SubscribeUnaccustomed as I am to public speaking
I nevertheless gave a talk to a local men’s club about the November trip to Yankees Fantasy Camp.
For all the prepping I do, it never seems to come off the way I envision it. I guess I’m more comfortable in a Q&A situation rather than a straight “lecture.”
I screened the DVD from the session (A portion of which is available on this blog, over to the top/right. Thanks again, Phil!), which expressed my thoughts to such a degree that extra speechifying seemed superfluous.
Watching the video put me back into the situation. The main feature, as far as I’m concerned, is the section of individual interviews with my teammates. Although they were done separately, a common theme was repeated: we came together as strangers, no one (especially our coaches) expected us to do well, but we gelled and exceeded those expectations.
The part about friendship, however, I’ll attributed to the dewy-eyed moment. Sure we all got along great, which was a bonus and no doubt helped in a loose atmosphere, but I guess I’m still thinking like a kid when it comes to the belief that we’ll keep in touch. (Part of the camp package is a reunion at Yankee Stadium during Old-Timers Weekend. Most of the guys live in the NY-NJ area, so I expect they’ll be there. Not sure if wearing the uniform is part of the deal. I hope not. It’s one thing to do it at camp, but I would feel a bit silly, as an adult, in dressing up like that.) On the other hand, that’s part of the pro experience, too. A lot of fans have the notion that teammates are always hanging out together. It ain’t necessarily so. And during the off-season, I wonder if holiday cards are even exchanged. It’s almost like a war mentality: you don’t want to get too close to anyone because they can be gone in an instant, traded, injured, retired, etc. And if traded, your former teammate is your current “enemy.”
But I digress…
After the DVD came, I jotted off a few quick emails to my teammates to say hi and bust chops over how we came off on screen. Looking forward to their responses, but I’m not holding my breath.
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