Advice for attending a fantasy camp

 I just returned from my fourth round of the Minnesota Twins Fantasy Camp. 

 

The photo is from my first year, coaches are: L to R, Juan Berenguer, Tony Oliva, and Dick Stigman

In this post I want to give some advice to ballplayers that are considering attending a fantasy camp. I can't make the claim that they are all the same, however I have anecdotal evidence that the Twins camp is one of the best. In any case, this is a general entry for anyone considering attending a camp.

Assuming that it is not a financial burden on you or your family, you can get the time off if you work, and you have no threatening physical condition(s) that may place you in danger: DO IT!

How to get physically ready:

Legs, legs, legs. Get those legs in shape. It has been my experience that this is the number one physical element that wears a camper down. Get into a stretching regiment and strengthening routine 6-8 months before camp. All the work you do will pay off and make it more enjoyable. 

Be ready to play a lot of ball. At the Twins camp we play double headers (7 innings) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, with a single game Wednesday and at least one game Friday. 

If you pitched or caught in high school, be ready to pitch or catch at camp. Pitchers and catchers are often hard to come by. 

Batting Cages. Most of the year I live in a very remote part of the country, the far reaches of northern Minnesota. It is impossible for me to get to batting cages or a gym that allows long toss. If you can go to batting cages and can throw in a facility I recommend it. Just seeing pitched strikes in the 50mph range will get your eyes ready for the plate.

Tossing the ball all year is also important. If you can, get out and throw.  I have found that stretching bands are a somewhat decent substitute for throwing if you can't toss during the winter. 

Stretch it out. Get into a good habit of staying loose, yoga for baseball players is a good living room workout that YouTube can facilitate. 

Hydrate; These camps are in Florida and Arizona, so weeks ahead of time, hydrate. 

Tell your doctor what you are up to. A quick chat and a heads-up is an important conversation to have with your physician. 

Watch YouTube videos on the basics of the positions you may play. Some of you reading this play all summer while some of you are going to camp after hanging it up 20 years ago, or longer. Get the footwork back at 1B, cut offs for 3B, etc. This also helps you visualize playing again.

Take the BTOP advice and try to do 100 swings a day. As I am a captive to the winter, I use a wiffleball bat inside and record a few to see how I need to improve.  Get a friend, or find one on BTOP to take a look at your swing video so you are not habituating poor mechanics. 

Catchers- get access to a rowing machine. They are built for us. 

Get your eyes checked and tell the optometrist what you are up to. You will be surprised how much you rely on good vision to play this game. 

If you have not played any sport in a long time; run sprints. It may also surprise you, but people forget how to run fast. There are some great videos on YouTube that can re-train you to run fast. 

Most of us should cut some weight if possible, that 90' run is serious. (Yes, that is Kent Hrbek  fielding the throw from SS and Al Newman in the background.)

In the near future, I will do more blog entries on the other aspects of fantasy camp. 

Enjoy!

Bergy #17