Montreal Royals battle Quebec and rainy weather on weekend

Published on June 1, 2009

Published on February 6, 2010

Mike Somma

Despite a cold, windy and rainy afternoon, the Espoir Midget AAA Minor Montreal Royals were able to complete most of a scheduled double header against the visiting Quebec Condors this past Sunday. After winning the opener 5-1 on the strength of a brilliant pitching performance by Bryan Blouin, the skies opened up in game 2, forcing the game to be postponed. Though the Royals trail by two, they will pick up the game with the bases loaded when it is resumed.

This is the first year of existence for the Espoir program, which was founded as a way to ensure that first-year Midget players receive as much playing time as possible in a more challenging league. In previous years such players would find themselves stuck behind veterans in Midget AAA, receiving little to no playing time, or might have played a lot in AA, but at a lower level of competition.

Royals Manager Ray Callari is strongly in favour of the program, which received the green light from Baseball Quebec after great discussion this past offseason. The goal, of course, is to provide the best possible avenue for young players to maximize their potential. “You never know if there are any future major leaguers amongst us, but this program definitely gives young players the opportunity to improve and prepare for Midget AAA next season,” offered Callari, who has made a career in baseball as a scout for the San Francisco Giants. “I really believe in it and hope that it continues to grow.”

As it stands the league is a loose affiliation of teams stretching from Quebec to Cornwall who will face each other 2-4 times over the course of the summer. Each team is also encouraged to find more games to play, either through exhibitions or organized tournaments. For his part, Callari expects the Royals to play 40 to 52 games this year.

Just last weekend they attended the first annual Hudson Valley Memorial Classic in Middletown, New York, earning two victories in four games. They have several more tournaments lined up, including Saratoga, Colchester, Niagara Falls, Ottawa and the Baseball Quebec Challenge.

The many games and practices scheduled ensure that everyone will get a chance to work on their skills and sharpen their baseball minds, something that Callari is excited to see. “I really like this group of kids. So far the effort has been there and they’re just starting to realize how good they can be if they put in the work. I’m looking forward to reflecting upon their development at the end of the season.”

Local boys on the team include Vince Knerr, Jamie Fuoco, Alex Levis, Alex Rousseau, Mitch Arnott and the aforementioned Brian Blouin.