Released by the Toronto Blue Jays after four seasons in the team’s affiliates, Jean-Christophe Masson felt he had to rediscover the pleasure of playing baseball. It is with this in mind that the outfielder from Lévis headed to a country much better known for the round ball than the seam ball: France.
If I talk to people on the street, they don’t know too much about baseball, but the people involved with the Huskies are very passionate. It’s a team that has won many championships, launches the new color bearer of the Rouen Huskies in the French Division 1 Championship.
The decision to join the ranks of a semi-professional team from Normandy may seem surprising, but we must take into consideration the rather atypical career path of the 21-year-old athlete.
The youngest player drafted in major baseball history, in 2019, Masson made his professional debut just after completing high school.
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Jean-Christophe Masson in 2019, a few months after being drafted.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Bruno Giguère
years, I have always been in Florida or elsewhere involved in baseball 100%. Schedules are very busy in the minor leagues and everything is focused on performance. I gave it my all and I don’t regret it, but I needed a breath of fresh air.”,”text”:”Since I was 16, I’ve always been to Florida or elsewhere involved in baseball 100%. Schedules are very busy in the minor leagues and everything is focused on performance. I gave it my all and I don’t regret it, but I needed a breath of fresh air.”}}”>Since I was 16, I’ve always been in Florida or somewhere involved in baseball 100%. Schedules are very busy in the minor leagues and everything is focused on performance. I gave it my all and I have no regrets, but I needed a breath of fresh air.
Take the shock
Released by the Blue Jays last August after a 47-game season at level A, the Lévisien admits to having needed a few months to absorb the shock. He was still thinking about the continuation of his athletic career at the beginning of winter when he heard about Rouen.
A link was already made since the Capitals were planning an evaluation camp in France headed by the Huskies.
I was training the young Canonniers de Québec and, one morning, Dominik Walsh and Patrick Scalabrini mentioned this opportunity to me. I saw it as a chance to go see Europe and join a club known for winning championships.
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Jean-Christophe Masson training at the Baseball 360 center, in 2020.
Photo : Radio-Canada
In the French first division, four or five foreign players per team are paid. Jean-Christophe Masson therefore has a few teammates who have just finished university careers in the NCAA, while the rest of the team is made up of local amateur players. The latter having a job during the week, the matches are only played on the weekend.
I was asked to get a little involved in the organization as a coach during the week, but I will have more time and freedom to discover aspects of life that I have seen less until now, rejoices the great acrobat.
One step before the Capitals
Barely arriving in Rouen two weeks ago, he attended the first rugby match of his life. Then he went for a short trip to Paris with a teammate. Two days wasn’t enough to see everything, but the sightseeing has already started.
After taking a step back from his experience in minor baseball, Jean-Christophe Masson only draws positives from these years which [lui] learned a lot of things. However, he is looking forward to the different summer that awaits him and the answers that this season in Rouen could bring him.
We’ll see what happens next. Maybe there will be an opportunity to play with the Capitals, but my plan is to settle down in Quebec and go back to school, relates the man who started his season with the Huskies with two victories, the last weekend.
2024-04-13 14:27:15
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