OTTAWA-Baseball Canada’s Director of National Teams, Greg Hamilton has accomplished many things during his playing and coaching career in the game of baseball and now he can add having a baseball field named in his honour.
Greg was recognized at a ceremony on March 24th in Montpellier, France where the town’s ballpark and home of the Montpellier Barracudas Baseball Club was officially named “Greg Hamilton Baseball Park”.
“It’s a tremendous honour from the City of Montpellier and everyone involved with the Montpellier Barracudas Baseball Club,” said Greg. “I thoroughly enjoyed my five years in Montpellier and look back with nothing but fond memories.
“Montpellier is one of the most beautiful places I have been to in my life and the relationships that I made from my time there will last a lifetime.”
After a four-year playing career at Princeton University, Greg began his foray into the coaching world in 1991 as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with his Alma matter.
In 1993, Greg was presented with the opportunity to coach in France with the Montpellier Barracudas Baseball Club in the French Division 1 league and after some thought decided that he would take the chance.
Unbeknownst to Greg at the time, this trip to France was the beginning of a five-year reign as Head Coach of the Barracudas program where they captured three Division 1 National Championships.
“I honestly had no idea what to expect when going over to France for the first time,” he said. “Upon arriving, I was welcomed into the Montpellier family as if I was one of their own and instantly felt at home with the French lifestyle and my new surroundings.”
Greg became an important asset to the baseball community in France as he acted as pitching coach with the French National Team in 1994 at a World Cup Qualification series, while also becoming an active member of the Montpellier community.
His contributions were so valued that he was named a honourary citizen of the City of Montpellier in 1997.
“He meant more to French baseball and the Barracudas than you could imagine,” said Gerard Cros, President of the Montpellier Barracudas Baseball Club.
In addition to the field naming ceremony, Greg also spent his time providing instruction to local baseball players and meeting with many city officials, including the Mayor of Montpellier, and other dignitaries.
“True to form, Greg skipped his meal after the ceremony and spent more than two hours teaching defensive fundamentals to the Montpellier Elite team and also provided pitching instruction,” explained Mr. Cros. “Greg has not changed and will always be Greg!”
