The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DOMINIQUE Collie, now a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is the latest Bahamian to sign a professional baseball contract coming on the heels of the retirement of his cousin Antoan Richardson.

Collie, joining Jasrado Chisholm in the organisation, inked his name on the dotted line yesterday at the Leadership Academy in the presence of his family and coaches and members of the Maximum Development Sports Academy (MaxD).

“It feels good. I never thought that this day would ever come,” Collie said. “I always used to be on the other side of the table watching guys sign and so it’s great to be on the other side doing what I’m doing now.”

Collie, 17, said when asked where he wanted to sign his contract, he felt the only place would be at Leadership Academy with MaxD where he had so many of his friends and teammates present.

On hand to sign the contract was Cesar Geronimo, the director of Latin America Scouting, who welcomed Collie into the Diamondbacks organisation as one of its newest members.

Geronimo said it’s a normal minor league contract that Collie signed, similar to what is given to all of their young players with the option to going to college, if Collie so desires.

“It’s a contract for him to start learning professional baseball. We’re going to develop him. It will be a couple of years, but we will start him with rookie ball and then he will go on and play in the other leagues,” Geronimo said.

“It might take one,, two or three years in rookie ball, but eventually they go on from there.”

Geronimo, however, said Collie certainly possesses the skills to ply at the next level.

“He will develop. He’s just a kid. He still needs to get strengthened,” he pointed out. “But when he gets his man’s strength, he will mature into a very good ball player.”

Geronimo said he hope to be back because MaxD has developed some very good players and they are hoping that they can get a few more like Chisholm and Collie into their system.

Last year, Collie said he was hoping to fulfill his dream, but he was told by the scouts that he was undersign and not big enough to play with the other guys. But he gave a lot of credit to Sands, Burrows Jr and Cartwright, who got him in the gym 3-4 times a day working and drinking a lot of protein shake.

“Now I’m a bigger and a lot stronger and that is why I think I got this opportunity today,” said Collie, the southpaw who stands at 6-feet and weight about 160 pounds.

Collie joined Freedom Farm at the age of three under Senator Greg Burrows. After he spent a brief time attending high school in the United States, he returned home and joined MaxD where he was groomed him for his transition to the professional ranks.

“In love the game of baseball. I always loved it since I could remember. My Grammy (Rogan Huyler) was the first one who told me to play baseball. She used to go in the backyard plying with me,” he said.

“I don’t think if it wasn’t for him and Antoan of course, I wouldn’t be playing baseball. Antoan was the one who always told me when I used to go watch him play that I just need to stay focus and never give up on your dream.”

On April 15, Collie is scheduled to report to the Diamondbacks’ spring training in the Dominican Republic where he determine where he will eventually get to play during the upcoming season.

His mother, Keejo Forbes, said she’s excited for her son because he’s finally going to get to live out his lifetime dream.

“From he was four years old and you ask him what he’s going to be when he grows up, he would say a professional baseball player,” she stated. “He’s worked hard and I’m sure he’s going to make us proud.

“I’m just so glad that he was able to get into the MaxD programme. It’s so awesome in many ways on and of the field. He’s matured and he’s grown, so a lot of credit goes out to them, especially Geron, who has taken in like his son.”

Sands, one of the coordinators for MaxD, said it was a long road for Collie, but they are delighted that he’s finally reached this pinnacle in his life.

“He held his own. He worked his butt to get to where he is today,” Sands said. “It’s a positive thing for MaxD. It shows that young men are signing professional contracts at this time. I think it’s a good thing for the country and it’s a good way for us to look into from government straight down to the leagues.”

Sands said he considers Collie to be like a son because he was instrumental in his development from he was 10 years old and he has been a member of MaxD for the past four years.

“He’s still a 17-year-old kid, who swings left hand and plays very good defense outfield,” Sands stressed. “The sky is the limit for him as he gets older and he matures. He will be something one day as he hopes to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Antoan.”

Chisholm is currently in spring training in Arizona and Sands said he’s hoping that one day if they remain in the Diamondback organization, they will eventually become team-mates either in the minor or the major league.

“The ones who are there, I’m definitely going to try and catch them up even though they have a head start on me” he pointed out. “For the guys behind me, they have it. I guess I will be running away from them soon.

“And to Jasrado Chisholm, one of my close friends on the Diamondback, I’m definitely going to try and catch up with him so we can play side by side. I talked with him last night and he told me to keep my head up because I still have a long way to go.”

Chisholm, 19, signed his pro contract in 2015 with Lucius Fox Jr and Larry Alcime Jr. He is currently in the Pioneer League with the Diamondbacks organization where he plays as a shortstop.