Two kids sit down at a table for the Whitecaps Winter Banquet...

and this happened.

When Bennett Sinner, 8, and his brother Eric, 13, second- and seventh-graders at St. Mark Lutheran School in Kentwood, took their seats at a front-row table, they didn't know who would join them. It wasn't long before [Brandon] Inge and his wife, Shani, sat in two of the seats.

"Inge is my favorite player and I was shocked when he sat down at our table," Bennett said.

"Having him at our table is exciting, and I thought it was a joke and I was trying to figure out what television show was messing (around) with me," Eric said.

Making kids think they are on Candid Camera was not the only thing going on yesterday in Grand Rapids.

Who better to sell Detroit Tigers baseball than the organization's No. 1 salesman, Tigers president/CEO Dave Dombrowski, who was in his element Wednesday afternoon as the guest speaker for an invite-only luncheon hosted by the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Despite Dombrowski's baseball talk, the theme behind the luncheon was to show Fifth Third Ballpark could be utilized as more than just a baseball venue.

Dombrowski was back in his element Wednesday night as a guest speaker at the sold-out 15th Annual Whitecaps Baseball Winter Banquet, held at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids.

"For me this was pretty easy because when they asked me to make this presentation ... really, it's baseball and it's about our relationship with the West Michigan club, which is very close and important to us," Dombrowski said. "When you can help out your minor league teams, you do it when it's possible.

Like the other day when Doug Melvin was in town, he went to a meeting of an Appleton civic organization. Thank you for that.

Back in the story, there is a bit with Whitecaps CEO Lew Chamberlain about the potential look of the MWL after it goes to 16 teams in 2010 and then there is this:

The Whitecaps have received two more coaching commitments from former Detroit Tigers John Warden and Dave Bergman for their July 10-12 fantasy baseball camp at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Cost is $895 per person and limited to the first 60 players. Warden and Bergman will join Dave Rosema, Dan Petry and Phil Regan as coaches. For more information, call the Whitecaps' front office at (616) 784-4131.

What's that number again?