September 18, 2024

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Day II of the Canadian Futures Showcase went off without a hitch.

Games were played.

Plays were made.

Balls were driven into the gap.

A couple of umpires did Enrico Palazzo impressions.

Notes were made by scouts and recruiters, as players were evaluated.

Not once did the Rogers Corporation call in a Zamboni to flood the Rogers Centre carpet and make it into a practice pond for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs at Christie Pitts remain independent.

Rogers may now own all of the city’s sports franchises but life went on as normal inside the dome which sits behind Ted Rogers statue. We have to check on Thursday if a hockey stick has been added.

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Elliott, Futures Day 1 - Cheong, Ellis, George, Laird, Rompre

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We managed to talk to a few players ...

Name: 1B Esteban Dessureault.

Hometown: Trois-Rivières, Que.

Current team: Team New Blue.

Travel team: Academie Baseball Canada.

Committed: Stetson College.

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “My brother Yohann Dessureault. We travelled the same path from travel ball to college ... from Trois-Rivières, to the ABC, to TNXL and now to Stetson. He showed the way. He’s a second baseman. I’m bigger and have more power. My brother is more of a contact hitter (although he did hit 12 home runs this spring).”

What was your greatest day on the ball field? “In Ottawa (in 2023) I hit a home run in the Prospect Game off Matteo Pare (Windsor, Ont.). Then, in the home run derby I hit six. Alex Kean (Woodstock, Ont.) and I each hit six, then Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC) hit nine in our two minutes of time. Myles Naylor hit his 10th in less than a minute to win it.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job for you when you grow up? “I’d like to start a baseball superstore like Baseball 360. There is one in Quebec City and Trois-Rivieres, plus I am told new ones are opening in London, and Barrie. It’s a store for everything you need baseball wise, but it also has a batting facility in it. I’d like to open one in a smaller Quebec city to keep baseball alive.”

The most important life lesson you have learned from the game? “Respect my teammates and my umpires. Here I am playing in a big-league stadium and we are all creating memories. For that, I thank the coaches, the scouts, the organizers and the Blue Jays.”

What four people (living or passed away) would you invite to a mythical diner and why? “Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, Babe Ruth and Russell Martin. Bonds was the greatest hitter of all time, Bryant had a dedication better than anyone else, The Babe maybe was the best player ever and Russell came from Quebec, I’d like to hear how he made it to the majors and became Canada’s greatest catcher.”

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Name: INF Hudson Kiss

Hometown: Toronto, Ont.

Current team: Team New Blue.

Travel team: Team Ontario Astros.

Committed: Not yet.

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “My parents, mom, Andrea, a sales rep for SAP software and my dad, David, who manages an office building in Hamilton. Without them I wouldn’t be the player I am. They both have been supportive.”

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life -- besides your parents -- and why? “My brother Tanner, 20, He played in North Toronto. I always try to be as good as him -- who doesn’t want to be better than their older brother? I used to be in downhill ski races and competed in international competitions. The biggest would have been in Whistler, BC. There were competitors from 15 different countries there. My last year I was the provincial champion at 16U at Searchmont outside of Sault Ste. Marie. I had some crashes at 10 and 12U, but nothing major. I never hit any trees.”

What was your greatest day on the ball field? “A walk-off double against the Toronto Mets playing for 16U coach Kyle McKay. We had first and second, two out and my hit scored both runners for a 5-4 win to end a seven-game losing streak at Dan Lang Field.”

Who is your favourite player and why? “Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs, because he’s a left-handed hitter and we wear the same number (35). My swing isn’t like his.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job for you when you grow up? “An investment banker, like my brother Tanner. My sister Cadence is on the same path.”

The most important life lesson you have learned from the game? “To get to something good you have to work through the hard parts. After that you push hard.”

What four people (living or passed away) would you invite to a mythical diner and why? “Joe Rogan, David Goggins, Marcus Aurelius and Kobe Bryant. Rogan has the No. 1 podcast in the world, Coggins is a retired Navy SEAL who has written books that I really like, Aurelius was a Roman philosopher and Bryant was a player who worked so hard throughout his whole career.”

(We have asked this questions 100s of time and this is the first invite extended to a diner guest who died in 180 AD, as Aurelius did.)

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Going Yard Goats Trentin Kooy (Saskatoon, Sask.)

Name: OF Trentin Kooy.

Hometown: Saskatoon, Sask.

Current team: Team Black.

Travel team: Going Yard Goats

Committed: Not yet.

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “My parents. My mother, Terra, a middle school teacher and my father Corey Kooy is an occupational therapist. My dad will train with me, take me to the gym. He’ll play catch with me. No, he didn’t play baseball. He was a slo-pitch player.”

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life -- besides your parents -- and why? “My coaches Jordan Draeger, Brady Boyenko and Marshall Dean, who I think all played college ball. Jordan (Bluefield State and Williston State) and Brady (Prairie Baseball Academy) are my coaches with Going Yard and Marshall (Colby) taught me a lot about the game coaching me with the Saskatoon Cubs.”

