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Originally posted by DoubleD

We used this as a guide. It was written by a kid and it was spot on.

WHAT TO TAKE IN YOUR CARRY-ON BAG IF YOU’RE FLYING: DO NOT attempt to carry on your bat bag because 1) it is too big to fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat, and 2) it contains your bats which can be mistaken for weapons. What starts out as a fun trip to Cooperstown might end up as a visit to the penitentiary (just kidding). Seriously, think about what YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT in the event your checked luggage and bat bag get lost. Here’s what I took on the plane: fielder’s glove, catcher’s mitt, cleats, sliding pants and cup, belt, batting gloves. I also brought my Discman and headphones, game boy, and some books which came in handy on the drive from the airport to Cooperstown. The flight is only about two hours. You’re going to be excited and with the drink and snack cart thing it goes by pretty fast. The drive from the airport to Cooperstown is boring. I would have slept, but my little brother made it hard because he kept yelling “moo” and “baaabaaaa” every time we passed cows and sheep (which was about every two minutes or so). There are lots of farms in up-state New York.

CHECK-IN: They give you about five minutes to park your car by your cabin and unload all of your stuff. It’s pretty chaotic and there are tournament people walking around threatening all the parents if they don’t move their cars out of the way. Decide what you need help with and let your mom or dad do that and you do the rest. My suggestion is to get help making up your bunk. I used a fitted sheet and sleeping bag and brought my own pillow and pillow case. My mom did this for me while I unpacked my clothes and stuff into the footlocker. You can put a lock on the footlocker, but the lock I brought ended up being too fat to fit through the hook on the footlocker’s lock. If you’re going to get a lock, get one with a combination so you don’t have to worry about carrying a key around with you. Memorize the combination and practice using it. Also, get a skinny lock so you can be sure it fits through the hook on the footlocker lock.

FOOD: The food is not very good. Think school cafeteria, hospital quality. Be prepared to eat it, however, Doubleday Café in Historic Cooperstown is awesome! Get your parents to check you out as much as possible and eat there for lunch and dinner! There is also a snack bar and while you’re in the park you can get food at the concession stands. It's good & very reasonably priced. Bring snacks like Powerbars or other energy bars for between games or in the dorms at night (although technically I don’t think you’re supposed to). Someone got us a disposable Styrofoam cooler for the dorm and we kept it full of bottled water.

SHOWERING: Bring a swimsuit with the mesh cut out of the inside to wear while you are showering, unless you don’t mind being naked in front of fifty or so complete strangers. It is a group shower. Also bring flip-flops that can get wet. You’re not going to want your bare feet touching the shower floor, trust me. Here’s what else you’ll need for the shower: a mesh bag with a draw string for carrying your toiletries. This is so you can hang it on the shower head while you’re in there. Also, if it’s mesh it won’t collect water and get the cabin all gross. Bring liquid soap (this is to avoid your bar of soap dropping onto the same gross floor you don’t want your bare feet to touch), shampoo, toothbrush in a case and toothpaste (most kids brush their teeth in the shower), and deodorant (if you haven’t started using it yet, now is a good time…the cabins are not air-conditioned). It is a good idea to have a can of jock-itch spray with you. What’s jock-itch you ask? If you get it, you’ll know it, and Fast Actin’ Tinactin & corn starch will be your best friend. Bring at least two bath towels, one to use while one is in the laundry.

PACKING FOR THE TRIP: Bring lots of shorts and tee-shirts, especially stuff with your team name on it, athletic shoes, socks, underwear, swimsuit, sweatpants, sweatshirt, jacket, flip-flops. Bring all the things I mentioned earlier, toiletries, bed linens, towels, a lock (if you want to), pins and a towel with your name on it to pin your trades on (I carried all my pins and the towel around in a big zip lock bag so I wouldn’t drop any), hand-held electronic stuff that you like, a book, playing cards, and DON’T FORGET YOUR BASEBALL EQUIPMENT, CLEATS, SLIDING PANTS, CUP, AND BELTS. ALSO, REMEMBER TO PUT YOUR NAME IN OR ON EVERYTHING YOU BRING! My mom marked my clothes, towels, equipment, and anything else I took with me. She also left me with a black permanent marker so I could put my name in the stuff that was issued to me: jerseys and cap. Don’t count on getting your regular jersey number. I ended up getting mine (#4, like Jared), but you get what you get. We didn’t mark the socks, but our coaches tied the pairs together as we stuck them in the laundry bags so we wouldn’t lose any to the sock-eating laundry monster that lurks in washing machines.

