The Galveston County Daily News

GALVESTON — Barney Rapp grew up rooting for the New York Yankees. But for the past 19 years, he’s gotten to do something even better than cheering on his favorite players — he’s gotten to play baseball with him.

Since 1991, Rapp has attended the Heroes in Pinstripes Baseball Club. The weeklong camp allows campers to play with their Yankee heroes, including the likes of Yogi Berra, Joe Girardi, Goose Goosage, Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs.

This year’s camp begins Nov. 8 in Glendale, Ariz. Rapp has been counting down the days until he departs for months.

“How many people can say they got to bat against Whitey Ford or Catfish Hunter or Goose Goosage?” Rapp asked. “It’s an incredible experience. At times, there are as many as 25 former Yankees that attend. The memories I get each year by attending are priceless.”

Each camper gets to participate in 10 games, with a championship trophy being awarded to the winning participants. Rapp’s team won the title in 1993.

Rapp wears No. 9 at the Yankee camp in honor of his hero Roger Maris, the former home run champion. Rapp played in right field his first year, like Maris, but moved to second base after that.

Last season, because of knee issues, Rapp stopped playing in the games at the camp to become an assistant coach for one of the teams. This year, he will serve as an assistant to Mel Stottlemyre.

“I have just as good a time being a coach,” Rapp said. “I have a great relationship with all those guys now, so to me, it’s all about the experience of just being there.”

The cost is on the pricey side, with an entry fee at just less than $5,000, plus airline transportation. However, Rapp said it is well worth the cost for him and the other 85 to 115 campers in attendance.

“They feed us well, and it’s an open bar all week,” Rapp said. “Getting to spend time with all your heroes, I couldn’t think of a better weeklong vacation to take.”

This year’s camp will be especially meaningful to Rapp. He was diagnosed with stage 4 Mantle cell lymphoma in April and underwent five months of intense chemotherapy.

Rapp said the disease made him once again remember his hero.

“Roger Maris died of lymphoma at M.D. Anderson in Houston, which was where I was treated,” Rapp said. “I’m 61 years old and Roger hit 61 home runs in the summer of 1961. And Roger wore No. 9 and this was happening to me in 2009.

“I’m a numbers guy, so I felt like someone was trying to tell me something. It was really strange.”

Rapp’s chemo was a success and he has been cancer-free for six weeks now. He said many of the Yankee legends and other campers kept his spirits up during the treatment by calling or sending letters.

“The support I had from everyone was great,” Rapp said. “It certainly helped me get through that tough time.”

And of course this year’s camp also could be a celebration of another New York Yankees World Series championship. Rapp said those are always the best seasons.

“It’s always very exciting to celebrate a championship with the former Yankees,” Rapp said.