The first tryout for the MLB academy in Tirrenia, Italy this August will be held at the ballpark in Rouen, France on April 29 at 3pm CET. These are not open tryouts, as the national federations will pre-select the players. In Rouen about 15 players from the Baseball academies in Rouen and Toulouse will get a chance to receive an invitation for Tirrenia.
After Rouen, tryouts also will take place in the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy and Spain. After the European tour, the Major League scouts will select about 50 players from Europe and Africa for the MLB camp this summer. In the past years several of them got contracts with Major League organizations and began their pro career in the United States, alone seven signed in 2007.
Joris Bert (Dodgers) and Frederic Hanvi (Twins) are currently two French players, which are in the Minor Leagues. Last year, Quentin Pourcel (Toulouse), Maxime Lefebvre and Sebastien Duchossoy (both Montigny) were selected for Tirrenia during the tryouts in France.