Quebecer Pierre Arsenault, first recognized for his many years spent with the Montreal Expos and the Miami Marlins as an instructor in the bullpen, fully enjoys his present adventure as an assistant coach with Équipe Quebec, in the Frontier League.
“Obviously, it’s different from the major leagues, but I love it, I have more tasks, I have both hands in it”, he says, about his role alongside manager Patrick Scalabrini .
Now 57, Arsenault works mostly with the team’s pitchers. During the games, he also remains in the shelter of the players, from where he ensures the smooth running of the match, especially among the gunners and receivers.
Matthew Rusch is also part of the coaches of Team Quebec for the moment, but he should return shortly to the Belle Province for personal reasons. Gift Ngoepe, for his part, helps out with the team’s hitters, filling a position as a player-coach.
Something to remind the Toronto Leafs
This stay in the Frontier League is reminiscent of Arsenault of a more distant time, when he himself was a high-level baseball player.
“After my release from the Chicago White Sox organization, I played for two seasons with the Toronto Leafs, in the Intercounty Baseball League, it was in the mid-1980s,” says Arsenault. I see a certain parallel there, whereas we also find here, in the Frontier League, older guys who still have this magic in their eyes because they love to play baseball. “
The maple leaf is however replaced here by the fleur-de-lys …
Keep the dream alive
By relying on his enormous background, Arsenault keeps a clear message for all the players of Team Quebec who still dream of winning a minor league contract.
“What I’m telling the players is that they are all currently selling their services to the 30 major baseball organizations,” says the Quebec instructor. You never know who might be at the stadium to come see a match. “
Even recently, Équipe Québec lost the services of one player, Ontario pitcher Alex Nolan, who signed a new minor league agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays.
“From a personal point of view, it keeps me one foot in the door, admits Arsenault, specifying however that he thinks more about the future of the players in all this adventure. If I have other opportunities, I stay tuned, but I like to get involved with this team. ”
File photo, Le Journal de Montréal
When will a club be in Montreal?
If he dreams first and foremost of the return of Major League Baseball to Montreal, Arsenault would also welcome the arrival of a Frontier League team in the Quebec metropolis.
“When I look at that league, I would certainly like to see it in Montreal,” says the man who worked with the Expos from 1987 to 2002. We have several Canadians, including Quebecers who play there, and they are all passionate guys. who want to play. “
As for the possible return of a major baseball club, Arsenault is obviously following closely the file surrounding the concept of sister cities involving the Tampa Bay Rays, whose most recent saga reported a conflict between owner Stuart Sternberg and the minority shareholders of the Florida formation.
- Before the game scheduled for Wednesday night against the Southern Illinois Miners, Team Quebec had a 2-3 record since the start of the season.
Additional stress
File photo, Le Journal de Montréal
Team Quebec manager Patrick Scalabrini jokes about it: Pierre Arsenault had to deal with additional stress when he learned certain details surrounding the overtime heats in the Frontier League.
If no point is first scored during a 10th round, it is a circuit competition which must decide between the clubs. However, everything suggests that Arsenault, a regular at batting practices, may sometimes be called to the mound in such circumstances to serve as nice offerings to the three hitters designated by Team Quebec.
“I have no fear or nervousness to find myself throwing for our players, even if we are talking about eight pitches per batter and not eight balls hit by each one,” said Arsenault, laughing. If the pitch is wrong, it is a wasted pitch. It doesn’t really scare me, but let’s say I would rather we win in the 10th round. ”
A warm-up period
Where Arsenault says he is less comfortable is that in the event of such an event in overtime, he will inevitably have to warm up again before going to the mound.
“That’s what bothers me more. I’m already starting batting practices before games and couldn’t go there without having had another warm-up; I would risk injuring myself, he admitted, while admitting that such circuit competitions are likely to be rather rare. We will see how it goes, but we are also looking for other options. ”
Ironically, Team Quebec has already taken part in such a circuit competition on Friday, May 28, in the second game of a double program. For the occasion, however, Arsenault was not called to throw, instead giving way to other assistant coach Matthew Rusch and player Jorge Gutierrez.
– In the event of an overtime in the Frontier League, the 10th inning proceeds normally except that each team begins its offensive turn with a runner on second base, as in major baseball. If the tie continues, the homerun contest is scheduled with three players from each lineup and eight shots served to each batter.