What was your greatest day on the ball field? “Playing at the Junior Futures Games in Lake Point, Ga. I hit well and it was fun meeting kids from across the country. It was not just players from Saskatoon or Saskatchewan players Gabe Larocque (Sudbury, Ont.) was on that team … he was probably our best. . What a facility: eight diamonds, all turf fields. My best game was a lead-off triple against an American team -- I don’t remember what team we were playing.”

Who is your favourite player and why? “Bobby Witt, Kansas City Royals. I love watching him play. I hope I can bring that form of energy and his hustle from his position to my position.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job for you when you grow up? “Maybe kinesiology or being a chiropractor. Any time I visit one (chiropractor) you’re in and out and it’s done. I used to have back issues.”

The most important life lesson you have learned from the game? “To learn from your failures. It is OK to fail. You get back up and you keep going.”

What four people (living or passed away) would you invite to a mythical diner and why? “My mom, my dad, my grandma Sharon and my oldest brother Talon. My grandmother is still the biggest Blue Jays fan ever. My grandmother texts me every day ‘How is it going?’ Do I answer? Of course. Talon is so my oldest brother. (Missing seats at the mythical diner are Titan, 18 and Thane, 14.)”

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Windsor Selects Trent Rudge (Cottam, Ont.)

Name: RHP Trent Rudge.

Hometown: Cottam, Ont.

Current team: Team Royal.

Travel team: Windsor Selects.

Committed: Not yet.

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “My mom, Sherry, who works in a law office. My dad, Tim, who works for Ex-Core car parts. They continue to allow me the best I can be with zero limitations. They took me anywhere I wanted to go ... try outs for the Canadian Futures and other events.”

What was your greatest day on the ball field? “Wednesday. I pitch against Team Navy. I’ve been to a game here at Rogers Centre before, but this is surreal ... sitting in the dugout, being in the bullpen area for the testing. You grow up dreaming about pitching off a major-league mound and now I’m going to get my chance. My favourite Blue Jays memory: Jose Bautista’s bat flip game in 2015.”

Who is your favourite player and why? “Hunter Brown, Houston Astros. My coaches -- Chad Matton and Riley Vernon know him. Growing it up it had to be hard for him, pitching at Wayne State, a Division II school. The odds were against him. (Brown was a fifth round choice of the Astros and in three years is 24-21 with a 4.10 ERA, striking out 371 in 340 innings).”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job for you when you grow up? “A baseball scout. I want to stay around the game. Maybe some day I’ll be covering this event.”

The most important life lesson you have learned from the game? “I had a bad game one weekend against the Great Lake Canadians. Aaron Howell, my coach, asked me on the Monday, ‘Want to know what’s going to happen tomorrow? The sun’s going to come up.’ I’ve learned if you have a bad outing or a good one, you just have to wipe it.”

What four people (living or passed away) would you invite to a mythical diner and why? “Hunter Brown, Drake, Justin Verlander and my father. Hunter, I would like to know his thought process, Drake because I love his music, Justin because he is my father’s favourite player and my dad so he could meet Justin.”

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Pro scouts on hand: Blue Jays (six), Cincinnati Reds (three), Kansas City Royals (three), San Diego Padres (three), Philadelphia Phillies (two), and one each from the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Experience needed: The Blue Jays Academy didn’t hire people who say “back catcher,” which is common around these parts and makes baseball people shudder.

T.J. Burton, program manager, amateur baseball and Geoff Seto, program specialist made sure of that. Burton, who pitched nine seasons in the Cleveland and Houston Astros systems and Seto, a former Niagara University Purple Eagles have working for the Blue Jays Academy:

Former minor-leaguer ... Malik Collymore (Mississauga, Ont.), who spent six seasons in the minors with the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds.

Canucks who played college ball south of the border ... Gregory Zilli (Oakville, Ont.) Oklahoma State, Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.), Kansas State, Dan Telford (Newmarket, Ont.), South Dakota State, Rushil Bhat (London, Ont.) St. Bonaventure, Darcy Moore (Newmarket, Ont.), Freed-Hardeman and Troy Daring (Brampton, Ont.), Wayne State.

OUA players ... Kyle Thalheimer (Richmond Hill, Ont.), University of Waterloo, Justin Parro (Whitby, Ont.), Brock, Luke Whitehouse (Oakville, Ont.), Guelph.

Former elite league players ... Alec Beneteau (Markham, Ont.) and Josh Kalmin (Vaughan, Ont.), Ontario Blue Jay, plus Hee Do Kim (North York, Ont.) and Ryan Grant (Mississauga, Ont.), Terriers.

Ex-Team Canada Womens team, Brittany Chan (Richmond Hill, Ont.)

Former college softballers: Hall of Famer Lith Webb (Windsor, Ont.) California-Pennsylvannia, Sierra Bertrand (Stirling, Ont.), Niagara, Riley Carter (Markham, Ont.) Butler; Amelia Russo (Kelowna, BC), Alexis Ferreira (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Reese Velocci (Etobicoke, Ont.) Humber College.

Well done ... we had no idea of all the baseball knowledge working behind the scenes putting on this great event.