I feel like, when it comes to me, I’m not your typical baseball player. I got into baseball because my Mom wanted to put me into extracurricular activities when I was 5. I ended up liking it, and she ended up seeing that I was exceling. So she just kept bringing me back every summer. Looking back, I just went with the motion. And then I think I fell in love with it. It was also like an outlet for me, you know, just to get away from it all. With everything else going on.
I didn’t really come from a lot of money. So the levels that I would really play at, it was just kinda local. My first rep team ever was when I was 11 with the Toronto Playgrounds AA and we later on became a AAA team. I then transferred to a different organization called West Toronto. And then you get to a certain age, I think it’s like when you’re 16, where a lot of players, if you’re serious about baseball, go to teams like the Ontario Blue Jays, Terriers. At that time, I was a good player, but I never really had the guidance, nor the money to actually make a decision to do that. So I always faced barriers, but I always knew I’m still good, I love baseball, and I didn’t want to stop playing. So I stayed with the same organization until I was 18. And then after that I didn’t see myself going to college cause I didn’t know how to get there. I had no guidance, no leeway like ‘This is what you do, this is how to get to the next level in the States.’ You gotta think about it, it’s expensive to go out there to play. Being an international student, you have to pay double the fees and the exchange rates.
I ain’t had that kind of funds to do that. So I wasn’t really serious on my baseball path after high school. I was kind of just going with the flow. But my homie was going to JUCO Junior College in New York. And he told me like ‘Bro you’re so good. You should exploit your talents elsewhere outside of Canada.’ I was like ‘Yo, why not.’ So I tried out for the school that he was going to, I ended up making it. So I was like ‘Alright, let me give it a shot.’
So I begged my mom, even though it was financially like there was no way in hell I could have done it. But I’m not thinking like the realistic part of it. I always think about myself, like I wanna play the next level. So she did what she could, she ended up getting me out there. I was out there for a year, went through some real life stuff. And like honestly it made me grow as a person and as a ball player. Made me learn a lot about myself. But stuff happened and I had to come back home, and I obviously couldn’t afford to go back there the following year. I came home and played junior one year and I killed that league, I had all the fire in me. But I’m like ‘I still wanna go to school, and I still wanna play at a high level.’ So Humber College is close to where I live and I’m like ‘Yo there’s this college in Toronto. And I hear they have a decent baseball program. I don’t know what it’s about. It’s not junior college, not D1, whatever it is. But f*ck let me just do it, it’s something.’
So I emailed the coach saying who I was. And then he was like ‘Sure man come out, I wanna give you a campus tour.’ I guess the guy knew who I was originally cause I kinda got a little bit of a name for myself in Toronto baseball. I ended up going to visit him on campus. Show me around, bought me lunch. We went to the facility, he threw me BPs, saw how I hit and then he said ‘Alright, I got you. Next summer league you’ll be signed.’ I ended up staying at Humber for like 4 years and going to Humber actually opened up a lot of opportunities for me. But when covid hit, it was when I really sat down with myself and I was like ‘Yo let me put my all into it.’ And then that year when covid was finished and we played college ball again. I won MVP of the League, player of the year. That’s basically been my baseball journey. I’m not taking anything back, any decisions and choices. It made me who I am today. So that’s why I play with a chip on my shoulder, cause I don’t have a regular baseball journey.
I’m not your regular baseball player. I ain’t privileged, like me and my Mom we never had a car. So every game I had to get too, I had to take the transit. I used to take the bus to my games dressed up already. I used to get looks at me all over the streets, all over the bus, the subway as a kid. I remember it was crazy cause back in the day, we didn’t have Google Maps or IMessage maps. So my Mom would get the address written down on a piece of paper and it was always a mission to find the parks. If we see a diamond and we see a person wearing our jersey or another team’s jersey, it was like literally finding treasure. It was like ‘OK, we made it to the park, we’re good.’ And also leaving the games too. Like having cars drive by me and my Mom, waiting in the bus stop at 9:00 PM, 10:00 PM. Having school the next day. It was kind of just hard just to soak in. It is what it is, at the end of the day we did it. All that stuff I’m telling you, it all plays into who I am as a ball player today. Why I take it so serious and why I have passion. I always had to go against the odds my whole life especially with baseball.
