Ontario Royals RHP Ethan Rampersad (Mississauga, Ont.) braces for action on the mound.

April 17, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

OAKVILLE - Ethan Rampersad is sitting in the lobby of the Ontario Royals’ indoor facility alongside his pal Zev Salsberg.

Rampersad (Mississauga, Ont.) has thrown his bullpen without a hat on and now he is being interviewed as he fiddles with one of the nine bracelets on his left wrist.

“My best game ever?” he repeats the question thoughtfully.

It would have to be, he decided, a game against the Windsor Selects in Windsor.

“It was very emotional before the game,” he said.

And why was that?

“Well, I had just lost my grandmother, her name was Resurrection,” Rampersad said. “Then, when I got out on the mound everything felt good.”

The results looked better than good: 13 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. He left with a 3-2 lead ... and the bases loaded.

“Then, Zev came in ...” he said.

And what happened?

“I struck him out,” said Salsberg. “He got the win. I got the save.”

Rampersad said, “I felt like my grandmother was with me that day in Windsor.”

Grandmas always watch from above.

Just like grandpas.

All that was needed was Riley Green’s “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” song playing in the background.

Grandmas. Grandpas.

We miss them all equally.

“I went to Manilla in the Phillipines to visit her, some parts of the city are very poor,” he said. “My grandmother showed me how to make something out of things.”

The teenager credits his father, Nezam, a manager for DB Schenker, and his mother Esmeralda, for his love of baseball.

Over the years he played for the Oakville A’s, Erindale Cardinals and Mississauga Majors, where his younger brother Jonathan now plays at the bantam level.

His most influential coaches were Mike Irving at Erindale, his coach for eight years -- as well as attending Irving’s Batter Up camps -- and Autumn Mills, his coach at Oakville.

“Autumn really guided me, helped me a lot,” he said.

Now that we have discussed his best -- with grandma watching from above -- Rampersad was asked about his worst outing. He said it was probably a game in Pittsburgh.

“I went walk, walk, walk ... probably gave up four runs in two innings,” he said. “I was too cocky.”

With the Royals he says coach Matt Mills “let’s me do my thing and be myself.”

And doing his thing is sporting nine bracelets on his left arm, two anklets, three rings and three chains. Of the three rings, two are from his aunt Nadine and one from his father. Of the chains one is his for his confirmation, one is his birth chain and the final is his grandma’s pearl necklace.

Rampersad is long and lean with a pitcher’s frame. At 6-foot-1, he says he weighs 144 pounds with jewelry ... “143 without.”

Moving to the bracelet rundown: three are from his aunt (one given to him when he was age four). The others are from a friend, one from his mom, who gave a matching bracelet to Ethan’s brother Jonathan, friend Aaron Wang, friend Kailey Mercier and the highest one on his wrist -- the one closest to his heart -- is for breast cancer which took his dear grandmother.

To paraphrase Riley Green, “I wish grandmas didn’t have to die.”

RHP Zev Salsberg (Toronto, Ont.) throws before scouts packing (radar) guns.

* * *

Salsberg (Toronto, Ont.) came to the Royals thanks to recruiting by 17U coach Mills (Hamilton, Ont.).

“I knew about the Canadian Premier League and coach Mills came to one of my games when I was with North Toronto,” he said.

Salsberg joined the Royals for fall ball and that’s when he pitched what he says was his best game ever. He faced the Ontario Nationals at Neyagawa Park in Oakville.

“It was a chance to earn my spot on the team, an opportunity to showcase myself, whether I was going to make the team,” Salsberg said.

He pitched five innings and left with the lead. He allowed three runs -- one earned -- on six hits and a hit batter, while fanning three.

It was an exciting finish as left fielder Solly Wener leapt high above the fence to steal a possible game-winning, grand slam off a pitch by reliever Declan Troy for the final out.

There might an argument as to what was his best start. Some would counter with a 1-0 win over the Hannibal LaGrange University Trojans JVs, an NAIA school from Missouri, this spring during the RussMatt Central Florida invitational in March.

Pitching for the 17U Royals he worked three scoreless and hitless innings, walking three and striking out two college hitters. He faced one batter over the minimum thanks to a second-inning double-play ball and a caught stealing.

Salsberg credits his parents -- Devorah, a teacher, and Kerry, an optometrist -- for supporting his love of the game. And also 15U coach Kirby Davidson.

Salsberg poses for picture arms folded, but right arm ready.

“He knew I wasn’t at the same level as some of the other players,” Salsberg said. “If it wasn’t happening for me, he stayed with me, despite the frustration.”

Salsberg was clocked Saturday at 85-86 MPH at a Mississauga showcase and has been 90 mph from the outfield.

LHP Jacob Malinauskas (Oakville, Ont.), who has committed to the University of Missouri, Rampersad and Salsberg are three of the jewels in the Royals pitching crown.

Elliott: Salsberg and Rampersad, two regal arms for Ontario Royals