Matt Quatraro didn’t get the chance to play Major League Baseball. But with some success and a little luck, he might get the chance to coach in the big leagues.
The 1992 Bethlehem Central High School graduate is in his first season managing the Hudson Valley Renegades, a class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the New York-Penn League.
I didn’t even expect to be coaching two years ago, said Quatraro, who is called `Q` by his players. `It just kind of happened, but I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing.`
Quatraro was originally on the road to the majors as a player. He was drafted out of Old Dominion University by the Devil Rays in 1996 and spent the next six years working his way up to the AAA-level Durham Bulls ` one step below the major leagues. But he never got the call to Tampa Bay and was released following the 2002 season.
Quatraro gave it one more shot when he signed a deal with the New York Yankees in 2003, but he was released in spring training ` ending his playing days at the age of 29. Still, he had no regrets.
`It was great. I was getting paid to do what I love,` said Quatraro. `Minor league ball is a grind. There’s long trips on the bus (between cities), and all the traveling can wear on you. But it’s a great experience.`
Quatraro’s coaching career began the following year when Tampa Bay hired him to be the Renegades’ hitting coach. Having settled down in Albany, Quatraro decided to commute between the Capital District and the Renegades’ home in Beacon (outside Newburgh) ` something he still does today.
`I come home as much as I can,` he said. `I come home two or three nights a week, depending on the schedule.`
Quatraro assisted manager Dave Howard for the 2004 and 2005 seasons before Howard left. Tampa Bay then offered the Hudson Valley managerial position to Quatraro, which he gladly accepted.
Quatraro said the transition from hitting coach to manager has gone well.
`I think being here for a couple of years was helpful to me,` he said. `There are some different things I have to do day to day, but I’ve gotten used to it.`
Quatraro’s players responded well to the new manager out of the gate, as the Renegades won eight of their first 13 games. A recent seven-game losing streak has taken some of the steam out of Hudson Valley’s sails, but they were only 6.5 games behind first-place Aberdeen in the McNamara Division as of Monday with nearly two months still to go.
Quatraro is hoping a good showing this season will help him advance within the Tampa Bay organization ` much like he did during his days as a catcher and utility infielder. But he also knows a winning record doesn’t always ensure a promotion.
`You can’t really predict that sort of thing. You have to be in the right place at the right time, and you have to have the right people see you,` he said. `There are a lot of successful coaches who have stayed at the minor league level.`
Quatraro does have time on his side. At age 32, he is getting an early start in his managerial career. Still, he’s not willing to look too far ahead ` not after seeing his playing career cut short.
`I love what I’m doing, but there’s very little job security in baseball,` he said. `You can’t predict what’s going to happen next year, let alone 10 or 15 years down the road.`
At least, Matt Quatraro is on the path to a major league career. Just not the career he thought he was going to have.
`I thought I was going to play in the major leagues for 10 or 15 years when I was drafted,` he said.
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