Fantasy Camp

Orioles officials want their fantasy camp to be an experience that will last a lifetime. Or at least last more than one week.That's why they have added a reunion game. The Orioles Fantasy Camp, which will be held in Sarasota, Fla., from Feb. 4-11, will reunite camp members May 11 at Camden Yards to play a six-inning game."That's probably the biggest attraction to this year's camp," director Ken Bullough said. "Each participant will get to play a six-inning game, get their names on the scoreboard and everything.

City liquor board Chairman Steve Fogleman has a new sideline, as a tennis reporter. Fogleman, who avidly tweets about liquor board business under the handle BaltoBeerBaron , started a new Twitter feed this month under the name Tennis Maryland . Fogleman played tennis as a kid, though never competitively, and has followed professional tennis closely as an adult. On BaltoBeerBaron, he's been mixing tweets about liquor-license transfers with the likes of news on the Williams sisters.

For several years, fans of pro basketball and Major League Baseball have had opportunities to attend fantasy camps in which they work out with and learn from the professionals.Now, Bobby Wilson, a South Carolina pro angler, has put together a similar program for bass fishermen. Called Camp Fish-N-Fun, Wilson's fantasy camp is suited to all fishermen over the age of 12, but is aimed at those who follow the professional bass fishing circuits.Wilson has lined up 26 bass pros to eat and fish with campers, and to teach shoreside seminars.

At noon today, nearly 60 men and women, baseball gloves in one hand and resumes in the other, showed up at Camden Yards hoping to become one of six Orioles ballboys or ballgirls for the 2011 season. I was one of them (though I brought my notepad and recorder instead of a resume). I’ll eventually get to the part of the tryout where I awkwardly took a chopper from Dave Johnson to the chest, but I chatted with a few fans whose reasons for trying out were much more interesting than those of a reporter and blogger turned crash test dummy.

Have you ever wanted to get behind the wheel of a race car and experience the thrill of driving as fast as you can? Kevin Connor of Westminster did.He always has enjoyed going fast and found a sprint car school that allowed him to live out his fantasy.By now, most people have heard of fantasy camps or dream weeks for baseball, football, hockey and basketball. It was only a matter of time for the idea to catch on with motor sports.This past summer, Greg O'Neill, a former sprint car driver in Baltimore, decided to form his own fantasy camp for race fans at Hagerstown Speedway.

The TV repairman:Rex Barney, who visits from a bygone era while doing sports talk on WBAL Radio a few times weekly, indicated Baltimore fandom was devastated when Jim Palmer's comeback bid ended the other day. That's not the way we hear it.Many conclude Jimbo's ill-fated comeback was a publicity gimmick entered into by himself, the ballclub, Channel 2 and the various businesses that use Palmer as a spokesman. Did any other ballclub offer him a tryout after checking out his fastball with the backup lights in Miami?

Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, who last month was hospitalized for two days and missed the club's fantasy camp, said yesterday from his Baltimore home that he's "feeling fine."Robinson has been treated for a minor medical condition. "It's nothing serious," he said. "I feel fine. I'm playing golf, doing everything I was doing before."Robinson, 59, was scheduled to appear at the fantasy camp, as he always does. But instead he checked into a Florida hospital, as reported last month.

Orioles Fantasy Camp, the ultimate vacation for well-heeled fans eager for a chance to rub elbows with their baseball heroes, has an opening at third base.Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, the camp's star attraction since it began in 1985, says he won't be returning. Instead, he plans to launch his own camp, one that would compete with the Orioles for campers and profits.The Brooks Robinson Baltimore Baseball Camp, which he'll run with partner Ken Nigro, is scheduled to debut in Florida next February.

City liquor board Chairman Steve Fogleman has a new sideline, as a tennis reporter. Fogleman, who avidly tweets about liquor board business under the handle BaltoBeerBaron , started a new Twitter feed this month under the name Tennis Maryland . Fogleman played tennis as a kid, though never competitively, and has followed professional tennis closely as an adult. On BaltoBeerBaron, he's been mixing tweets about liquor-license transfers with the likes of news on the Williams sisters.

