It took a cargo plane, a cross-country flight and a couple of sleepless nights, but top prospects from Canada’s Junior National Team arrived at Rogers Centre for Tournament 12 after a gruelling two-day journey Thursday morning.
Stranded in Mexico because of Hurricane Odile, the team missed the beginning of Tournament 12 while scrambling to improvise travel plans.
“It was kind of scary at first,” said Mississauga first baseman Josh Naylor. “We all knew we were eventually going to get through it, but at first everyone was kind of in shock.”
As families, organizers, scouts and college recruiters waited in Toronto, the players could only play cards and stay patient.
“The worst part was the waiting part,” Terrebonne, Quebec outfielder Jean-Francois Garon said. “We didn’t know what was going on.”
A look at the private jet or "cargo plane" that gave us a lift out of La Paz today. pic.twitter.com/9QGLYodENt
— Mitch Bigras (@Mitch_Bigras44) September 18, 2014
The two-day journey began in earnest Tuesday night, when the team decided to wait for a cargo plane instead of taking a 21-hour bus trip to San Diego. They secured a cargo plane Wednesday and after riding what Garon describes as “the least comfortable plane I’ve ever been in” with members of Team USA for a few hours, they landed in Tijuana. The Canadian team then waited there before crossing the Mexican border, taking a bus to Los Angeles, hopping on an overnight flight to Toronto, landing early Thursday morning and heading to Rogers Centre to play in an 8 a.m. game on barely any sleep.
Not exactly your typical pre-game ritual.
Now it’s time for Garon, Naylor and their teammates to get some food and sleep, but before long they’ll be back on the field at Rogers Centre. By this point many of the late arrivals are used to the spotlight, having already played at last year’s Tournament 12 and travelled extensively with the Junior National Team.
Naylor, a powerful left-handed hitter who could be a top MLB draft pick in 2015, says he’s not easily intimidated anymore.
“When I come into new atmospheres with a big stage, I don’t seem to get nervous because I know my game plays well,” he said.
Naylor, who lists David Ortiz, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Miguel Cabrera and Mike Trout among his favourite players to watch, continues working to become a more advanced hitter.
“I think my game’s going really well right now, and there’s obviously a lot to be done, but with the help of coaches and teammates and family, I think it’s going to be a good ride,” he said.
Like Naylor, Garon says he feels less pressure now than he did a year ago this time. He has worked with former big league outfielder Adam Stern to refine his defensive reads and jumps. Plus, after playing hockey and football during previous off-seasons, he’s turning his focus to baseball. Now it’s a matter of developing as a hitter in advance of the 2015 draft.
“My bat’s the tool that’s going to take me further, to the next level,” he said. “It’s going to carry me, who knows, maybe one day to the big leagues.”
It’ll be a while before the prospects know if their big league dreams will become reality, but in the meantime at least they’re back in Canada.