BTVF: Who is Luc Piquet?
L.P.: Hello, my name is Luc Piquet. I’ve lived in Rouen since 2001, I’m 40 years old, and I played baseball for 10 years in Dieppe and 18 years in Rouen. I joined the Rouen Pôle Espoir in 2001 as an external player. I became a coach there and witnessed its transformation into Pôle France. I had the chance to join the senior French national team several times, play in many different countries, and grow within the Rouen Huskies organization.
BTVF: You retired in 2019. How is life without elite baseball today?
L.P.: Without playing baseball, because when you love this sport, you never completely cut ties with it. So you don’t live without baseball, you just don’t play anymore. And frankly, for me, not playing doesn’t bother me. I have fewer physical pains on Monday mornings, I have time during the week to do other activities, and on weekends to do things I didn’t do before: enjoy my free time.
BTVF: Looking back at your career, we’re impressed by the awards, titles, and statistics. Did you dream of this, and what’s the secret to your success?
L.P.: Never doing it for that purpose. That is, I never did things with the goal of building a record or earning awards. I just tried to do my best every day, to improve over time, and to work hard each day. I don’t like losing, I’m a bad loser, I’m arrogant on the baseball field. I don’t like being walked on. So I’ve always done things to avoid feeling those emotions. For me, the team is more important than personal statistics. On the field, you’re not alone. You can’t win alone against everyone. So give it your all, and if your teammates do the same, it will be really hard to beat us.
BTVF: Your generation in French baseball didn’t have the same development opportunities as today. If there are any regrets, what are they?
L.P.: No regrets. And fortunately, today’s youth have more opportunities. That’s baseball progressing. And that’s great. I’ve already had an enormous amount of luck living through all these sporting adventures. So why have regrets? I’ve always preferred to just live fully the opportunities offered to me.
BTVF: The French national team, which you know well, is also entering a new phase of development. Tell us about your experience with the national team. How do you see its evolution?
L.P.: I had very good experiences with the national team, and also some not so good ones. The most important thing for me is to learn from them. The national team allowed me to face a higher level of play, stronger players, and meet very experienced coaches, and thus progress. However, when I play on a team, I want to win. So I will simply ask a few questions. How do you build a team when its members only gather sporadically? (Team cohesion is very important to aim for victories; it’s not just about getting along, it’s about being able to count on each other) How do you build a team when the coaching staff doesn’t see the players in game situations and vice versa? (You need to be able to count on your coach’s support and confidence, especially when you fail 7 out of 10 times) How do you build a team when the role assigned to some players is completely different from their daily role in their club team? (And the player doesn’t have the opportunity to train for their new position except for the 15 days before the start of the competition) How do you build a team that will have to play one game a day for 15 days when many of these players only play two games in a row every six days?
BTVF: The D1 season has restarted. After five matchdays, do you have any idea of the favorites, and dare you make a prediction?
L.P.: For a few years now, the favorites in the French championship haven’t changed much. Sénart fields very competitive and solid teams every year, with French internationals and dominant foreigners. They’re hungry for victories. Montpellier has a strong pitching staff. They play as a team and are very opportunistic. However, in the playoffs, every year, Montpellier sees young talented players leave to play their seasons abroad or with the national team. Savigny, who has done extraordinary work on and off the field. They were Rouen’s nemesis in the early years I played in the elite league. Despite losing their field and key players to Sénart, they’re back today with a team built over several years, strengthened by solid foreigners. I’ve seen them play; they’ll be a force to reckon with. And Rouen, my team for life, my team at heart. A young, 100% French team at the start of the championship. They’ll grow together, they’ll lose some games together, but they’ll win many more in the coming years. They train hard, they progress, they gain precious experience in baseball. When the environment changes, people change, the context changes, we adapt. Sometimes you have to know how to take different paths while respecting your values rather than insisting on continuing in the same direction.
BTVF: What can we wish you?
L.P.: To continue having the chance to do the things I like and that make me happy. Especially one thing at the end of the season… Let’s Go Huskies.
Interview by DC
