Baseball Matters! Spring Training, and Baseball in the MCQ.
By Andrew Ryan, CASE Culture & Heritage Coordinator
Uncle Gerry, Aunt Sharon and Andrew, Dunedin Florida: March 2017
WHAT I LOVE most about Spring is the gradual warming of the weather, the feeling of sun on my skin, and the longer days. Spring is a great time to start a new routine or find new inspiration. Some people associate Spring with gardening and, for others, it may be hiking, biking or just getting outside and enjoying nature. However, for many, Spring means baseball!
I remember the very first time I saw an MLB Spring training game. It was March 2017 and I was on a solo-trip to visit my beloved Aunt Sharon and Uncle Gerry in Florida. On a whim, we decided to see a game together: the Blue Jays in Dunedin. I was amazed at how close to the action we were for such high-quality professional baseball. How sweet was that, seeing big-league players like Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzky, and Marcus Stroman, in an intimate stadium setting! I immediately fell in love with the spring baseball vibe. Sadly, my Aunt Sharon passed away April 19, 2023 after a tough battle with cancer; exactly one year to this day. Aunt Sharon was an amazing woman, a positive spirit to all she met, and I will always cherish the time we spent together in Florida, including that particular game.
Where can I go to watch baseball in Quebec?
I grew up on Prince Edward Island, and made a big move to Drummondville in 2019. I feel very fortunate to be raising my young family here. I am a proud father to a sweet and active 5-year-old boy. Of course there have been some challenges transitioning to my new home, such as adapting to a new language and developing a social network within the community.
Last year I was at a playground with my son when I overheard someone speaking - in English - to his own young son. So of course I introduced myself. I quickly discovered the father’s name is Michael Zgorzelski, infielder for the Brock de Drummond baseball team. Michael, originally from New York, moved to Quebec in 2013. He informed me that the City of Drummondville has begun major renovations on the Brock Nutrite Lambert Stadium. This new stadium, to be completed in 2025, will have 800 seats, food services, and a brand-new parking area. This is exciting news for local sports fans! For the 2024 season, Le Brock will play their home games in Acton-Vale at The Léo-Asselin stadium, home of Les Castors. I encourage you to take advantage of the family-friendly baseball venues in the MCQ and to support your local teams! Brock de Drummond competes in the Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Québec (LBMQ), consisting of 2 divisions with 11 teams. 4 of these teams are located in the Mauricie-Centre du Québec (MCQ): Cascades de Shawinigan, Castors D’Acton Vale, Brock de Drummond and Cactus de Victoriaville.
Make it stand out
#23 Michael Zgorzelski (IF), Brock de Drummond
On Men, Fathers, Baseball Bob and Les Aigles de Trois Rivieres
Two weeks ago, I was speaking with my colleague Tanya Bolduc, our Communications Coordinator, about our new Men's programming for CASE. While discussing launch ideas for the new program, we discussed baseball, because Tanya had also recently become aware that baseball in Quebec is in fact alive and doing very well! Tanya learned this from a local celebrity named Baseball Bob (we’ll get to that in a bit).
Les Aigles de Trois Rivieres will play their home opener on May 17th at the historic Stade Quillorama. The Quillorama stadium dates back to 1938 and Les Aigles compete in The Frontier League, which is an independent professional baseball league in eastern and midwestern Canada and the United States. Presently the team has a partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB) for the development of young players. This is high quality baseball! What a great place to launch our new Men’s programming. Tanya quickly made contact with the Aigles organization and designed the promotional material for the event. The following day, I was put in contact with Baseball Bob!
Bob McDuff, aka “Baseball Bob”
Baseball Bob’s first publication of his series of illustrated children’s books, available in English & French.
The historic Stade Quillorama, home of Les Aigles de Trois Rivieres
Bob McDuff aka ‘Baseball Bob’, I have learned, is a well-known figure in the MCQ. Bob has been passionately involved with baseball for more than 50 years, serving as both general manager and ambassador of les Aigles de Trois-Rivières. With his wife, Nicole Girard, he co-founded the Fernand Bédard Baseball Museum (located at Stade Quillorama) and published a book titled The Story of Professional Baseball in Trois-Rivières (2022). In 2023, Bob wrote and launched a book titled Baseball Bob and the One-armed Wonder, which is the first book in a series of six. The book collection targets children 4 years old and above. Adults will surely enjoy the various themes as well! Last week I asked Bob if he would be interested in sharing his story. Bob has so many fascinating stories to share, best done through his own voice. Stay tuned for more on our next MCQ Views and Voices podcast.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to reach out to me at casemcq.project.agent@gmail.com. I would be happy to hear from you, and learn more about your life experiences in the MCQ.
