Martin C. Barry
More than 400 people – including many proud parents and friends – gathered in the auditorium at École Curé-Antoine Labelle in Sainte-Rose on Sunday Oct. 15 for Baseball Laval’s Gala Méritas 440 Laval Chevrolet.
The annual and much-anticipated event pays homage to all the players, coaches, teams, officials and volunteers who contribute to making baseball the exciting sport it is in Laval.
Membership growing
Among those attending the event were Sainte-Rose MNA Jean Habel, as well as Baseball Laval’s president Richard Saint-Amour and the vice-president Jacques Continelli. Representatives of Baseball Laval’s two leading sponsors – Kiana Pagé-Lajoie from 440 Laval Chevrolet and Olivier Landry-St-Laurent from Benny & Co. Chicken & Ribs – were also on hand to present awards to recipients.
In an address at the beginning of the event, Saint-Amour had good news suggesting that the sport is flourishing in Laval, when he revealed that Baseball Laval’s membership rose 10 per cent this past season, raising the membership of young players to more than 800.
Habel’s a baseball fan
Habel, who attended the gala on behalf of the Laval Liberal caucus, said he had long been a fan of baseball and considered himself fortunate to be one of the generation who were able to see the Montreal Expos play before the club moved to Washington D.C. and became the Nationals.
“I thank you all for supporting this great sport which is baseball, and what I think is particularly meaningful is the increase in membership for which I think we all deserve a good round of applause,” said Habel.
Teams that finished the season at the top of the standings in their league and/or who won the regional Benny & Co. championship received trophies during the gala. Among other things, three teams distinguished themselves as teams of the year.
Some of the winners
The Midget AA Associés de Laval won Team of the Year in their category. The Bantam A Éperviers de Vimont-Auteuil also won Team of the Year in their division, while the B division Mosquito Indians de Laval-Nord were Team of the Year for their category.
Nearly 40 more Méritas trophies were handed out to individual Baseball Laval team players whose performance this past season was judged to be exceptional. Several of the winners are now eligible for recognition at the provincial level based on their excellence in 2016. A complete listing of the 2016 winners can be found on the Baseball Laval website: laval.baseballquebec.com.
