Baseball Summer Camp

Charlie Sheen -- Dodgers Stadium 1986

Ken Rizzo, the owner and administator of the Mickey Owens baseball program, was the camp director at the time of Charlie's summertime visits. "Charlie definitely had athletic talent for baseball," said Rizzo. "He was a very good offensive player. It was clear that he had interest in pursuing baseball beyond high school athletics.
"I remember several times when we'd sit on the porch and he'd want to know about his prospects. He was concerned about being a good shortstop in particular. He was serious about the sport, and about taking a good look at his abilities. And he was very intense, very vocal, when he was playing."
One would think that Charlie was destined to be the camp's foremost disciplinary case, but Rizzo remembered him with affection -- even if he did almost have to expel him one time. "He's not one to be comfortable with any rigid authority, that was clear," said Rizzo. "But he wasn't rebellious. Charlie blended in with the other fellows."
"Charlie was a rather quiet kid, a very nice kid," Rizzo recalled. "He wasn't shy though; more introspective and laid back. You could see thoughts at work behind his eyes. Nothing was done out of the ordinary for him because of his father. Nothing more was expected of him either. But I think he expected more from himself all the time. It was important to him to achieve certain self-created goals. That's admirable."
(excerpt from The Sheens)