Frontier League’s Capitales de Québec manager, Quebecer Patrick Scalabrini has never shied away from a challenge. When he was young, he had ambitions to play baseball for an American university. He overcame many obstacles to get there, but in the end the sacrifices were worth it.
He played in the Chicago Cubs organization, then for the Baltimore Orioles and in independent baseball, including the Capitales de Quebec.
The departure and non-return of the Expos hurt this baseball enthusiast. The businessmen insisted that a Quebecois be appointed to the team’s coaching staff. Two hours from Montreal, I was undoubtedly thinking of the right man, Pat Scalabrini, manager of the Capitals of Quebec.
Pat, you are from Estrie.
I grew up in Waterville at Coaticook’s MRC in Estrie with my father Claude, my mother Rachel Blouin who died in a car accident and my brothers Éric and Dany.
Allow me to change the order of the questions about your life.
No problem.
You were eight years old when your mother died in a car accident.
She was on her way to work when she died in a car accident that turned our family life upside down. I don’t have many memories with my mother except for a very special one.
Would you like to share this memory of your mother with us?
Mom played softball in Waterville. A little boy’s pride in seeing his mother at work, not forgetting the memorable moments throwing the ball with her. It was my mom who got me interested in baseball.
Your father is your hero.
Dad raised three boys alone and made sure we had everything we needed. Dad worked very hard. He drove his 10 wheel truck with the sole purpose of providing us with a good quality of life. As a single man raising three pretty busy boys, he’s definitely my hero.
Her father was the rock of the family.
Dad, a judo black belt, signed me up for classes in the sport that fascinated him. Just like dad, judo taught me how to deal with pressure and my emotions.
A trio of brothers who were explosive at times.
I would rather say the duo of my brother Dany and me. Our brother Eric was the intellectual of the family. Today he is a psychologist in Rivière-du-Loup.
Memorable battles with your brother Dany
Dany and I competed in tennis, baseball, hockey and volleyball with the sole aim of winning. We were intense, brawls broke out so often.
You wanted to follow in your brother’s footsteps.
I followed in my brother’s footsteps at Seminole State College in Oklahoma, then at the Capitales de Québec. He finished his baseball career in Rouen, France.
Did you have vacation in summer?
no For the simple and good reason that my father worked to raise money so my brother and I could play baseball. Another reason why my father is my hero.
The bicycle was your means of transportation.
My only mode of transportation was my bike for trips into town or to North Hatley for a swim.
Her first car was used.
My brothers had old cars that were pretty badly damaged while my dad gave me his Acura Integra with 175,000km on it.
Tell us about your first job.
My first job was at the Les Grands Soleils farm in Waterville, which produced tomatoes. I will always be grateful to the Couture family.
The Canadian Little League Baseball Finals.
The Lennoxville team made it to the final twice, but we lost each time. This opened the doors for me to play with Sherbrooke Junior and with the Baseball Academy of Canada under the direction of Richard “Skip” Emond who has been so instrumental in the fulfillment and success of my career.
Baseball was a source of motivation for you.
Baseball motivated me in school because I wanted to go to an American university. Finally, I fulfilled my college dream with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. It certainly wasn’t the worst place on earth.
They appreciated the Hawaiians.
They are a welcoming, charming, and generous people. What a life ! Baseball, the beach, falling in love several times without forgetting my studies that allowed me to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Baseball has impacted your life.
My favorite player at Expos was Tim Wallach, known for his calm and leadership skills that I tried to emulate. Don’t forget that baseball allowed me to play in Australia and Japan.
Michel Laplante is your mentor.
Michel was my manager at the Capitales de Québec and he asked me to succeed him at the helm of the team. The countless times he has given me advice, both in baseball and in my personal life, has enabled me to become a better person.
You are the proud father of two children.
Lucas is a sports enthusiast. I am the fourth assistant coach at the Cap-Rouge Cobras Rouges and my daughter Maya loves to read. I have two children who inspire me for who they are.
You met your fiancee playing baseball.
I was playing for the Capitales de Québec when a wonderful fate allowed me to meet our children’s mother-to-be, Landre Bois, who was the team’s official photographer.
What role does your fiancee play in your life?
She is a woman who has always supported me in my career choice. She is a patient woman (unlike me) that allows me to have a good life with our children and she is full of understanding and love.
