Bangor native eyes shot at pro ball> Savoy headed for Major League Scouting Bureau tryout camp in Portland

Eugene Savoy has had a very ambitious dream for a long, long time: to play professional baseball.

The Bangor native intends to attend a Major League Scouting Bureau tryout camp June 28 at Hadlock Stadium in Portland. He received a form letter from the Florida Marlins listing the times and dates of the various tryout camps.

His age, 33, won’t help his cause.

But the muscular 5-foot-3, 163-pound Savoy has a genuine passion for the game of baseball.

He will head to Portland brimming with confidence that his dream can be realized.

“I feel strongly I can make it. I’ve worked hard for it. I always have,” said southpaw Savoy, who will try to impress the pro scouts with his speed and his arm.

He envisions himself as an outfielder and leadoff hitter who can slap the ball, draw walks and capitalize on his speed. He said he works out religiously every day.

Savoy, who received his adult education degree from Bangor High School on Thursday night, has limited experience in organized baseball. He played sparingly for the Downeast Yankees in the Eastern Maine Amateur Baseball League last summer. He didn’t play high school or college ball.

Cheryl Evans, the administrative assistant to Orrin Freeman, the director of scouting for the Marlins, said she admires Savoy’s love of the game but admitted that his chances of earning a contract are slim at best.

“We just drafted 58 players. We’ve got to find spots for 58 players and that means we’re going to have to release some current players. You would have to be a phenom to get signed out of a summer tryout,” said Evans. “But he has a dream. God love him for that. And you never know.”