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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Reilly: Camp Sundown shines in the Bronx

The team facing Yankees ace A.J. Burnett a few weeks back at Yankee Stadium has to go down as the oddest in baseball history.

For one thing, it plays only at night. The players have no choice. Even one minute of sunshine can kill them.

They’re from Camp Sundown, in Craryville, N.Y., and they live life on the other side of the sun. All of them have the rare disease known as XP—xeroderma pigmentosum. If kids with XP catch the slightest UV ray, they can and do develop cancerous tumors. Even fluorescent lights fry their skin like boiling oil. Most of them don’t live to be 20.

So how could they take the field at Yankee Stadium? Because this was 3 a.m. Superstar right-handers should be tucked into bed by then, yet there was Burnett, throwing Wiffle-ball splitters and chasing down line drives.

And then he nailed them each with a shaving cream pie.

Posted: August 13, 2009 at 02:30 PM | 9 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: general

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1. Fat Al Posted: August 13, 2009 at 04:39 PM (#3291620)

Okay, now that's a nice story.

2. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: August 13, 2009 at 04:46 PM (#3291630)

The Yankees did a whole week of these kind of things -- "Hope Week" -- but this was the best of them. They've talked about doing it every year, the whole team participated in at least one of the events, and they all loved it. I believe the Yankees are encouraging other teams to set up similar programs.

This season the Yankees have been giving out a toy WWE belt after wins to the baddest man in the room, and a few weeks back Jerry Lawler gave them a "real" one. So AJ Burnett took the old one, had all the players sign it, and is auctioning it off and giving the proceeds to Camp Sundown.

Also, apparently they couldn't get AJ off the field. He didn't want to leave. He's quickly become one of my favorite Yankees, frustrating as his pitching can be.

3. SoSH U at work Posted: August 13, 2009 at 04:49 PM (#3291640)

That Hope week thing was great. The Yanks deserved considerable kudos for that.

4. ColonelTom Posted: August 13, 2009 at 04:59 PM (#3291657)

But... all about the money... evil empire... does not compute... *head explodes*

5. aleskel

Posted: August 13, 2009 at 06:03 PM (#3291756)

They high-fived Derek Jeter, ran madly around the bases and wallowed in the instant carnival the Yankees had set up -- from the magician to the bouncy castle to reliever Alfredo Aceves strolling the yard, strumming his guitar while Cashman sang the Police's "Message in a Bottle."

Dear god, I need footage of this

6. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: August 13, 2009 at 06:16 PM (#3291779)

God, what a horrific disease.

7. jwb Posted: August 13, 2009 at 09:41 PM (#3292004)

Good for the Yankees and all the kids (and parents) they made smile.

8. jolietconvict Posted: August 14, 2009 at 05:50 AM (#3292201)

reliever Alfredo Aceves strolling the yard, strumming his guitar while Cashman sang the Police's "Message in a Bottle."

for the love of god this may be the funniest thing i've read all day.

9. Cris E Posted: August 14, 2009 at 03:07 PM (#3292327)

No video, but TFA has a picture. Hmmm, now that I think about it, good choice. No audio is probably the way to go.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Reilly: Camp Sundown shines in the Bronx

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