OPENING CEREMONIES AND SKILLS COMPETITIONS: Opening ceremonies take place on the field in the big stadium where the championship game is played. When I played in the tournament that was the only game played in the stadium, but the Around-the-Horn Competition is held there too. Opening ceremonies are long. Every team is introduced and marches into the stadium with their banner. I can’t remember everything they did, but you will sing the National Anthem and hear about the history of Cooperstown Dreams Park and the tournament. After the opening ceremonies they have the skills competitions. All the competitions, Around-the-Horn, Golden Arm, Homerun Derby, and the Roadrunner competition are held at the same time on different fields. Like I said earlier, Around-the-Horn is held in the big stadium. That’s the one I was in. I was the catcher. Here’s my advice. No matter how much you practice, you’re going to be a little nervous because there are thousands of people in the stands and all the other players watching you when you do it, but it’s really fun and exciting! Just keep focused and concentrate on catching the ball, come back to the base (target in the outfield) if you have to, stay relaxed and make a good accurate throw. Don’t rush and don’t worry so much about your time. The team that ends up winning is the one that does the drill the cleanest. Stay calm and think about this. I can’t remember which team ended up winning the Around-the-Horn when I was there. I can’t remember my team’s time, I can’t even remember if anyone dropped the ball or made a great throw. I remember what it felt like to be there and how fun it was to compete.

ENTERTAINMENT OFF THE FIELD: Remember you’re there to play baseball. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t have a lot of free time to run around. There is an arcade and a snack bar (I think), but I really don’t remember spending much time there. Our coaches didn’t want us to play video games until we were done with games for the day. If you’re not playing a game, chances are you’ll be at the batting cages, throwing with a teammate, finding a place to take grounders, or pin trading. When we had free time we went to Historic Cooperstown. There’s Double Day Field, where they say Abner Doubleday, the father of baseball, first played. There’s the Major League Hall of Fame Museum, a wax museum, and tons of shops, and places to eat. If you love baseball as much as I do, you will be in heaven. If you wear your Dreams Park Jersey to the MLB Hall of Fame Museum and you go with your whole team, you get in free. I went to the museum twice. Once with my whole team and once with my family. If you’ve saved up any money of your own, Cooperstown is a great place to spend it. I wanted to buy a Yogi Bera autographed Jersey, but it was $85.00 and my parents wouldn’t let me. Instead I bought a Brooklyn Dodgers cap and a bunch of pins.
CLOSING CEREMONIES: I’m not going to tell you anything about Closing Ceremonies except for this. Shake hands and say thank you when you get your ring. Even if your ring is just a little bit too big for you, give it to your mom or dad to put in a safe place until you get back home. Mine was too big and even though my mom offered to hold it for me I wore it. I don’t’ know when it slipped off my finger, but I looked down at my hand while riding up the escalator at Hartsfield Airport and realized I had lost my ring. I was in shock. I couldn’t even speak and I started to cry. My dad and I ran back to the gate and they let us on the plane to look for it. We searched the bathroom and even looked through the trash can and couldn’t find it. We reported it to lost and found at the airport, but it never turned up. When we got to our house, my mom called the Dreams Park and it turns out I wasn’t the first kid to have this happen and I’m sure I won’t be the last. The Dreams Park people sent me a new one for $85.00 (coincidentally the same cost as the Yogi Bera Jersey), but I still felt terrible for days. Cooperstown is such a fun week. I’d hate for any one of you to feel as bad as I did when I lost my ring so be smart about it.

I hope these tips are helpful. Have fun and GOOD LUCK

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Originally posted by Shut Out

Papa,
With the recent injury to the big lefty what is the final head count on your Cooperstown roster? We are all rooting for you guys.

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