First thing in the morning, Aaron saw Alex Gordon taking batting practice, and Jimmy Gobble playing catch – the players officially report next week, but some are there early.
Each morning starts with Kangaroo Court – John Warden wears a judge’s robe and a George Washington wig. They bring up funny things from the day before and campers are fined for any “infractions.” For example, Aaron was fined $2 for missing a belt loop and $2 for wearing his hat backwards in the clubhouse. It is evidently hilarious...it will all be on the DVD we get in a few weeks.
First game of the day was vs. George Brett, Joe Randa, and John Wathan’s team. They won 10-9…Aaron hit a double off the fence with the bases loaded and two outs in the 6th inning to make the score 10-6! Other highlights included catching for George Brett for three innings (the coaches pitch to their own teams), and hanging out with Joe Randa at 3rd base (Aaron told Joe he didn’t have the arm to play 3rd…Joe disagreed when Aaron threw a rocket to first base and threw the batter out by about 30 feet!).
Lunch was catered by Quiznos – sandwiches, chips, cookies, and fruit. The gift of the day was a toiletry bag and a duffle bag with the Fantasy Camp logo.
Second game of the day was vs. Jerry Terrell, Marty Pattin, and Al Fitzmorris’ team. They won 12-5…Aaron didn’t hit very well but had an awesome diving catch at 3rd base. Al Fitzmorris gave him a hard time, saying “It’s not that serious, Pennington!” However, Aaron’s teammates were giving high fives all around. Aaron’s favorite part was having his cousins JR and Stacy visit from Scottsdale for the second game and dinner. At one point in the game, Aaron hit a foul ball into the stands and Stacy caught it and had Aaron autograph it. He really is a pro this week! :)
The Major League Clubhouse Training room is the “player’s best friend – the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” They have rows of gallon jugs of icy hot with pumps on top, and trainers will give them rubdowns whenever they need them. Aaron also got in the cold tub – 34 degree water! It really helped his aching feet and shin splints at the end of the day.
After the games, JR, Stacy, and Aaron had dinner at the Elephant Bar and saw the sights of Arizona such as Camelback Mountain, Paradise Valley, Stacy & JR’s house, and saw summer homes of professional athletes and famous people. They also drove by the hotel where the Patriots stayed for the Super Bowl.
On the agenda for tomorrow: two more scrimmages and much more fun…
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