$4 beer and major additions to the mound: four new additions to Les Capitales this summer

There is a clock in the offices of the Capitals which counts down the remaining hours until the start of the new season. And their president, Michel Laplante, ensures that he and the employees often watch it: “Seven months without baseball is too long! he exclaimed on Thursday, as his team kicked off their 24^e saison.

Read also: [Chronique] Beer at $4 in Quebec and $12 in Montreal

Read also: A former first-round pick and model in Quebec City

Good news for the president and all his band: despite the gloomy weather forecast for the city next week, training camp begins next Monday.

The season will take off on May 12 against the Lake Erie Crushers. The first home game will be played four days later against the New Jersey Jackals.

The Capitals will be under pressure in this second official season in the Frontier League. Despite their short experience on the circuit, they are the defending champions.

A fact that has also made the other owners a little jealous during the winter, which the manager Patrick Scalabrini “adores”.

“We want to recreate the magic”

Scalabrini also had to reshuffle its workforce following the departure of a few impact players to affiliate baseball, including gunner Miguel Cienfuegos and catcher Jeffry Parra.

With a new rotation of pitchers and a new big hitter, Scalabrini believes he is presenting a team on the field that can once again take top honors.

“We worked hard all winter to have another exciting team, he pointed out. We had such a special year in 2022, we want to recreate that magic. […].»

“So yes, definitely we can win another championship this year. Especially with our rotation of starters,” added the manager.

But there will not only be something new on the field this summer at Stade Canac. The organization also unveiled some aspects of the fan experience on Thursday, which you can read below.

$4 beer every night

A commodity dear to baseball fans, in both senses of the term, beer will drop in price at Stade Canac, dropping to $4. Hot dogs will also be $1 on Saturdays, as was the case in the past.

The decision is part of the will of the Capitals to remain accessible, explained Charles Demers, their general manager. Despite the marked increase in the cost of living in the past year, the organization has not increased the prices of other products sold in its food concessions.

This choice may seem surprising, because the team eats away at its profit margin. But for Demers, it is “a winning recipe that has worked for several years.” Surveying Capitals fans, the DG found the price of food in professional sports to be an irritant.

“Everything is calculated, and everything is analyzed from top to bottom. We found the way, he explained. This recipe is starting to take off. We regularly give talks to American League and ECHL teams [dont il a préféré taire le nom]. We are asked what is our business model.

“And for those who are wondering, ticket prices remain at $12,” Demers also noted.

A rotation among the best

There will be several newcomers to the Stade Canac mound, starting with Pete Tago, a gunner who is not only charismatic, a model in her spare time, but above all, a former first-round pick in Major League Baseball (from the Colorado Rockies in 2010), underlined Patrick Scalabrini.

“It’s our big signing of the off-season, noted the manager. He’s a big guy who pitched in the AAA, in Mexico, everywhere. He will be one of the best in the league and the ace of our rotation.

The Capitals also acquired Steven Fuentes, who was part of the 40-player Washington Nationals roster at the end of the 2020 season.

One of the centerpieces of the Capitals in the last series, Carlos Sano will be back.

“We are undeniably built around our rotation of starters. If we don’t have the best in the league, we definitely rank in the top 3 or the top 5,” said Scalabrini.

Atmosphere upon arrival at the stadium

Given the success of the Sleeman terrace, which is already full for more than 30 games, the organization has chosen to add a food concession and a stage for a band in front of the stadium.

“We really want people to feel the frenzy of the stadium as soon as they park,” explained general manager Charles Demers.

The latter intends to unveil “other surprises” during the season. One of them should concern animation during the rain delays which sometimes ruin baseball games.

The DG is also delighted with the pace at which ticket sales are going: “It’s incredible. We even wonder what is going on,” he said.

A big addition to batting

Unlike the pitchers, last year’s offensive core will return, starting with TJ White, who will also serve as the hitting coach.

David Glaude, Jonathan Lacroix, Kyle Crowl and Marc-Antoine Lebreux will also be there. But Patrick Scalabrini touts a major addition at bat: Juremy Profar.

“He’s a big hitter, who will be at the heart of our lineup,” said the manager. He’s done a lot of work and his baseball CV is impressive. I think it will be well appreciated by all.”