But just as a Canadian baseball player, I feel like it really is a disadvantage as opposed to be from the States. You’re not gonna get the recognition that you should get. You definitely gotta really prove yourself that you’re built for this. And I feel like over here, you gotta have some type of money to make it to the next level. Nowadays, you’re paying for the top coaches, the top elite programs, the top OBJ and those are the type of guys that’ll get you to the next level. At the end of the day, you still gotta pay sh*t out of your own pockets. So if you’re someone like me bro, it’s just unrealistic. As opposed to if you’re from the States, I feel like no matter where you are in the States, there’s someone who really wants you to be on their team. You don’t have to worry about no fees, none of that. I just feel like it’s a easier advantage to make it to any sport you wanna make it too if you’re from America especially baseball.
But for me to have the opportunity to go to Europe with you bro. You gotta understand like this is not normal for someone in my shoes. So for me to get out there, in a different country, to play the sport I love! It was like a f*****g dream come true. The last game we played there it was in Budapest. It was like a movie. The sun was setting, we were drinking beers, I said that speech to all the boys, I literally took a moment for myself, and I was just thankful as f*ck. Cause my situation bro, it’s hard to just do something good for yourself over here. So I was just grateful, like all the hard work that I put in. I feel like I was getting paid off. And it was just nice because when I went to Fort McMurray, it was like go, go, go travel like you’re on the bus. But when I was in Europe, I’m spending time enjoying life with these group of guys right here. So experience wise, with baseball and all that stuff, like it was cool to play teams from different countries and stuff like that. Seeing baseball outside of North America. Like Finkstonball was mad cool, I don’t think I’ll ever experience that again. I was kinda just not taking it for granted, just soaking it all in. And all those times we went out and stuff, that sh*t was cool too. It was a good time bro. And I’m happy I met every single one of you guys out there. And if it wasn’t for Humber, I would have probably not went to The North. Which was also the leeway to get into the IBL.
What I am looking for in my baseball career is that I still wanna put up numbers in the IBL. I think it’s a good enough league to get recognition. I thought I did decent last year, I was actually hot throughout the season. But I didn’t miss a game, I had one of the most plate appearances in the league. Aside from that, I’m still tryna put up numbers, make a name for myself in the league. A lot of guys that were good, for example, there’s this guy that played on Hamilton before I went to Welland and then he got picked up by an independent league called the Quebec Capitales. His name is Justin Gideon, he’s going crazy. I ideally wanna see that for myself and keep playing this game as long as I can. If I get picked up to go somewhere else, I would love to do that. But also, you have put it into perspective like I’m getting up in the age. I just turned 27 a couple weeks ago. And you already know when you get older, you gotta take care of real life, money and all that sh*t. So I’m trying to take care of that, so I can take care of myself on the field. I would definitely want to keep playing as high as I can go, I would love to play in an independent league like Trois-Riviere, Ottawa or Quebec Capitales. Hopefully one day that can be me.
Baseball has taught me a lot of things, but if you fall, you always gotta get back up. You always gotta keep trying. I feel like baseball resembles some of my life. Cause no matter what I went through, I always managed to get on top of it. No matter how many times I strikeout, I always managed to get that clutch hit. That applies to life as well. No matter how many times that you get knocked down, life knocks you down, people knock you down. Just stay true to yourselves, know who you are, be your biggest supporter, and just trust yourself and just look at it as a journey. Don’t look at it too much at the results. Just keep putting in the work. Cause I just feel like everything will just pay off in the long run. If not paid off, everything will make sense in the long run. Just look at it like life, anything that you go through in baseball translates to life. Cause there is no sport that I feel you fail so much. I feel like life, at least for me, you fail more times than you succeed. So don’t ignore the true messages in your life, meaning that like trust your gut more times. Block out the noise. Block out the image that you think that matters on what people may perceive you as. Like f**k that, focus on yourselves, stay true to yourself. If I stayed true to myself at an early age. Man I would have been maybe somewhere higher right now. But you can take it as a grain of salt, take it as a good failure, lessons, and learning, put it all into accountability. That’s how I look at it.
SPAD Players Tribune 
Amazing story by an amazing person and ball player!
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