By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

What would you expect from someone who calls Mascouche, Que. home?

A baseball talent.

Who else is from Mascouche, catcher Raphael Pelletier was asked before Thursday night’s game against the Prairies at the Rogers Centre?

“Former Cy Young award winner Eric Gagne,” said Pelletier. “When I was real young our house was in front of his.”

Well, why is Pelletier not a pitcher like the Quebec icon Gagne, who saved 187 games in his career, including 55 when he won the award in 2003 closing for the Los Angeles Dodgers?

Pelletier shrugged saying “I fell in love with the position.”

He began playing at age 10 with Les Elites du Lanaudiere as a peewee and bantam, making the nationals and earning a silver medal at Summerside, PEI in 2016. He hit .231 (3-for-13) with an RBI. And this year was part of the Quebec team at the Canada Cup in Moncton.

Pro scouts were in the seats Thursday while college recruiters arrive on Friday, first day of the fall “open season” to watch and talk to high schoolers. Pelletier says he is not eligible for the draft until 2020, yet an impressive summer allowed him to ensure his school was looked after.

Playing for Academy Baseball Canada, Pelletier impressed assistant coach Kirk Saarloos to earn a scholarship offer from the TCU Horned Frogs. Saarloos, a former major leaguer, who played seven seasons with the Oakland A’s, Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds saw Pelletier twice: competing in the TCU tournament in Fort Worth at Lupton Stadium and again later at Indianapolis.

Now, the phrase TCU and Canadians does not really go together well. Since 1999 of the 100s of players we have been tracking each year (anywhere from 490 to 750) the only player we recall going to TCU was Vauxhall grad Jeremie Fagnan (Calgary, Alta.) as a JUCO transfer.

The Horned Frogs are a powerhouse, having reached the College World Series in Omaha five times under coach Jim Schlossnagle: 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

The ABC won three Perfect Game tourneys south of the border -- also a fact we don’t remember a Canadian team ever accomplishing. Pelletier’s best game was in the final of one tourney when he went 3-for-4 with a double, two singles and threw out two runners attempting to steal. The ABC knock off Canes Nation 2020, which was fifth ranked in North America.

Coach Rob Fatal (Boucherville, Que.), director general Max Lamarche (Laval, Que.), plus Quebec coaches Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.), Alex Agostino (St. Bruno, Que.) and Ivan Naccarata (Montreal, Que.) were some of the many who played a greater role in exposure for Quebec players.

Pelletier’s favourite player is Cleveland Indians catcher Yan Gomes (“I cheer for players mostly, not teams,” he says). Next would be Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal native Russell Martin of the Toronto Blue Jays.

“I go to the same high school (Ecole secondarie Edouard-Montpeit) that Russell went to,” said Pelletier. “A couple of years ago he came in and spoke to the students,”

Fatal compared Pelletier’s defensive abilities and his work ethic to catcher Maxim St. Pierre (Quebec City, Que.). St. Pierre reached the Detroit Tigers for six games, but played 15 years in the minors with the Rookie-class Gulf Coast Tigers, class-A Oneonta, class-A West Michigan, class-A Lakeland, triple-A Toledo, double-A Erie, double-A Huntsville and the Quebec Capitales of the independent Canadian-American Association.

“Raph’s comprehension of the game is at a high level, you don’t have to tell him anything a second time,” Fatal said.

Pelletier entered the game late and made a fine sliding play to his left to throw out Brodie Guenther (Warman, Sask.) as Quebec and the Prairies battled to a 1-1 tie.

“My goal is to make the pitchers better and help us win,” Pelletier said. And ABC won tournaments in North Carolina in June and two more in Texas at the end of July.

Pelletier is a catch and throw guy, not one to knock the ball over the fence. But travelling from Mascouche to Fort Worth, TCU thinks it has hit a home run.

HE HAD AN EYE FOR TALENT: Scouts were out in full force on Day 1 of the sixth annual Tournament 12 Thursday at the Rogers Centre.

Only one had scouted someone who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC) had been hired by Don Pries, director of the now defunct Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau in 1991. Head Canadian scout Tom Valcke (Windsor, Ont.) showed on the coast to meet his new assistant.

At the end of their initial meeting, Valcke asked who the best player in the province was? Burrows answered Steve Nash (Victoria, BC), who played for Burrows’ brother Bob.

Valcke said “OK, let’s go see him.”

Burrows answered: “Ah, he quit baseball to play basketball.”

Earlier this month Nash was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Burrows sent John Nash, Steve’s father, who was a Division I soccer player in South Africa and still plays, a note of congratulations. John Nash replied congratulating Burrows on having twin grandsons, Kobe and Kruz, now 10 months old.

John sent a text asking “Are you raising Nikki’s boys to play baseball?”

And Burrows said he would, but “If it’s up to their mother they will play soccer ... so they will likely getting in touch for you.”

Burrows told Steve Nash he should have stuck with baseball. Years later after attended Santa Clara college, the scout and hoopster bumped into each other in an airport. Burrows was off on a scouting assignment, while Nash was headed to the NBA 2010. Nash reminded Burrows of his prediction.

Back to Burrows on Day 1 as a scout

“I had raved about his abilities, went on and on,” Burrows recalled. “Tom says ‘Okay, let’s go see him.’ I had to say: ‘Well, he quit to concentrate on basketball.’ I was lucky I wasn’t fired on the spot.”

Nash played for Burrows’ brother Bob Burrows at Lambrick Park in Victoria, BC. Under Burrows’ watch, no less than 444 Canadians were drafted.

Nash had a 19-year career and eight times was an NBA all-star and twice won MVP honours. Nash broke in with Phoenix Suns (1996–1998), moved to the Dallas Mavericks (1998–2004), returned to Phoenix (2004–2012) and finished with the Los Angeles Lakers (2012–2015).

And for one of Canada’s greatest wins ever -- 8-6 against Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 at Bank One Ballpark, Nash was behind the dugout. As the Americans rallied late, Nash looked at his teammate and pointed to the Bank One Ballpark scoreboard which showed Canada winning.