I'm just 16 years old so I'm not sure how good of a job I will do with my Francais Baseball Newspaper column. The Francais Baseball League is made up of 12 teams divided between these french speaking nations: France, Canada (french half), and Martinique (Caribbean Island).
The league has just completed its first season and Giverny (home of Monet) won the championship. My parent team is Diamant, a small city on the southwestern tip of Martinique. They finished last in their league with a 50-88 record.
I play for the Basse-Pointe Bandits a team in the lowest division at Level A. Our team finished in last with a 34-90 record. I was the number one draft pick for Diamant and was drafted as a pitcher. The Bandits used me in two relief appearances before the season ended. But, while my arm was healing they asked me to play in CF. I have mixed feelings about the move. I see myself as pitcher, first, and a hitter second. Since I was a two way player in high school they thought it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not so sure. I'm their number one pick in the draft, three overall, so I guess my career is pretty important to them. OSA has not included me in their top 100, which is a disappointment for me. All I know is I didn't perform very well as a hitter this past season. But, they (management) have told me to not get discouraged, that it takes time.
"Just get in shape this off-season and we'll go from there", they told me. Unlike the other two countries, Martinique always has nice weather. It will be easy to practice outdoors and swim in the warm ocean. I will get myself ready for the 1961 season and hopefully reward them for their confidence in me.
