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Bob Loblaw
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I've alluded to this briefly, and I will add pics later, but as I've got a few minutes to kill, I figured I might as well do it before I forget about it.
Two weeks ago, my son (age 8 1/2) started a Clearwater Thresher's camp run by the team. VERY professionally done. The kids were split into 6 groups, with each "group" having a "counselor"/instructor. The instructors were Dominic Brown (yes, I was lobbying hard to get him into that group. Ah well), Mike Durant (of 2005 bowman chrome draft fame), Matt Rizzotti (2008 BCDP), and a few others who don't have cards and probably will not have a career past AA. Not to say that Durant or Rizzotti will either, but. . . My son wound up with Matt Rizzotti, who wound up having a great level of patience and desire to teach the kids.
I took a week off of work to hang out in the stadium and watch - - the camp was at Bright House Networks Stadium, and we got to basically go where the players go -- the batting practice under the field in the cages, the fields that the players practice on, and actually play on BHN Field.
As Carson and I have gone to at least 75 games at BHN since it opened up, for both ST and Threshers games, we were like kids in a candy store.
I won't bore you with the details, but the first day of camp I happened to "accidentally stumble" into the Threshers locker room and saw all of the players "lockers" -- whcih is just an open area for their unis to hang. The temptation to try on some jerseys was overwhelming, but I did not. I came across the "rehabbing Phillies wing" and took pics of Brett Myers' locker, Chad Durbin's, Clay Condrey's, and JC Romero's. I also found Scott Mathieson's, who is a Phillie I've been high on for a LONG time, and is making an awesome comeback after two TJ surgeries.
I have t osay, I DID try on Brett Myers' glove, that was in his locker.
I ran into Brett in the hallway between the weight room and the clubhouse. Just said hi - he did the same.
While watching my son field popups on Mike Schmidt field, I saw the rehabbing JC Romero come in from the field. He was with another official, so I just said "Hey JC, how you doing" and he was cordial and said hello to me. He came back out from the clubhouse, and since my son had given me two balls to hold on to, I figured now was a good time. I told JC that my son was out in the field in camp, and I asked if he could sign a ball to him. He took the ball, asked how to spell my son's name, and wrote what looked like a book on the ball -- after he gave it back, I obviously thanked him and we chatted about his injury -- he said that he felt like he was finally back in Philly and he was frustrated to be back down in Tampa, and I told him that not all of us down here are like the guy that got into it iwth him at the Rays game. He laughed it off and said that it was a crazy situation. I asked what he thought about the Cliff Lee deal (it had just happened) and he said he couldn't wait to get back up there and play with him. I wished him well for the rest of the season. I'll post a pic of the ball soon.
Ernie Whitt (former Jays Catcher) and Kevin Jordan (former Phillie/Yankee) are the manager/asst manager of the Threshers, and both were on hand and VERY interactive with the kids. Jordan's daughter was in the camp as well. Had a few nice chats with Whitt, and joked about whether Dominic Brown was going to finish out the camp if he gets traded to Dunedin (Jays' A affiliate - this is when the Halladay trade rumors were going hard). I asked Dom himself, and he said "I ain't goin' nowhere". Apparently, he was right. Interestingly, the day after camp was over, Dom got called up to AA Reading. Good for him.
At the end of the camp, the kids had a scrimmage -- Carson is 8, and was grouped with 6-8 year olds, so to say he did well would be an understatement. But he had a great time playing on BHN field. I've got a video of Carson hitting a Rizzotti pitch over the fielder's heads...
Took pix of him with his coach, Matt Rizzotti, and of Dom Brown as well, and had Brown auto the pic. I spent a lot of time speaking with Rizzotti -- he was very personable and started most of the conversations with me -- I was happy to hang back and just watch. The guys couldn't be nicer to the 90 or so campers (and their parents) that they had in camp. Rizzotti and JC Romero have got a few more big fans now.
Two weeks ago, my son (age 8 1/2) started a Clearwater Thresher's camp run by the team. VERY professionally done. The kids were split into 6 groups, with each "group" having a "counselor"/instructor. The instructors were Dominic Brown (yes, I was lobbying hard to get him into that group. Ah well), Mike Durant (of 2005 bowman chrome draft fame), Matt Rizzotti (2008 BCDP), and a few others who don't have cards and probably will not have a career past AA. Not to say that Durant or Rizzotti will either, but. . . My son wound up with Matt Rizzotti, who wound up having a great level of patience and desire to teach the kids.
I took a week off of work to hang out in the stadium and watch - - the camp was at Bright House Networks Stadium, and we got to basically go where the players go -- the batting practice under the field in the cages, the fields that the players practice on, and actually play on BHN Field.
As Carson and I have gone to at least 75 games at BHN since it opened up, for both ST and Threshers games, we were like kids in a candy store.
I won't bore you with the details, but the first day of camp I happened to "accidentally stumble" into the Threshers locker room and saw all of the players "lockers" -- whcih is just an open area for their unis to hang. The temptation to try on some jerseys was overwhelming, but I did not. I came across the "rehabbing Phillies wing" and took pics of Brett Myers' locker, Chad Durbin's, Clay Condrey's, and JC Romero's. I also found Scott Mathieson's, who is a Phillie I've been high on for a LONG time, and is making an awesome comeback after two TJ surgeries.
I have t osay, I DID try on Brett Myers' glove, that was in his locker.
I ran into Brett in the hallway between the weight room and the clubhouse. Just said hi - he did the same.
While watching my son field popups on Mike Schmidt field, I saw the rehabbing JC Romero come in from the field. He was with another official, so I just said "Hey JC, how you doing" and he was cordial and said hello to me. He came back out from the clubhouse, and since my son had given me two balls to hold on to, I figured now was a good time. I told JC that my son was out in the field in camp, and I asked if he could sign a ball to him. He took the ball, asked how to spell my son's name, and wrote what looked like a book on the ball -- after he gave it back, I obviously thanked him and we chatted about his injury -- he said that he felt like he was finally back in Philly and he was frustrated to be back down in Tampa, and I told him that not all of us down here are like the guy that got into it iwth him at the Rays game. He laughed it off and said that it was a crazy situation. I asked what he thought about the Cliff Lee deal (it had just happened) and he said he couldn't wait to get back up there and play with him. I wished him well for the rest of the season. I'll post a pic of the ball soon.
Ernie Whitt (former Jays Catcher) and Kevin Jordan (former Phillie/Yankee) are the manager/asst manager of the Threshers, and both were on hand and VERY interactive with the kids. Jordan's daughter was in the camp as well. Had a few nice chats with Whitt, and joked about whether Dominic Brown was going to finish out the camp if he gets traded to Dunedin (Jays' A affiliate - this is when the Halladay trade rumors were going hard). I asked Dom himself, and he said "I ain't goin' nowhere". Apparently, he was right. Interestingly, the day after camp was over, Dom got called up to AA Reading. Good for him.
At the end of the camp, the kids had a scrimmage -- Carson is 8, and was grouped with 6-8 year olds, so to say he did well would be an understatement. But he had a great time playing on BHN field. I've got a video of Carson hitting a Rizzotti pitch over the fielder's heads...
Took pix of him with his coach, Matt Rizzotti, and of Dom Brown as well, and had Brown auto the pic. I spent a lot of time speaking with Rizzotti -- he was very personable and started most of the conversations with me -- I was happy to hang back and just watch. The guys couldn't be nicer to the 90 or so campers (and their parents) that they had in camp. Rizzotti and JC Romero have got a few more big fans now.
