W
hen Rocky Capobianco was playing in the Penn Hills
Baseball Association Prep League at the age of 15, he got
the game-winning hit and his team won a championship.
While that was very cool for the teen, the most memorable moment
was when his dad (who was also Rocky’s coach) presented him with
his winning trophy.
“He handed me my trophy and said, ‘We finally did it,’”
Capobianco remembers.
That moment is forever etched in his memory because that
championship game was the last game his father would ever see.
He died shortly after of a sudden heart attack. While such a tragedy
could have ruined his resolve, Capobianco pushed forward in
memory of his dad to become a college baseball star, and now a
six-year assistant coach of the fast-rising Point Park University
baseball squad.
“My dad is still always on my mind, especially during game time,”
he says. Better known as ‘Coach Rock,’ Capobianco was born and
raised in Penn Hills. He began playing baseball at five by mimicking
his older brother who was a leftie.
“When I was a little kid, I copied how he batted and I’ve just been
doing it ever since,” explains Capobianco. That’s not a common
occurrence for someone who is right-handed, but it’s even more
uncommon for someone to bat as a lefty and throw with the right
hand, as Capobianco does. He also tried to mimic his older brother’s
comedic wit, but maintains he is much funnier than his brother.
Regardless, it was his father who was not only his biggest fan, but
also his most influential coach.
At the time of his father’s passing, Capobianco was a sophomore
in high school. Afterward, he continued playing for the fall baseball
league on the weekends. “In a way it was therapy to get my mind
off his death,” says Capobianco. During this time he knew his dad
would want him to be out there. “I always remembered the things he
taught me,” he says. “If I was struggling [in a game] I would picture
him watching from the stands. If I was sad, angry or disappointed, I
knew he was always there for my games.”
After high school, Capobianco attended Marietta College where
he played baseball as an outfielder. He describes his first two years
of college ball as an “eye opener,” because the talent that was there
was so amazing. During his second year, the team won the NCAA
Division III national championship.
“I learned the seriousness of college baseball. It’s so much
different than high school,” he adds.
During the start of Capobianco’s junior year in college, he decided
to transfer to Point Park University where he continued his baseball
career as an outfielder and relief pitcher. Capobianco’s fifth year
of school was his first year coaching at Point Park. Capobianco
remembers that almost instantly he clicked with head baseball coach
Loren Torres.
“We had the same philosophies,” he explains. “He took me under
his wing and taught me how to run the program the right way. When
we would get our team hats, he would always write ‘Believe’ under
the rim of the hats. Ever since then, I do the same. I write ‘Believe’
under the rim of my hat and then ‘Dad’ under that.”
Rocky Capobianco is now entering his sixth year as assistant coach of the
Point Park Pioneers baseball team. ■
Penn Hills | Summer 2014 | icmags.com 33