In the past 20 years, unsuccessful attempts to establish an independent baseball team in Montreal have multiplied. Far from being discouraged, the big boss of the Capitals of Quebec, Michel Laplante, believes on the contrary that the file is progressing rapidly.
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“Absolutely!” he decided straight away when The newspaper asked him if Montreal could still join the Frontier League soon.
“I really hope that it will progress in the next few weeks. I feel it because we have more and more serious calls, ”he continued.
Obviously, the President of Les Capitales has taken part in several initiatives in this direction in the past and still has in mind the most recent failure on the South Shore of Montreal, when the project was nevertheless going well, a few years ago in sadness. This time, it is on the North Shore that the interest is the most palpable, even if Laplante prefers to remain discreet on the details of the discussions in progress.
“People are very interested. There is a mayor in there who is very, very, very positive. The stage of welding the three levels of provincial politics, municipal politics and the private sector is what must be attached, ”he explained.
The dome changes the portrait
If Laplante displays such enthusiasm despite the failed attempts of the past, it is because the structure of Stade Canac with synthetic surface and dome during the off-season has largely proven itself in Quebec.
During the months of autumn, winter and spring, no fewer than 2,700 to 2,800 athletes of all stripes frequent the dome.
Whether it’s young people in the sports-study baseball program or recreational softball, soccer, ultimate frisbee and other leagues, the infrastructure is used for 3,600 hours of rental, good year wrong year.
“Until four or five years ago, I could understand a city being reluctant to build $30 million infrastructure just to shine with a sports team. On the other hand, what we have been doing with the dome and the synthetic for a few years is an infrastructure that serves all citizens. It gives a positive signal to the effect that we can democratize an infrastructure, ”he pleaded.
Many visits
In the last two years, Laplante ensures that the number of visits to cities and investors from all over Quebec has exploded.
“Of the 24-25 visits we had, including many from the Montreal area, the stadium projects are like us, including dome and synthetic. It means that the model we have here really tickles people.
“We are asked questions about the financial structure and there is a sharing of information. Once people realize the possibilities, it’s not just 51 local games, but 100 to 115 summer events plus all the activities the rest of the year. Things are changing,” he said.
The league is ready
On the side of the Frontier League, Michel Laplante does not hide that the leaders are struggling to understand why the project of a team in Montreal takes so long to unlock.
“Montreal has so much capacity in terms of population and corporations. We have American leaders in the league who ask me: “What the fuck is going on?” laughs Laplante.
“Through the years, we sold the project in a league [CanAm] to six teams, without synthetic or dome. There, we are talking about a league of 16, which will probably increase to 20 teams within two years. If the pandemic had not slowed us down, most likely there would already be a stadium under construction in the Montreal area.
14 straight wins: All good things must come to an end
The Capitals set a team record this week by signing 14e straight win. The feat is grand, but it’s far from a bad thing that the happy streak is now a thing of the past.
On Wednesday, the team saw its incredible winning streak come to an end with a trip to Kentucky, against the Florence Y’alls.
Even if such sequences are intoxicating and lead to an even higher level of interest among some fans, Michel Laplante believes that it is good, at this advanced stage of the season, to move on.
“I think it takes a pressure off. When you find yourself in a streak like that, you can be in a match where you lead 6 to 4 and you feel the obligation to bring your closer even if he’s been pitching for three days because you want to go for 15 straight wins.
“At some point, it can settle a certain heaviness to win the 15th, but yet, it is not what we want. What it takes is to win the marathon and make the playoffs with our healthy world,” he said.
The excellence of Scalabrini
JEAN-FRANCOIS DESGAGNES/JOURNAL
Incidentally, Laplante took the opportunity to salute the work of Patrick Scalabrini, who, year after year since 2010, has done everything possible to ensure that his team is competitive as desired.
“Winning 14 online baseball games is so hard! You never have the same starter. You can go on a 14-in-20-game winning streak because you have three starters who are hot. But starting from where we were to get there, it’s crazy.
“At the same time, I’m no longer surprised because Pat, it’s not the first time he’s done this. I’ve been watching him go for 13 years and nothing surprises me with him anymore. Should Team Quebec be in the playoff race in 2021? No, because we played the first 50 games on the road. However, we made the series. The guy will continue to amaze me, but surprise me, no! praised Laplante.
2023-07-28 20:00:51
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