Jim Rooker will be back in Bradenton for next month’s annual Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Camp.
“We’re there for them,” Rooker said during a phone conversation on Wednesday with The Bradenton Times of the Pirates alumni mission while in Bradenton. “This is their week.”
The dozens and dozens of Pirates fans making the trek to Manatee County, for some, it’s an annual participation in the weeklong camp, come from all over. Paying for the ultimate baseball experience, to put on an official MLB Pittsburgh uniform, play on the same fields at Pirate City where spring training occurs, and hang with some of their all-time favorite players from years back is a privilege campers take seriously.
“I have the best of both worlds. I get to watch guys try as hard as they can on the field, and who don’t give up,” explains Rooker, a member of the 1979 Pirates’ World Series championship club. “Some of these guys love the game more than I did as a player.”
Rooker has been among the Pittsburgh group who have become teammates with fans for more fantasy camps than he could remember. Just as some campers make repeat visits to Bradenton this time each year, several of Rooker’s past teammates and those who wore the black and gold colors after him, too, appear annually for the camp. Among those joining Rooker on the Pirates roster for this year’s camp that begins on December 6 is Jack Wilson, Mike Easler, John Candelaria, and Steve Blass.
For Rooker, winner of 103 games during his 13-year MLB pitching career, will make his way to Bradenton from his home in Jacksonville, Florida. Making the four-hour drive with a returning camper helps pass the time. Four weeks back, Rooker underwent a hip replacement. No longer in need of a cane or walker to get around, siding on caution, Rooker does plan on taking it easy once on the grass surface.
As manager of one of the camper teams, Rooker will once again deliver what he believes is essential advice to keep his players in the lineup.
“I tell them – don't run full speed. If they hit a grounder and try to beat it out, they could have a blowout, pulling a hammy, then missing out on the week. Just trot, I suggest.”
Playing for the Pirates from 1973 to 1980, Rooker handled himself well in the batter’s box. During an era when MLB pitchers hit, Rooker slugged seven home runs (including roundtrippers against two future Hall of Famers, Joe Niekro and Jim Kaat), collected 122 hits, and drove in 56 runs. The former left-handed hurler impresses upon campers just how challenging the game can be.
“The hand-eye coordination aspect is important when trying to hit the ball. I think Willie (former Pirates great and Hall of Famer Willie Stargell) put it best. He described hitting a round ball with a round bat, and batters are instructed to hit it (ball) square.”
Rooker offers praise to the Pirates and singles out Joe Billetdeaux, who oversees the fantasy camp, for having one of the best alumni associations in baseball. Rooker, who grew up in Compton, California, tells of a sense of togetherness among those who played for the Pirates. One of Rooker’s favorite “Pittsburgh brotherhood” moments involved a birthday cake at Pirate City.
“Ken Brett bought a big sheet cake at Publix for Willie Stargell’s birthday cake. It just so happened that Marvin Miller, who oversaw the players’ union at the time, was in camp at Pirate City that day. As everyone was singing Happy Birthday, Ken smashed the cake into Willie’s face. Everyone had a great time.”
The upgrades completed over the years at Pirate City, from when Rooker pitched, have not gone unnoticed. Thinking back to the 1970s when he played for Pirates’ teams managed by Bill Virdon, Danny Murtaugh, and Chuck Tanner, Rooker remembers the Pirates’ complex as “bare bones” compared to what is offered at the facility today.
If campers have difficulty making contact with pitches thrown, Rooker tells of getting the player(s) into a batting cage to work on their swing. He also stresses to his team members the value of fundamentals when on the field. Interacting with campers, answering questions, and allowing them to feel as professional as possible is Rooker’s mantra.
“A pat on their back and offer encouragement is what the campers deserve.”
With two games scheduled for each team, Rooker and his fellow skippers will spend much of the camp juggling lineups and devising strategies for their rosters. Campers would expect nothing less from the baseball world. Their “special baseball world” begins in two weeks at Roberto Clemente Memorial Way.
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