By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A DREAM envisioned in his mind a decade ago when he started playing finally became a reality when Alexander ‘Alex’ Eneas signed a professional baseball contract with the New Yorks Mets’ organisation on Saturday night.

The latest Bahamian signing for the 17-year-old took place at the Ink Bar in Palm Cay before his family, friends, the MaxD programme, Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, former PM Perry Christie and his pastor Mario Moxey.

Elvis Rios, the international scout for New York, was on hand to conduct his first signing in the Bahamas with MaxD, headed by Greg Burrows Jr. 

It was in December that Rios was given the added responsibility of recruiting players from the Bahamas and he immediately got the process started with MaxD.

“We came here to scout out the talent in the Bahamas” Rios said. “We kept in contact with MaxD. And now it’s official. We came back for the signing.”

Signing his contract with his parents Suzy and Timothy Eneas in front of the MaxD backdrop, Eneas said it was a long journey, a long process, but he knew that he was doing something for a reason and that was his signing. “God came through for me and I’m more than blessed. I’m happy,” Eneas said. “It’s been a journey. It’s been a long time coming.”

When he got the news that the signing was going to take place on Saturday, Eneas said he was blown away. “My family put a lot into me. They sacrificed a lot for me to get here,” said Eneas, who acknowledged his younger brother Liam Eneas, who has helped to push him to because the best he can be. “I know I can finally say I’ve done it and all of the hard work and sacrifices and practices I had to do, has paid off for me.”

A little shaken up as he placed his Mets’ hat on his hat and his jersey on, Eneas said he it meant the world to him because “my professional career has now started.

“I’m very blessed and I’m looking forward to my career. I’m excited to be a Mets. I’m looking forward to my career taking off one or two years down the road.”

The former student of Queen’s College, who will graduate from Boost Academy this year, will leave today for the Dominican Republic where he gets to display his talent in their developmental program for about a month before he takes a break and get ready to play in their minor league system.

“I’m going there to show them that I can play this game,” Eneas said. “They got me for a reason. They got a good deal in me.”

Since their started in 2013, Burrows Jr said Eneas has become the 19th player he was able to get signed to a professional contract.

“I think he’s a representation of perseverance. I think Alex has a story of his own. He went to the United States and then come back home and it showed that there are opportunities here in the Bahamas,” Burrows Jr said.

Kudos to MaxD because it’s a “bitter-sweet moment for us. We hate to see him go, but we are glad that he’s getting an opportunity to pursuit his career,” Burrows Jr said. 

Without the support of his family, especially his parents, Eneas said he won’t be in the position he’s in because “they made a lot of sacrifices, multiple trips, thousands of dollars, getting me to the practice and making sure I had a meal in my stomach every day. 

“I’m very appreciative of them,” he stated. 

Eneas encouraged the other members of the MaxD program to “stick with it. If I can do it, you can do it too.”

His mother, Suzy, a noted distance runner, said she’s very proud of her son because he’s worked so far to fulfil his dream.

“This was a dream of his from he was six years old when he started playing baseball,” she said. “All players when they are six years old say they want to play in the MLB.

“But he has actually made his dream a reality. He never stops dreaming his goal. He knew he could make it. We supported him in this journey and we’re very proud of all that he has accomplished.”

His father, Olympic swimmer Timothy Eneas, said this was a tremendous achievement for their son and their family.

“We’ve been working at this for many, many years,” he said. “We had lots of challenges, but the main thing was we wanted him to stay focused because we knew the Lord would work things out for him and that is what has happened.

“We are extremely proud and very happy for Alex. We know he has the talent and everything will work out for him through God’s grace. So we’re very excited about this opportunity and this occasion.”

Godfrey Eneas, a former baseball player, said he wants nothing by the best for his grandson, who unlike his other sons, skipped s generation and is following in his footsteps in baseball.

“He always wanted to be a ball player and he was able to achieve what I didn’t get to do so I’m very happy for him,” grandfather Eneas said.

“He’s worked hard at it. I have to give a lot of credit to Greg Burrows Jr, who helped to hone his skills and try to make him into a great ball player. I hope I’m alive when he makes it to the majors. That’s my ambition.”

Prime Minister Davis said he’s always delighted when he can see “our young men make that step towards greatness. I have great hopes in Alex making it to the heights that many Bahamians have not reached.”

Davis said he advised Eneas in a private conversation that while he couldn’t get his sons to pursue a career in baseball, he should be very proud that his grandson took up the mantle and is now on his way to playing professional baseball. 

His pastor, Mario Moxey from Bahamas Harvest, said Eneas can now be considered the poster child for young men in the country.

Moxey said Eneas represents someone who is “driven, has vision and purpose, who understands that life is more than just attaining and acquiring things, but rather achieving that purpose from within.

“He has that potential to do incredible things He has a GPA of 3.4, he’s academically brilliant and can have a career in any field, but he’s doing his passion. Any young person who can pursuit their passion will go very far in life.”

Eneas thanked Freedom Farm for helping to nature his game before he was able to enhance it at MaxD. 

Rios said he will definitely be back because he “love with I’m seen in Alex. There’s a more lot of talent here” and he believes they can recruit a few more players.