Mets Fantasy Camp offers a chance to play ball with the pros
Lawrence Chodash, of Oceanside, at Mets Fantasy Baseball Camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida. “In a second, I’d go back,” he said. Credit: NY Mets/Liz Flynn
Merrick resident Erik Bashian is a diehard Mets fan.
So, six years ago, for his 40th birthday, Bashian’s wife, Lauren, surprised him with a weeklong session at Mets Fantasy Camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where the major league team trains. “It was always a dream to meet these Met heroes of mine and play in a Mets uniform,” said Bashian, an employment litigation attorney in Garden City. “My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner.”
Bashian has since returned every year, putting on Mets uniforms emblazoned with his name on the back, connecting with other fans and receiving instruction from former Mets major leaguers. Former pros who have coached the fantasy camp teams include Mike Hampton, Howard Johnson and Mookie Wilson.
Lawrence Chodash, 57, of Oceanside, said he didn’t hesitate to join the weeklong program this past November after hearing about it from his friend Bashian. Chodash, a financial adviser, said that when he first walked into the clubhouse, he was struck by the sight of his childhood hero — Dwight Gooden — and by the realization that “I’m actually talking to him.”
Chodash said he enjoyed listening to the pros sharing the “highlights and lowlights of their professional careers during their time with the Mets” and he got “key feedback” from his coaches on his field and batting performance. They also stressed having fun but not getting hurt, he said.
Evening activities included an awards dinner, casino night and a kangaroo court, where former major leaguers Bobby Wine and Doug Flynn, donning the black robes and white wigs of English jurists, fined campers $25 to $100 for varied, albeit comical, infractions (wearing a batting helmet in the field, carrying a plastic garbage bag — rather than an athletic duffel — for baseball equipment).
The fines generated during the Mets’ two November 2025 sessions helped raise $106,000 for the veteran’s charity Hope for the Warriors, according to Doug Dickey, head of Mets Fantasy Camps and Events.
“It was an amazing week of my life, and in a second, I’d go back,” Chodash said.
Erik Bashian’s wife, Lauren, gifted him a weeklong session at the New York Mets camp for his 40th birthday. Credit: NY Mets/Liz Flynn
The camps
- Both the Mets and Yankees host fantasy camps at their respective spring training grounds in Port St. Lucie and Tampa.
- The camps draw between 100 and 130 participants and, depending on the camp, are divided into eight to 10 teams of 12 or 13 people. Teams typically play a total of eight games during their stay. The ultimate winning team faces off with the former major leaguers. The location for the 2026 Mets camp has yet to be determined amid renovations to the Port St. Lucie facility.
Cost
The camps generally run $5,600 to $6,100 for a first-time, or “rookie,” camper, and $5,100 to $5,600 for returning participants. The price includes accommodations and most meals.
Getting in the Swing
Before camp, run and stretch to minimize muscle soreness and the chance of injuries, advised Doug Dickey, head of Mets fantasy baseball camp and events.
Put aside worries about your skill level or age, since campers have been 80 years old and “had the time of their life," he said.
And don’t be shy about walking up to former major leaguers for friendly banter.
For more info
Mets: For weeklong sessions in Florida, as well as mini-camps in Florida, Syracuse and at Citi Field, contact Doug Dickey at DDickey@nymets.com.
Yankees: For weeklong camps and a three-day women’s camp, all held at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, email fantasycamp@yankees.com.
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