Vol. 2, No. 1 1

FantasyLand The official newsletter of the St. Louis Cardinals Fantasy Camp

AFebruary 2014 Vol. 2, No. 1

IN THE BOOKS: Camp Hits Home Run in 2014

A once-a-decade snowstorm in the Midwest and a record of nearly 2 feet of rain falling in the Palm Beach area in a 24-hour period proved to be no match for the flood of Campers and for-mer Cardinals invading South Florida, as 28 Redbirds alumni and more than 100 Campers flew south for the 14th annual Cardinals Fantasy Camp at the team’s Spring Training complex in Jupiter.

“In our first year of running the Camp directly, we certainly faced some unusual challenges, even before the Camp got started,” commented Camp Director Joe Pfeiffer, “from the winter weather up north, to the rain that seemed like it was never going to end. But our staff and all the Cardinals and Campers worked together to deal with the travel adjustments because of the snow, and we had (Camp Director of Baseball Operations) Scott Terry as our ‘secret weapon’ to adjust our Camp schedule once the rain hit. Given all of that, I don’t think it could have worked out any better.”

When the snow, and ice, and rain had cleared, and the Camp teams had weathered a four-game schedule on the Saturday schedule, the Andy Benes-led “Mobsters” had claimed the 2014 Camp Championship, defeating the “Responsible Drinkers” of Danny Cox in a Sun-day-morning game — already on the Camp schedule — that turned out to serve as a Championship match. The Mobsters fin-ished 4-1-1, their only loss coming to the Cardinals Legends; the Responsible Drinkers finished tied with Alan Benes and his Neon Cowboys squad, at 4-2. (See story on p. 2).

From the Responsible Drinkers, Camp newcomer Dean Zurliene was named the 2014 Camp Most Valuable Player. Zurliene, whose baseball resume includes service time with Quincy (Ill.) University, hit a solid .385 (5-for-13) with a double and five runs batted in. He also made three pitching appearances for the Drinkers, allowing just a single earned run and striking out three. His fourth-inning, leadoff double ignited a five-run rally in the Drinkers’s first win, a 6-0 decision over Spalding.

Veteran Camper Bump Williams of the Neon Cowboys claimed the Camp’s “Cy Old” Award, appearing on the mound in three games and fashioning a 2.16 ERA while striking out nine batters in just 8.1 innings. Against amateur competition, though, Williams’ ERA was a perfect 0.00 in two appearances. The two earned runs he allowed overall at Camp both came against the Cardinals Legends, when he started against the big-leaguers and was credited with just one-third of an inning, as the first inning

ended with only one out after the Legends scored their limit of two runs in the frame.

Another longtime presence in Camp, the Rev. Terry Rush, was honored with the “Most Improved Award.” Already a favorite of Campers and Cardinals alike off the field, the Reverend recorded two hits and scored twice as a member of Brad Thompson’s Baby-Faced Assassins. He pitched in on the mound as well, making two appearances and allowing one earned run in three innings of work.

The Camper Veteran Corps made it 3-for-4 in the trophy case when Herman Cushman was named winner of the prestigious “Nowhere To Go But Up” Award. The enviable distinction, given

annually to a well-liked and well-respected Camper who has had something short of perfect success on the field, was presented in honor of Cushman’s contributions to Randy Flores’ Team Sanchez squad.

That anyone was on hand to receive any of the Camp awards was, itself, a victory, considering the one-two

precipitation punch that began before the start of camp. Numerous flights were cancelled or delayed due to a severe

winter storm that covered much of the Midwest beginning the Sunday before Camp began. In the warmer climes of South

Florida, that weather pattern was converted to a game-cancelling deluge on second full day of Camp, with Friday’s games washed out by a torrential downpour that closed local schools and led to flash flooding throughout the area.

“Despite everything the weather threw at us, we were fortunate to be able to play every game on the schedule, and we didn’t lose any of our other activities on the fields,” Pfeiffer noted. “Scott Terry did an amazing job of working with the schedule to rearrange a few of those events and made sure every Camper team played its full slate of games. Everyone got in, mostly on time, and everyone had a great time while they were at Camp. Looking at the com-ments we’ve received so far from both veterans and new-comers, I’d have to say the en-tire week was a success.”

