Atidy stadium with a single set of stands has become, at least for one long weekend in September, the capital of French baseball...

Located 40 km south of Paris, the field sits on the edge of a nondescript business park and one could easily drive past it without noticing. The stadium is home to the Templiers of Sénart, France’s newly-crowned baseball champions, and the site of the first ever France International Baseball Tournament.



Japan, Belgium and Holland have come here to play for little more than practice and bragging rights should they pull off a victory, but organisers hope Sénart proves to be the fertile ground for French baseball to thrive in. Contrary to what many may think, the “old ball game” is not new to France. The country’s first baseball federation was founded in 1924 and today’s top-tier league has existed for around 50 years. But in the past five decades the sport has failed to win the kind of following European football, rugby or even basketball – like baseball, foreign imports – enjoy. The game has seen a slight rise in popularity in recent years. Around 12,000 people – men, women and children combined – play competitive baseball across the country. Even if that figure is double what it was five years ago, the French Federation of Baseball and Softball (FFBS) knows it must create more excitement, both home and abroad, to keep up the momentum. Exposure is the key to steady growth, and that is precisely why France has organised the tournament in Sénart. The international series is unprecedented in the country, and for many people signals a fresh start for French baseball.

1. Root for the home team

The FFBS has cobbled together a national team by both grooming players at home and searching for talent across the Atlantic. There may not be any pros from the US’s Major League Baseball on Team France, but it is the country’s best squad as far back as anyone can remember.



The federation is lenient in terms of who qualifies to represent France, and the result is an exciting and demographically diverse group.

My dream would be to play pro ball in the US and have a vacation home in France.”

Jonathan Mottay, pitcher Pitcher Jonathan Mottay is a reflection of the team’s mostly young 26-man roster. Aged 20, Mottay was born in the US of French parents. Eventually he moved back to France with his family when his father’s work beckoned them home, but Mottay never gave up baseball. He played in the southwestern city of Toulouse for a few seasons and now throws for Midland College in Texas, where he also studies business management. Jonathan Mottay, pitcher



Towering above six feet, René Leveret is the team’s gentle giant. The first baseman grew up on the tiny French Caribbean island of Saint Martin, but first stepped on mainland France on the eve of the tournament. Aged 28, Leveret already has 10 seasons as a pro player under his belt, with stints in the United States, Italy and Canada. Known for his strength in the batter’s box and gentle manners, he currently plays for the Québec Capitales in Canada. René Leveret, first base



Maxime Lefevre, 23, made history in 2011 when he became the first Frenchman to join the NCAA college baseball division. Born and raised in northern France, the infielder spent his first professional season with the Capitales in Quebec City, where he played with Leveret. He returned home last year to wear the uniform of the Huskies of Rouen, a team that has dominated French baseball in recent years. Maxime Lefevre, second base







2. Take me out to the ball game