EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Quebec Capitales president Michel Laplante’s face lit up when he was informed Friday morning that Quebecer Claude Raymond had already played in 1956 at Bosse Field, the same site where the Frontier Baseball finals League took place against the Evansville Club.
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“We will take a photo for Claude when we get to the stadium,” he continued.
Raymond, now 86, was just 19 years old when he played for the Evansville Braves, the Milwaukee Braves’ affiliate.
“I have wonderful memories of Evansville and Bosse Field,” Mr. Raymond said Friday when reached by telephone. We had such a good team this year that we decided to do it halfway through the schedule [sic] Cut the season in two. We were too far ahead in the table… The club that won the second half would play us in the final. In the end, it was Evansville that won the second half and there were no elimination games. »
Remnants of Claude Raymond’s time with the Evansville Braves in 1956 can still be seen in the press gallery at Bosse Field. Photo taken Friday, September 15, 2023, on the sidelines of the Frontier Baseball League final between the Quebec Capitales and the Evansville Otters. Photo Benoit Rioux
Claude Raymond’s memories of Bosse Field seem to be countless. He remembers being the trigger on a triple play in a game against the Keokuk Kernels after a failed attempt. He also remembers very well his teammate Mike Krsnich, who sometimes preferred to sleep in a park near Bosse Field when he discovered that the team hotel was too far from the stadium.
Free pants!
Despite earning just $225 a month to play in Evansville, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu pride also notes that he managed to save on pants purchases this season.
“There was a dry goods store whose owner, Mr. Strouse, was a baseball fan,” he said. He gave pants when, for example, a player hit a home run or a pitcher was credited with a win. »
Upon review, the man nicknamed “Frenchie” finished that 1956 season with a 9-3 record and a 2.57 earned run average.
“So I must have gotten nine pairs of free pants,” Mr. Raymond recalls.
Relieved
From his time at Bosse Field, the Quebec pitcher also remembers his manager Bob Coleman and his dog Silver, who regularly accompanied him to the stadium.
“It was largely thanks to Bob Coleman that I became a pioneer in baseball as a reliever,” said Mr. Raymond, who had a career spanning 12 seasons in major baseball, including 111 games with the Montreal Expos.
Later Friday, as he recounted these few memories of Evansville to Michel Laplante, his face lit up again.
“I hope the Capitals come back with the championship,” Claude Raymond hoped before hanging up.