On Sunday, the Gatemen’s 9-5 win over the Falmouth Commodores was not the only thing that the team celebrated. Before the first pitch was thrown, the Cape Cod Baseball League held a mini awards ceremony for a very prestigious award, the Manny Robello 10th Player Award.

The Manny Robello Award is an award that is given to a player who exceeds expectations on the field and displays exemplary citizenship off the field. This award is the most competitive because there are so many players who are deserving of it, but during the season, one player stood out amongst the rest:

Yohann Dessureault.

The Stetson Hatter was named 2024’s Manny Robello 10th player and he heard his name called at Spillane Field to officially receive his trophy. The award completely caught Dessureault off guard as the team kept it a secret so he could enjoy the moment.

“I was definitely surprised. I was getting ready for the game and Coach Smyth came up to me and said ‘congrats you deserve it’. I had no idea what was going on and he simply said ‘listen to the announcer’. It was a great surprise for sure and I am extremely grateful,” said Dessureault.

Dessureault becomes the first Gatemen to receive the award since Jack Stanczak, who won it in 1991. It is a huge achievement for him as it recognizes his efforts on and off the diamond.

He came to the Cape under a temp contract and has had an all-star season with the Gatemen, hitting over .300 with 4 home runs and 17 RBI, but it is his off-the-field participation that sets him apart from other players.

This summer, the Gatemen hosted a literacy night which was a culmination of a campaign that had players going into Wareham community schools to read with the local youth. Dessureault was an active participant in this event, inspiring kids to read and serve their community. Dessureault also actively participated in the Gatemen’s youth baseball clinics, where he helped the local kids improve their skills and grow their love for the game of baseball.

His baseball journey began in his hometown of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, where he fell in love with the game early on in his life thanks to his father, Jean-Sébastien.

“My dad plays for the Shawinigan Cascades, which is in the best amateur league in Quebec (Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Québec - LBMQ). When I was a kid, I used to be the team bat boy at his games and it definitely helped me fall in love with the game. I wouldn’t be here without him and his support,” Dessureault said.

His father coached him while he was growing up and pushed him toward accomplishing his goals. Yohann would play baseball in the spring and ice hockey in the winter until he was sixteen, before focusing all of his attention on America’s pastime and the goal of playing college ball in America.

“I think the main goal for baseball players in Canada, especially Quebec is to play college baseball in the US. I played with Team Quebec for a few years which allowed me to do some tournaments in America, which opened multiple doors for me,” said Dessureault.

The elite levels of youth baseball in Quebec have been improving with each passing year, having both middle school and high school programs regularly compete against American programs, growing the sport in Quebec more each year. His participation in these programs eventually guided him to move to Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he took a post-grad year at TNXL Academy to get recruited. It paid off for him as he got a scholarship to play at Stetson.

He achieved his goal of playing college baseball in the US, completing three seasons with the Hatters and a summer ball season with the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast League before coming north to play for the Gatemen. His talent on the field has been recognized by the Cape League, with his selection as an all-star and now with the 10th Player Award, but his service to the community of Wareham and each community he previously resided will shine brighter than any trophy.

Dessureault’s commitment to both his team and the Wareham community has been extraordinary this summer. The Wareham Gatemen organization is proud of him for this accomplishment and looks forward to the great future he has with the game of baseball.

Top Photo Caption: Yohann Dessureault being given the 2024 Manny Robello 10th Player Award before Wareham's 9-5 win vs Falmouth on August 4, 2024. Pictured left to right: Wareham Gatemen Manager Ryan Smyth, Wareham Gatemen President Glen Hannington, Wareham Gatemen Second Baseman Yohann Dessureault, and Cape Cod Baseball League Deputy Commissioner Billy Gross. Photo by Andrew Duffy.