They were playing baseball at Memorial Stadium yesterday, but the best showdown of the day was not between a pitcher and hitter but between the organizers of a fantasy baseball camp and the city officials who wanted to put them off the field.The problem was that the city had issued two permits to use Memorial Stadium. One went to the fantasy camp, an outfit that brought together 46 people -- including a state delegate, a top lobbyist, and a member of the Orioles ownership group -- who paid $1,500 each for an almost-authentic major league baseball experience.

IT WAS SEVERAL months ago that Bill Ripken called and challenged me to put my baseball ability on display at the Ripken Minor League Experience, but I didn't think he was serious. I played along, because I never thought anything would come of it, but it turns out that they really are going to charter a couple of buses and take several dozen baseball nuts on a game-a-day tour of the New York-Penn League, beginning tonight. My hammies are already starting to hurt, but there's no backing out now. Mind you, I'm not worried about embarrassing myself.

Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, who last month was hospitalized for two days and missed the club's fantasy camp, said yesterday from his Baltimore home that he's "feeling fine."Robinson has been treated for a minor medical condition. "It's nothing serious," he said. "I feel fine. I'm playing golf, doing everything I was doing before."Robinson, 59, was scheduled to appear at the fantasy camp, as he always does. But instead he checked into a Florida hospital, as reported last month.

No sooner had the Orioles' Brady Anderson hit his 46th home run than a message was recorded on Jim Gentile's telephone answering machine in Edmond, Okla."

Orioles officials want their fantasy camp to be an experience that will last a lifetime. Or at least last more than one week.That's why they have added a reunion game. The Orioles Fantasy Camp, which will be held in Sarasota, Fla., from Feb. 4-11, will reunite camp members May 11 at Camden Yards to play a six-inning game."That's probably the biggest attraction to this year's camp," director Ken Bullough said. "Each participant will get to play a six-inning game, get their names on the scoreboard and everything.

Sure, Ellis Marsalis has had better sturdents.But amid the din of missed chords and poorly played riffs, the renowned jazz pianist and teacher seemed to be enjoying himself in Bethlehem, Pa.Marching around like a drill sergeant, Mr. Marsalis exhorted some nervous, toe-tapping amateur musicians to reach for their syncopated best at a fantasy jazz camp."

Stan Stovall and Marty Bass top the list of best-dressed news dudes in Baltimore. So say the readers of This Just In, who wrote, phoned and faxed their opinions from throughout the Greater Patapsco Drainage Basin. Stovall (Channel 2) also got a vote for "best undressed." He has, of course, that tremendous physique, which sometimes makes his clothes look too snug. But who am I to argue? Stovall got the most votes. Bass fTC (Channel 13) was a close second, followed by Norm Lewis (2), Virg Jacques (11)

No sooner had the Orioles' Brady Anderson hit his 46th home run than a message was recorded on Jim Gentile's telephone answering machine in Edmond, Okla."

At noon today, nearly 60 men and women, baseball gloves in one hand and resumes in the other, showed up at Camden Yards hoping to become one of six Orioles ballboys or ballgirls for the 2011 season. I was one of them (though I brought my notepad and recorder instead of a resume). I’ll eventually get to the part of the tryout where I awkwardly took a chopper from Dave Johnson to the chest, but I chatted with a few fans whose reasons for trying out were much more interesting than those of a reporter and blogger turned crash test dummy.

Orioles Fantasy Camp, the ultimate vacation for well-heeled fans eager for a chance to rub elbows with their baseball heroes, has an opening at third base.Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, the camp's star attraction since it began in 1985, says he won't be returning. Instead, he plans to launch his own camp, one that would compete with the Orioles for campers and profits.The Brooks Robinson Baltimore Baseball Camp, which he'll run with partner Ken Nigro, is scheduled to debut in Florida next February.

For several years, fans of pro basketball and Major League Baseball have had opportunities to attend fantasy camps in which they work out with and learn from the professionals.Now, Bobby Wilson, a South Carolina pro angler, has put together a similar program for bass fishermen. Called Camp Fish-N-Fun, Wilson's fantasy camp is suited to all fishermen over the age of 12, but is aimed at those who follow the professional bass fishing circuits.Wilson has lined up 26 bass pros to eat and fish with campers, and to teach shoreside seminars.