NFBC Message Boards

I'm happy to announce that the NFBC will be working with Ron Shandler and BaseballHQ.com in their First Pitch Forums before the upcoming baseball season. The First Pitch Forums are fantasy baseball seminars that are designed to give players final tips and strategies before draft day. The tour stops in several cities, including Chicago, New York and Tampa. The NFBC will be involved in those three stops.



More details are coming on the dates and speakers, but I'm happy to report that I've worked with Ron to do the Tampa First Pitch just before the NFBC drafts. That First Pitch Forum will be held Thursday-Friday, March 16-17 at the Tampa Hyatt Regency with seminars each morning and a mock NFBC draft on Thursday night. Ron Shandler and Rick Wilton will headline the discussions with Jim Callis of Baseball America tentatively scheduled along with other writers who will be in Florida at that time. Price of admission and more details will be coming soon.



We can't promise anything right now, but we'll also try to get spring training tickets for Thursday afternoon in the area and possibly Friday afternoon as well. We have to wait for the spring training schedule first, but a full day of baseball on Thursday is being planned.



The auction leagues in Tampa will be held at the Tampa Hyatt Regency on Friday starting at 2 p.m. (possibly 3:00). My plan at this point is to run all of the auctions at once that afternoon. We will fill whatever leagues we can in Tampa and run them together in the big ballroom.



NFBC owners in other cities will have chances to participate in the First Pitch forums beforehand. I think the Chicago event is the last weekend in February and I have tentatively agreed to participate in that one. The New York event is a week later. I'll have more details on each soon.



If you're planning to attend in Tampa, come a few days early and participate in the seminars. Should be fun and informative.

Here's the info Ron sent out to his BaseballHQ.com subscribers:



FIRST PITCH FLORIDA

http://www.firstpitchforums.com/florida/

Next March, First Pitch Florida will join forces with the

National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) for a 3-day event

in sunny Tampa.



March 16-17, 2006

Hyatt Regency

Tampa, FL

Registration Rate: $179 per person

Early Bird Rate: $149 through February 17



A preliminary schedule:



THURSDAY

First Pitch seminars in the morning

Spring training ballgame in the afternoon

NFBC mock drafting in the evening



FRIDAY

First Pitch seminars in the morning

NFBC auction leagues begin in the afternoon

Possible ballgame as well

More NFBC auction leagues in the evening



SATURDAY

NFBC Main Event



SUNDAY

Free time for more ballgames -- this is FLORIDA!



It will be an incredible weekend. We will begin to take

reservations shortly.

Oh, Yeah Baby! When you start taking sign-ups, you can put my name on the list!



FYI for you folks thinking about Tampa....the Seminole Hard Rock Casino is less than 10 miles from where we are doing the NFBC draft and according to their website they DO have a poker room...for those of you who may be so inclined to fill a few hours that way!

Okay Wayne, you've been annointed as the tour guide in Tampa for this spring! Take care of the folks down there.



Just an FYI for everyone planning to compete in Tampa: There is a big convention going on that same week downtown and many of the hotels are booked already. In fact, we were unable to get a room block at the Tampa Hyatt Regency because they didn't have enough rooms available to give us. There are certainly rooms available in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, but getting something right next to the Hyatt might be tough. Keep looking and if anyone in that area can post a list of affordable hotels for the troops, that would be great.



Don't wait until the last minute to get your rooms as the prices will only go up as we get closer to March. Thanks everyone.

One of our good customers said he booked four nights at the Best Western All Suites Hotel near Busch Gardens for $392 ($89-$109 per night). It's 7.1 miles from downtown. I'll keep posting updates for anyone looking for good hotel prices in the Tampa area. Come one, come all!!!

Ron is now taking signups for the First Pitch Forum in Tampa as this is a separate registration from what we're doing with the NFBC. Go to http://www.firstpitchforums.com/florida/ for more information.

Check out the Belleview Biltmore outside of tampa.1-800-237-8947.

Here's another option from one of our customers coming to Tampa:



I went to hotels.com and will be staying at the Tahitian Inn and Spa for four nights for approx $450.

Here's another option from one of our customers coming to Tampa:



I just booked at the Baymont Tampa, Busch Gardens for $80 a night. I got Wed-Sun, the place has a business center, High-Speed in the room and a fitness center. Mapquest says it is 15 minutes, 7-8 miles from the Hyatt.

Guys, if you're interested in attending Ron's First Pitch Forum in Tampa, please drop him a line or sign up soon as we're also interested in purchasing tickets to a Thursday afternoon MLB game in Lakeland or St. Pete (the Yankees are sold out that day). We're trying to figure out how many participants we'll have and any input from you guys will help. The seminars will be held Thursday morning, we'll go to a ballgame Thursday afternoon, host an NFBC mock draft on Thursday night and then have more seminars on Friday morning. That will lead into the Friday afternoon auction leagues!!! What a weekend of fun.



Here's the links in case you haven't looked this over yet.



Main information page:

http://www.firstpitchforums.com/florida/



Signup page:

http://www.firstpitchforums.com/florida ... signup.htm



Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested but don't want to sign up just yet, so I can give Ron a head's up. Thanks.



Also, I will probably attend the Chicago First Pitch Forum if anyone is going there. I'll be the goof in the crowd with the Brett Favre jersey on!!!



[ January 23, 2006, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]