Having played professional baseball in some of the oddest locations in North America in the past few years, Penetanguishene’s Adam Hawes realizes it’s all about paying dues.

But, on one chilly April evening, the 25-year-old Hawes found himself back in familiar territory.

With the image of one of his baseball mentors, former major league pitcher Gord Dyment, looking down on him, Hawes participated in a practice with the Midland Indians.

Born in Brampton, Hawes and his family later moved to Victoria Harbour where, as a boy, he  played minor baseball in Midland. Today, he still maintains close ties with friends including Fred Flood, Pete Flood and fellow player Bryan Anderson.

“It’s nice to be back here, but it’s also a bit of weird feeling because I’m used to playing at this time of the year,” said Hawes, while taking a break from field and batting drills with the Indians.

His return trips to Midland remind his of his younger days in baseball and the invaluable baseball advice Dyment passed on to him while growing up.

“Gord was the pitching icon growing up around here and he spent a lot of time with a lot of us when we were growing up. He taught us not only how to play the game, but also how to enjoy it,” remembered Hawes.

The baseball highway has been a long and twisting once for Hawes since 2002, when the 6’4” 180-pound, right-handed pitcher was drafted 198th overall by the Minnesota Twins.

Last season, Hawes divided his time between the Midwest Baseball League and the Florida State League, posting a combined 5-8 record pitching with the Beloit Trappers and another minor league team in Fort Myers.

“It is pretty much (the movie) Bull Durham in every way. You’re on buses. Bus rides from town to town. But everywhere we went there was a great fan base and everyone treated us with the utmost respect. So it was a great time,” he said.

Recently, Hawes spent six months in Australia as part of a Twins playing/conditioning assignment.

Even though it was the first time he had been away from Canada at Christmas, he found the whole experience ‘down under’ enjoyable.

“Australia was unbelievable. The people there live for the weekend. I lived five minutes from the beach so I got to go swimming all the time. It’s such a laid-back lifestyle,” he said.

This spring, Hawes signed on to play with the fledgling Ottawa Rapids of the eight-team Canadian American Baseball League and reported to the team’s training camp earlier this month. He is looking at the Ottawa opportunity as a chance to restart his baseball career.

“It’s going to be a stepping stone. I had a bit of a setback, getting release by Minnesota in training camp. That left me in a bit of an awkward position,” he said.

Having a chance to play in Canada means he doesn’t have to go through the red tape of applying for a work visa, as he would in the U.S.

“From what I have heard, the Can Am League is a good league, so hopefully I go there and pitch well and use it as a stepping stone to get back into professional baseball,” said Hawes.

Rapids manager Ed Nottle says he’s pleased to have Hawes on his roster.

“Adam right now is penciled in as a productive starter on our roster. I’m very happy to have signed him and I believe he’ll be an important part of our initial season in Ottawa,” said Nottle.

Hawes officially reported to training camp in Ottawa on May 9.