Jimmy Dion: “Thank you, Dad!”

Like most fathers in the world, Stephane Dion says he doesn’t need anything, whether it’s Christmas, his birthday, or…Father’s Day. No gifts and no special attention.

However, when the idea came to report on the relationship between the former independent baseball player and his son Jimmy for Father’s Day, the father expressed his desire to put the accent on the young man first. Missing target, like a very low curve, outside.

“My father’s story inspires me so much, it tells me that we should never give up,” says Jamie, a 17-year-old from the Quebec City area who is currently one of the brightest hopes for the beautiful province.

Very early in the interview, the young man was posed in the photo to honor his old man: “Thank you, Dad! And Happy Father’s Day!”

Follow his passion

Growing up, Jamie had heard many tales from the past, like that time Stephen Dion, in his early twenties, took “ham sandwiches and $300” to go to Florida for camping. Of course, Jamie wasn’t born yet, but he learned a huge lesson in perseverance, the willingness to do everything to follow his passion and follow his dreams.

To sum up the father’s career, worthy of the film, the former receiver finds himself in Kissimmee, the Houston Astros camp. He also took shots from bowler Doug Drabek as he passed the sidelines.

Not without hitting a few runs during hitting practice, the brave Quebec may not have made the jump to the Astros, but it was enough to find himself, one thing leading to another, with the club, Oklahoma City University Baseball. Finally in 1997, at the age of 27, the Rimouski native fulfilled a dream, against all odds, by playing with the Blue Bull of Bangor, Maine, and Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the independent leagues. With the establishment of contacts, everything would have contributed greatly to the arrival of the capitals, in Quebec, in 1999.

“My dad was the one who taught me to play baseball, but still, even today, is always there to motivate me,” sums up Jimmy Dion, recalling in passing on good memories where, after the Capitals games, he had the opportunity to embark on the field while his father was now an assistant coach with the Quebec squad.

“In recent years, with the outbreak of the epidemic, it has been within a large part of my development. He was there to throw me hitting exercises or to train me as a bowler.

Promising future

Today, the young Dion is a member of the Canadian Baseball Academy (ABC), which includes part of the Quebec elite. He also had the opportunity to participate in the activities of the Canadian Junior Troupe in the spring.

It’s hard to know what the future holds for Jimmy Dionne right now, but one thing is for sure, he has someone close to him who inspires him.

“My role is to give him support and encouragement, and I will always be behind him,” Stefan said.

It is indeed a beautiful story between a father and his son. And for Jimmy, he may not have finished talking about it. The next chapter, as a narrative framework, has yet to be written with a great passion for baseball. like her father.

Write your own story

At 17, Jimmy Dion is already qualified for the next major baseball draft scheduled for July 17-19.

At 6’4″ and just under 215 pounds, Dionne has an interesting profile for recruiters who dare show themselves in the future. A left-handed pitcher, the youngster nonetheless continues to improve his batting development.

“I’m not expecting anything, I live in the present,” that little boy from the Quebec region points out, in view of the return. Often, when I’m performing.

If he intends to capitalize on a streak of championships in the United States with the Canadian Academy of Baseball (ABC) to gain attention this summer, Dion knows full well that his career could also pass through American colleges.

“My goal is to become the best player possible, and I clearly hope to make it to Major League Baseball one day. It will be my biggest dream,” notes Dion, who prefers to keep Earth Spirit.

great experience

Last April, the young Quebecer had a great experience with the Canadian junior team. On the hill, he remarkably ran into the Houston Astros’ hopes as part of a tour of Florida.

“It was my best life experience,” he says of his stay with the national team. It will follow me all my life as I lived there.

Elliott Cadeaux-Lannoy, Charles Olivier Sir, Joshua Jones, Deten Lachance, Felix Morin and Jeremy Bellon are the ones who have defended the colors of the Canadian junior team so far in 2022. There are many names to watch in the coming years, probably, on the eve of the next draft.