IN THIS ISSUE

2014 CHAMPS: Page 2

CAMP AWARDS: Page 3

SCORES, STANDINGS: p. 4

2014 STATS LEADERS: p. 5

NEWS & NOTES: p. 6

CAMP PHOTOS: p. 7

Prepara ons help Camp weather two storms; Mobsters gang up on opposi on to claim tle; Camp veterans claim near‐sweep of Camp awards

February 2014 2

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

MOBBED UP: Mobsters Are 2014 Camp Champs   Unpredictable weather and s ff compe on from an expanded 

pool of camper teams ensured the ba le for the 2014 Fantasy 

Camp Championship was no walk in the park. But in the end, it 

was a walk AT the park — or, to be exact, several walks at the 

park — that played a key role in the championship game, as the 

Andy Benes‐led Mobsters completed the week’s biggest come‐

back and captured the Camp Crown with a 6‐5 win over Danny 

Cox’s Responsible Drinkers. 

  Trailing the Drinkers, 5‐1, headed into the bo om of the fourth 

inning, the Mobsters got a leadoff single from Corey Christanell 

and a one‐out safety from Tom Kraus. Drinkers star ng pitcher 

Bill Haas, who up to that point had allowed just a single, first‐

inning run, seemed to have pitched his way out of trouble when 

he fanned Mark Rolf for the inning’s second out. But the Drink‐

ers ran into two‐out trouble, offering too many pitches that the 

Mobsters could, and did, refuse. 

  A two‐out walk to Doug Lassman loaded the bases for Ron Lass‐

man, whose base hit made the score 6‐2. A Drinkers error let 

another run in and prolonged the inning for Kenny Gregson, who 

drew the bases‐loaded RBI walk that made the score 6‐4. With 

the Drinkers lead growing wobbly, Camp veteran Joe Samel re‐

placed Haas but fared no be er. A walk to Joey Gambino  ed 

the score, 5‐5, and a bases‐loaded free pass to David Evans 

brought home the go‐ahead run and ended the inning via the 

five‐run rule. In the top of the fi h, Gregson—who had relieved 

Mobsters starter Mike Stewart in the fourth—allowed just a 

harmless walk while ending the game and securing the Camp 

Championship. 

 “I’m really proud of the way our team didn’t give up a er being 

down 5‐1,” commented Mobsters capo Benes. “Our pitching 

righted itself a er a rocky start, and our hi ers stayed pa ent 

with the game on the line. They really earned this champion‐

ship.” 

  The last‐inning victory was in keeping with the spirit of the 

overall Mobster march to the Camp  tle, as the Mobsters and 

Drinkers raced nearly side‐by‐side in the standings throughout 

the schedule, se ng up the Sunday‐morning  tle  lt in the final 

scheduled game for both teams. 

  “When Camp begins, we know there’s the possibility that the 

Camp Championship could be determined before we even get to 

the final day of compe on,” noted Camp Commissioner Rick 

Horton. “To not only have the ba le for the  tle go down to the 

final day of Camp — but also to have the top two teams play 

each other, so that we have an actual ‘championship game’ — is 

really the most exci ng scenario possible from the moment we 

put the schedule together.” 

  That scenario began to take shape with the first round of play. 

The Mobsters snuffed out Brad Thompson’s Baby‐Faced Assas‐

sins, 6‐4, star ng the camp schedule 1‐0 while the Drinkers start‐

ed their week with a 2‐0 loss at Roger Dean Stadium as the first 

vic m of the Cardinals Legends squad. 

  While the Mobsters followed a second‐round bye with their 

own 2‐0 downturn at Roger Dean, however, the Drinkers walked 

a straight line to victory in each of their next four games, out‐

scoring the opposi on 20‐3 to improve to 4‐1 heading into the 

final game on their schedule. The Mobsters looked just as 

strong, squashing Bug Dynasty, 12‐2, and flying high with a 9‐1 

win over Frankie’s Addicts.  

