so he didn't get fined by Pepi. Pepitone was ruthless as the judge in the kangaroo court. Also Pepi is hilarious. We also got Pepitone to take off his hat and Toupe. He has a really ugly bald head these days |
#11
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Ken- how is Ron Santo's health? I know he has had some terrible problems. |
#12
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
I spent some time playing in the minor leagues, and one of the funniest things I ever saw was one day when Bob Humphreys (former Cub, by the way) was throwing batting practice, and one of guys smoked a one-hopper that went through the net on the pitching screen and caught Humphreys in the jewels. Hump was a roving instructor at the time and not exactly the most well-liked guy -- mainly because he was a former pitcher who was always trying to change the way guys hit. (His lifetime batting average is .131 -- I just looked it up). Anyway, despite the fact he went down in a heap, just about everyone in the field doubled over in laughter. Heck, I still get a kick thinking about it. |
#13
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Rob- please share with us your experience in the minor leagues. How far up the ladder did you get? |
#14
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
I made it as far as Las Vegas in the Pacific Coast League with the Padres in 1989. Played in a few "B" games that season in spring training. I actually split time that season between Double-A Wichita and Vegas. Playing in the PCL was a lot of fun because of the tradition of that league. Playing in the Texas League was, well, a chance to experience some of the worst bus rides known to man (Wichita to Jackson, Miss., specifically) |
#15
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
What an unforgettable experience. |
#16
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Yes, quite a few. I played six years (three of them in AA or higher), so I don't think it's that unusual. On the 1988 El Paso team I played on, we had Gary Sheffield and Greg Vaughn (pretty good 3-4 punch). And Andy Benes, the No. 1 pick in the 1989 draft, was on our team in Wichita that season. He put together a 10-game stretch that year that was unreal. I've never seen a pitcher dominate hitters like he did. It was like he was toying with them sometimes. I got to watch from center field, and at times I just laughed at how foolish he made guys look. Plus, I was thankful I didn't have to face him. |
#17
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Thanks Rob. I've gotten to see the Brooklyn Cyclones play a few times but in the five years or so they've been around, virtually nobody made the majors. Scott Kazmir did but he only pitched a game or two for them. |
#18
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Dan Bretta
So that makes two former minor leaguers that post here? |
#19
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
I can believe that, Barry. Thinking back to my time in rookie ball (the equivalent to short-season Class A), I can't come up with many guys who went on to the majors. One was Greg Maddux, who pitched for the Pikeville Cubs in the Appalachian League. I think he was 18 at the time. Funny, but at the time, he was considered somewhat of a hard thrower. |
#20
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Dan Bretta
Rob I see that you were traded for Steve Stanicek. He was one of my favorite players when he was in college at the U of Nebraska. |
#21
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Dan, |
#22
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Dan Bretta
Great story....did you make it into any of the numerous 1980s minor league baseball card sets? |
#23
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Yes ... 1985 Beloit Brewers (TCMA), 1986 Stockton Ports (ProCards), 1987 El Paso Diablos (ProCards), 1988 El Paso (Best), 1989 Wichita Wranglers (Rock's Dugout). Because we had Andy Benes on our team in Wichita -- and because we made the playoffs -- Rock's Dugout issued (I think) four different sets throughout the season. I'm in three of them. |
#24
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Rob- these are great stories. You had a pretty long professional career. There are plenty of guys who don't make it through six seasons at any level. |
#25
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
By the time I retired, those six felt like 60. |
#26
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
for the most part, Santo is doing okay considering his problems. He is diabetic and has had both legs amputated. He walks around on 2 prosthetic legs and has a great attitude. He was awesome and signed autographs for all that wanted them. I got at least 3 signiatures from him to give to other people. I do not believe in selling autographs on ebay. He did have some health issues this week and left the banquet early. His son Jeff was there and stayed the rest of the banquet. Jeff is a good guy also and played ball on our team 4 years ago when they were filming "This Old Cub". Santo is ready for the season to start and is excited abut the Cubs this year. Ernie Banks looked good for being 76, but sometimes he wasn't quite lucent, but he is a great man. |
#27
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
here are a few pics |
#28
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
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#29
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
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#30
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
Kmac catching #32 |
#31
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Ken McMillan = Jack Clements |
#32
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
they compared me to Dale Long at camp. Behind the dish is the best place to play. You see the entire game and are in every play. |
#33
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Did you bring the glove, or did they provide it? If they had one on hand, color me impressed. |
#34
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Dan Bretta
Did you hit a homerun in 8 consecutive games too? |
#35
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: George
It is nice to hear that the Cubs fantasy camps are still going strong, after 25 years. I went to the first one, in 1983, in Scottsdale, Arizona. All of the 1969 Cubbs were there, inclucing Ernie Banks, Glen Beckert, Don Kessinger, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, Jose Cardenal, Jim Hickman, Randy Hundley (and his son Todd, who was a kid at the time), Ferguson Jenkins (who was still active), and Leo Durocher. Even old Charlie Grimm was there. Then, in August of 1983, we met again and played a game in Wrigley Field, prior to a real game between the Cubs and the Mets. We shared the Mets' locker room, and I had a long chat with Tom Seaver, and got to meet Rusty Staub and Darryl Strawberry, as well. |
#36
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Kyle
posted at Pearl Jam's message board: |
#37
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
I supplied the glove, and I was lucky to hit it out of the infield, but I had a great time. We used pitching machines to hit off of. It was a blast, but the muscles were a little sore today. |
#38
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
Eddie was a blast also, better stick to singing however. In fact, we all need to keep our day jobs |
#39
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Kyle
more pics here: |
#40
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: barrysloate
Eddie looks pretty dashing in his Cubs' uniform |
#41
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Jason L
Hey Rob, thanks for relating all those minor league stories...very cool. |
#42
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Jason, |
#43
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Jason L
Thank you, and your last paragraph nailed the answer, for sure....very interesting perspective on all of it. |
#44
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Rob Dewolf
Jason: Yes. Coincidentally, that was about 51 pounds ago. |
#45
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Jason L
I'm with you...although I can't say that at least I was a professional athlete before I gained weight...I just gained weight! |
#46
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
Hey Jason, |
#47
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Jason L
I would love to try that some time...where is that Cubs camp? but I somehow doubt that it is a "small" fee! |
#48
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
It is always heald the last week of January in Mesa, Arizona. The fee is roughly $3800.00. You have trainers and the coaches instruct you on baseball, batting and throwing. They recommend to start stretching several weeks before camp and running and throwing. it doesn't hurt to go to a few batting cages. The games are played with pitching machines so nobody throws out their arms and the pitches come in 60 to 65 mph. Basically you are treated as a ballplayer for the entire week and have a blast. We were supposed to play against the Brewers camp last week, but the games got rained out unfortunately (Brewers use live pitching). My team won the camp championship (not to bad for some out of shape 40 to 50 year olds). I caught the majority of the week (lefty catcher). You get breakfast anf lunch every day in the fee, your uniform, an engraved bat, an autographed baseball from all the pros, and the final game of the week you play against the pros. |
#49
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Dan Bretta
Ken, that doesn't sound like a bad deal considering all the extras you get...just to hang out with guys like Banks, and Santo out on a ballfield would be priceless. |
#50
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O. T. Cubs Fantasy camp
Posted By: Ken McMillan
well, I agree with you on that one. I don't know of anyone who has not had a great time going to camp. The camp has about 60% repeat business. Also forgot to mention that you get 50 of your own baseball cards to pass out. This was my 5th year at camp by the way. |
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