Advertisement

Little League coach questions management of Lac-Saint-Louis Baseball association

Click to play video: 'Lac Saint-Louis baseball controversy'
Lac Saint-Louis baseball controversy
WATCH ABOVE: A sport-études team in the Lac Saint-Louis baseball association has been fighting for a right to play as a team, but as Global's Navneet Pall reports, there are a lot of grudges to be settled – May 23, 2016

MONTREAL – Frank Martinez is an accomplished little league coach.

In 2015, he represented Canada at the Little League Baseball World Series, but Martinez has had a difficult time trying to get his son and his team to play competitively in the Baseball Québec federation.

His son is a sport-études student at Chêne Bleu High School in Pincourt and falls under the jurisdiction of Baseball Québec, a federation of 30,000 players in the province.

“When they go in a sport-études program for football, the players training in football, they get to play together during a season, same thing for basketball.”

The bond between the students runs deep and they want to stick together through the summer because they feel it’s the best way to develop.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Montreal and Toronto ink partnership, vow to return baseball to Expos’ old home

They tried to have their team approved by Baseball Québec.

“It was vetoed by [Lac-Saint-Louis president] Robert Litvack,” said Francis Dupré, the father of Olivier, a student at Chêne Bleu High School.

The 14-year-old is crazy about baseball and his family is willing to make some sacrifices for the love of the game.

However, according to Dupré, the way Baseball Québec and its sub-group, Lac-Saint-Louis Baseball, try to manage his son is troubling.

“The regions or volunteers have a power over my son, which I don’t want them to have,” Dupré said.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“My son and I decide where he’s gonna play and what level he’s gonna try out for. “

When the school team was refused, Martinez did what he thought was logical, he brought them to Little League Baseball – an association not related to Baseball Québec.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Canadian baseball player studying in U.S. hurt by low loonie

“If I don’t do this, there would be no one fighting for this group of kids,” said Martinez.

The problem is Martinez and other parents have to drive all the way to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

“My boys have to travel an hour in traffic to be able to play together when they could play inside the region,” Martinez said.

Robert Litvack refused Global’s requests for an interview.

He deferred instead to Baseball Quebec director general Maxime Lamarche.

“The federation is not built on a model where you play with your friends,” Lamarche said.

“It’s built on a model where you play with people of your city.”

Dupré doesn’t see it that way.

“I’m a paying customer of sport-études, and one of the things promised on their site was that they would be making a new league where all the kids would be followed, 12 months a year, by their instructor,” Dupré said.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Baseball in NDG gaining in popularity

The problems didn’t end there.

On May 10, they were supposed to play an exhibition game against the Montreal Orioles, a Baseball Quebec team.

But their game was allegedly cancelled when Robert Litvack got involved.

It was a major disappointment for Orioles’ head coach Peter Della Corte.

“All I know is that I got an email showing that Rob made a complaint to Baseball Québec, and I see him in the email complaining about it,” Della Corte said.

READ MORE: Montreal welcomes a new baseball team

The Montreal Orioles do not fall under the jurisdiction of Lac-Saint-Louis Baseball.

Coaches and parents are concerned that Robert Litvack has too much power.

Aside from being president of Lac-Saint-Louis Baseball, he is also president and head coach of the Tigers bantam AA team.

According to Martinez, he is also president of the Peewee AA and Mosquito programs and director of coaching and technical director.

“[In] Lac-Saint-Louis, they have one guy who has way too much power, even more power than probably Lamarche. I don’t know,” Martinez said.
Story continues below advertisement

“How come this guy can be the ruler and the prosecutor at the same time?”

Nevertheless, Lamarche stands by Litvack.

“Well it’s kind of a shame that Robert Litvack is being pointed right now,” said Lamarche.

“It’s really about Baseball Québec.”

READ MORE: Montreal mayor taking big swing to bring baseball back to city

On May 19, Global News learned that Maxime Lamarche had reportedly threatened the Little League team and their coach.

“[Lamarche] told me that he’s not willing to work out any type of deal if something negative goes in the press about Baseball Québec,” Martinez said.

Lamarche denies the allegations, but acknowledged that he brought up the issue the last time they spoke.

“I had to tell him how I was feeling about the different questions that I got during the interview,” Lamarche said.

“I told him I was really disappointed that a volunteer was put on the spot, so I just felt it was a good time to tell Frank because I am not talking to that guy really often.”

Martinez said he is now looking at his legal options.

Advertisement

Sponsored content

AdChoices