July
2004 - Quiet, reserved, and preferring to fly under the radar, Scott
Loiseau is not your stereotypical professional baseball player. The Worcester
Tornadoes’ third baseman doesn't know how many records he holds
at Franklin Pierce College, his alma mater, (but Scott, we know, it’s
7!) and when his friends showed up at Hanover Insurance Park atFitton
Field with his name painted across their chests, the 24 - year - old shied
away from the extra attention. Like many young boys, Loiseau dreamed of becoming a professional ball player. "Anyone who picks up a ball dreams of being a professional ball player," he said. "It was something I always wanted to do, and especially after working so hard in college, being here is a great opportunity."
And for Loiseau, who has played baseball his whole life, returning to Worcester makes the dream even sweeter since the Tornadoes’ home turf at Fitton Field is familiar stomping ground. After serving as an assistant coach at Franklin Pierce for a year, the Worcester native and former St. Peter Marian High School standout returned to his roots, accepting a job at Holy Cross as the Crusaders' hitting coach.
"Coaching for Holy Cross was a different kind of experience," he said. "At FPC I was coaching kids I knew, a bunch of my buddies."
When he joined the Tornadoes, Loiseau was reunited with former FPC teammate Chris Shank, a pitcher who had worked his way through the Oakland A's organization before landing in Worcester this season. "We're actually roommates on the road. It's good to watch him pitch again. We're having a lot of fun." Loiseau also reunited with fellow Worcesterites and Tornadoes players Alex De Los Santos and Ed Riley, the latter of whom served as his coach for a few years at St. Peter's.
Loiseau insists that playing in front of his hometown crowd isn’t what adds pressure, it’s the level of play that does, though, from time to time. "There's more pressure to perform at this level, but you let it wear on you will be even tougher," he said. "You just have to get in there, get dirty, and what happens, happens."
This whole experience is very new to Loiseau, especially since the position he plays changed from short stop to third base when he joined the Tornadoes. "It’s difficult, but I love a challenge," he said of his shift to the right. The humble infielder who grew up admiring the Red Sox is soaking in the entire experience of playing with the Tornadoes, but he’s particularly honored to be playing under the guidance of former Boston catcher Rich Gedman. "He's unbelievable," Loiseau said of Gedman. "I've learned so much already. It's easy, as a player, to believe what he has to say because of where he comes from."
While Loiseau is playing for one of his childhood idols, he has in turn become a role model in the eyes of young fans who attend the games and dream of being where he is one day. "We all feel we have a responsibility to serve as role models for the little guys. You have to carry yourself and make sure you act professionally," he said.
But the glitz and glamour of success is not what Loiseau is looking for from the experience. He ultimately wants to be a college baseball coach, remaining involved with the sport from behind the scenes. He’ll get to do just that once the season is over and he returns to the Holy Cross baseball coaching staff. But for now, he'll just enjoy his time as a Tornado.
"I didn't know what to expect when I came here, but it is more than anything I imagined," he said. "Playing for my home crowd, being able to play again, especially at this level, is special."
For information on the Worcester Tornadoes and on when you can catch Scott playing a home game, go to www.worcestertornadoes.com/.
Special Thanks to the College of the Holy Cross and to Tornadoes General Manager Mike Lieberman
.