  The brewing possibility of a match for all the marbles almost 

slipped away on the next‐to‐last day of Camp. As the 4‐1 Drink‐

ers enjoyed a sixth‐round bye, the 3‐1 Mobsters a empted to 

keep up the pennant pace in a game against Dave LaPoint’s Spal‐

ding squad. Spalding took a 2‐1 lead in the bo om of the first, 

and broke a 2‐2  e with a single third‐inning tally. But the Mob‐

sters  ed the game again with a run in the fourth — scoring just 

2014 Fantasy Camp Recap 

February 2013 3

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

FRONT ROW (Le  to Right): Tom Kraus, Josh Jones, John Ross, Andy Benes, Stuart Schelp , Mark Rolf, David Evans. BACK ROW (Le  

to Right): Mike Stewart, Tony Simokai s, Ron Lassman, Doug Lassman, Mike Sundet, Clint Knoblach, Corey Christanell. 

NOT PICTURED: Joey Gambino. 

once, despite compiling four hits in the frame. Neither team 

scored in the final two innings of the  e game, leaving the 

Mobsters with a 3‐1‐1 record. The win over the Drinkers the 

following day gave the Mobsters a final record of 4‐1‐1, a half‐

game ahead of the 4‐2 Drinkers. 

  Shortly a er the Mobsters  ed up the  tle, the Neon Cow‐

boys completed their own comeback in the standings to finish 

in second place. Bucking off an 0‐2 start, the Cowboys rode a 

four‐game winning streak to an overall 4‐2 finish, trampling 

Bug Dynasty, 9‐1, in the final round of play on Sunday. A er 

scoring just two runs in their first three games, the Cowboys 

stampeded past their final three opponents by a combined 

score of 30‐4. Overall, the Cowboys recorded a +21 run differ‐

en al (32‐11), while the Responsible Drinkers binged for just a 

+11 figure overall (26‐15). 

  Spalding, the only other team at or above .500, finished the 

week a respectable 3‐3‐1. Complete scores and standings, as 

well as league sta s cs, are on the following pages. 

2014 Fantasy Camp Recap 

The Mobsters — 2014 Fantasy Camp Champs

2014 Fantasy Camp Awards

CAMP MVP

Dean Zurliene, The Mobsters

CY OLD AWARD

Bump Williams, Neon Cowboys

MOST IMPROVED

Terry Rush, Baby-Faced Assassins

NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP

Herman Cushman, Team Sanchez

February 2013 4

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

2014 Fantasy Camp Standings, Results

February 2014 5

2014 Fantasy Camp Stats

2014 Fantasy Camp Recap 

TEAM BATTING STATISTICS 

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

TEAM PITCHING STATISTICS 

INDIVIDUAL BATTING  INDIVIDUAL PITCHING 

NOTE: All sta s cs are unofficial, and are intended for recrea onal use only. Individual ba ng sta s cs included hi ers with at 

least 10 at‐bats or 12 plate appearances; individual pitching sta s cs included pitchers with at least three innings pitched. Any  

errors are the responsibility of FantasyLand Publishing. 

February 2014 6

News and Notes 

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

WHAT DO YOU THINK? 2014 Camper Surveys Ready

  To those who are s ll nursing overworked hamstrings or el‐

bows, it might feel like the 2014 Fantasy Camp ended only yes‐

terday. But planning for the 2015 Camp 

has already begun, and a significant part 

of that planning is ge ng feedback from 

par cipants in 2014. 

  Was the 2014 Camp the best five days of 

your year? Have ideas about how it could 

be even be er? Whatever your opinion, 

we want to know. And the annual Camper 

survey is your chance to let us know what 

you think. 

  “We’ve received comments from a 

pre y good number of campers since the Fantasy Camp ended, 

and everyone who’s sent us a note has said they thoroughly en‐

joyed Camp, from start to finish,” said Camp Director Joe 

Pfeiffer. “That’s great to hear, because obviously our goal was to 

make this the best experience possible for everyone who came 

down. 

