Dispatch From Red Sox Fantasy Camp, Day Four

 

Morning meeting with Camp Director and campers. Coaches also hold their daily “Kangaroo Court”.

My last day on Friday at the 2015 Official Boston Red Sox Fantasy Camp began with playoff games between each division’s leader and second place team, and the other non-playoff teams playing consolation games.

I had a consolation game between Stanley’s Steamers, coached by Bob Stanley and Wins and Saves, headed by Frank Viola and Keith Foulke.

It was a back and forth game that ended in an 8-8 tie after 7 innings.

On one of the adjacent complex fields there was another consolation game in which Timlin’s Timbers (Mike Timlin) shut out Rico’s Roughnecks (Rico Petrocelli) 10-0.

The two other cloverleaf fields on the complex featured the camp playoff games. On Field Three, Gedman’s Bombers (Rich Gedman) beat Nixon’s Dirtdogs (Trot Nixon) 1-0 to win the Ted Williams division.

On Field Four, Miller Time, coached by ex-Red Sox outfielder Rick Miller took a 2-0 lead over Monty’s Mavericks (Bob Montgomery). Miller Time tacked on an insurance run to lead 3-0 before the Mavericks bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh. Camper Frank Buckley from Estero, Florida who traded one of his crutches for a bat at home plate tied the game with an RBI single. Miller Time eventually won the game 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth (of a seven inning game) to win the Carl Yastrzemski division.

Following several more consolation games at 1:00 PM, four of the campers vs. pros games were held in Jet Blue Stadium at 3:00 PM. Rico’s Roughnecks, Wins and Saves, Timlin’s Timbers and Corsi’s Fireballers all took their chances at the former big leaguers. The Pros won all four and the final six games were played Saturday at 11:00 AM.

In the evening championship game between division champs (and defending camp champion) Gedman’s Bombers and Miller Time,  the Bombers jumped out to  a 1-0 lead, but Miller Time fought back with three runs to take the lead which they never relinquished, winning the 2015 title 3-2. Miller Time starter Eric Roukey, also this year’s home run derby champ went the distance and held the Bombers to five hits. Roukey threw 115 pitches after pitching his team to the division championship in the morning session.

Following Saturday’s campers vs. pros games is a banquet at the camp hotel emceed by Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione. Joe’s brother Frank is a regular participant at camp each year, usually playing first base.

Next up for the 2015 Red Sox Fantasy Campers is a reunion event and game at Fenway Park in May. By then , many of this year’s campers will already be signed up for the 2016 camp next January.