Pete Laforest, a star member of last year's team that qualified the Olympic spot, is currently a power hitting catcher in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization with the Durham Bulls.
At the qualifier last year in Panama, LaForest hit .292 with three home runs and five RBIs. He led Canada with three doubles and was second in homers. One of those home runs came in the Oympic spot clinching victory over Mexico.
He was a September call-up to the majors last year with Tampa Bay but struggled at the plate hitting only .196 with no home runs. This year by July 15 he was hitting .208 with Durham with four homers and 21 RBI's. Laforest was never drafted but the Montreal Expos signed him as a free agent in 1995.
