Lakewood Ranch man lives out lifelong Dream

David Abremski has to feel like a star.

The 61-year-old Lakewood Ranch man was a participant at Baltimore Orioles Dream Week, which ran Jan. 21-27 at Twin Lakes Park and Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

Abremski played for a team coached by 1983 World Series champion pitcher Bill Swaggerty and third baseman Leo Gomez. The week also featured such past O’s players as popular catcher Rick Dempsey, outfielders Mike Devereaux and Gary Roenicke and Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer.

Watching Abremski play, you can barely tell his age. He was diving for grounders at shortstop, yelling out throwing assignments to teammates during pressure situations and slapping doubles to left center with ease.

“Years ago, that would have been a triple,” Abremski said after one of his doubles.

"He's been absolutely amazing," Swaggerty said. "He's got a bad knee, but he's playing hard. He's been my No. 3 hitter. He's my most consistent hitter, my best pitcher on the mound, and a general in the infield. I had him last year. I had him this year. I'll draft him every single time he's available."

Last year was Abremski’s first at the camp. The Orioles say a round trip package including flights from Baltimore costs $4,601. Since Abremski lives here, it’s not quite as expensive but still a pretty penny.

Why pay that much for a week of baseball when he could, say, take a vacation?

Abremski is originally from Baltimore. He was raised an O’s fan by his father, Henry Abremski, Jr., and grandfather, Henry Abremski, Sr. He remembers going to Memorial Stadium for the first time at 9 years old.

He felt similar things when he walked into the O’s clubhouse and saw his name above a locker, with personalized jerseys hanging in it. Abremski said it was the moment “the dream started to take hold.”

The meals, sessions with the club’s athletic trainers and a free laundry service are other perks of the week. Like real MLB players, the participants hold meetings every morning, going over good plays and bad. Abremski said the pros do not hesitate to roast people if they made a mistake. He hasn’t been roasted himself, but said he probably deserved a zinger a time or two.

Abremski was the first participant to arrive at Ed Smith Stadium for a Jan. 25 game.

“I walked out there under a beautiful blue sky,” Abremski said. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘I’m not at work. I’m here playing baseball in this stadium. It couldn’t be better.”

In the end, what baseball means to Abremski is what it means to many people, myself included. It’s a trip to the past, when you were younger and had not one care in the world other than playing the game. To live within that experience for a whole week, and get treated like royalty while doing so, well, you can’t put a price on that.

“I love sports,” Abremski said. “They have always been in my blood. I enjoy playing. I want to do well (here). You have that locker room fun going, making friends and enjoying the camaraderie. It brings me back.”