“And to make sure next year’s Camp is even 

be er, we want to hear from everyone, on every 

aspect of Camp. Our survey is the best way for us 

to collect and use input from everyone who 

a ended.” 

   A link to the online survey has been sent to all 

Campers by email. Pfeiffer pointed out that Camp‐

ers are free to submit the surveys confiden ally 

and remain anonymous, although any Camper 

who wishes to include his or her name with the 

survey may also do so. 

        If the emailed link to the 2014 Fantasy Camp survey does 

not connect you to the working online survey or if you have any 

other ques ons about the survey, please send a note to 

lstate@cardinals.com. 

PICTURE THIS: Camp Photos Ready in Print, Online   From the moment the Wizard throws you out at first base during a game against 

the Cardinals Legends, to the  me John Costello calls you out during one of the 

morning mee ngs, the Cardinals Fantasy Camp provides memories that will not 

likely fade from your memory any  me soon. To help you preserve those images in 

your mind, however, photos from the 2014 Fantasy Camp are now available. 

  Each par cipant in camp who posed for a photo with the 28 Cardinals Legends at    

Roger Dean Stadium will receive a printed, 11‐by‐20 photo, delivered in a white 

photo envelope and sent through the U.S. mail. Those photos are now ready for 

mailing. Even if you have provided your mailing address earlier, please send your 

mailing address again, to Larry State at lstate@cardinals.com. 

 In addi on to the printed photos, six photo galleries are now available online at the following web address: h p://stlouiscardinals.zenfolio.com/f998775996. Using the password “fantasycamp,” Campers will be able to access photos from the gal‐lery “Fantasy Camp Slugfest” and the galleries “FantasyCamp1” through “FantasyCamp5.” 

 All photos within the galleries are available for Campers to download and print, but may not be offered for sale. If you have any ques ons about the photo galler‐ies, send a note to lstate@cardinals.com.  

None of the ac on at Roger Dean escaped the 

eye of Cardinals manager of photography 

Taka Yanagimoto, who has posted Camp 

photos in online photo galleries. 

February 2014 7

SCRAPBOOK           A look back at some of the sights of 2014 Fantasy Camp

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

NO, YOU DA MAN: Brad Thompson doesn’t exactly rule with an iron 

fist as he lightens the mood while prepping his Baby‐Faced Assassins.  

FRATERNIZATION: It’s hard to hold your game face when the greatest shortstop of all  me just got a hit against you.  

CLOSE‐MINDED: A combined 1,078 saves holds the a en on of 

the group for Lee Smith, Bruce Su er and Jason Isringhausen.  

TALKIN’ HOF: Cooperstown 

comes to Florida once a year at C

ardinals Fantasy Camp, 

bringing a Hall‐of‐Fame feel to the st

age during the Talkin’ Baseba

ll dinner.   

WHAT’S...UP?: 

Exhausve rese

arch into base

ball history ha

s found no pre

vi‐

ous occurrenc

e of whatever

 is happening i

n this photo, i

n any game, ever

. 

SCRAPBOOK           A look back at some of the sights of 2014 Fantasy Camp

FantasyLand Vol. 2, No. 1

HARDBALL: Camp rookie Jay Jurevicius shows li le deference to the 

Legends  team on a full‐speed slide into second base.   

DON’T GO THERE: Kyle D

inges reflects on lessons

 learned 

from trying to take an extra b

ase against Larry Walker.   

BROTHER BATTERY: Zach Pranger pitches at Roger 

Dean, with teammate (and brother) Drew Pranger 

behind the  plate as his catcher. 

LOVING LIFE W

ITH LOU: For Bu

g Dynasty, a g

ame at Roger Dea

n meant 

an opportunit

y to steal a tea

m photo with th

e Base Burglar

.  

REWARDING MO‐MENT: Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak took 

ques ons while addressing the Camp during the Awards Banquet. 

February 2014 8