The baseball community in Windsor-Essex is mourning the sudden loss of Bernie "Chico" LaBute.
LaBute was a member of St. Clair's Athletic Department, and passed away on Wednesday.
LaBute was behind the success of the college's baseball team, and won a national championship in 2012 and 2017. Under his direction, the Saints also won six regular season and provincial championships as well as two OUA/OCAA crowns.
Chico, as he was affectionately known, was an accomplished baseball catcher in his own right. He grew up in Tecumseh and won championships for his hometown youth teams as well as Riverside before representing Canada as a member of the Junior National Team.
LaBute earned a scholarship to Western Kentucky University and represented Canada as part of the Senior Men’s National Team at the Intercontinental Cup in Edmonton and won further Provincial and National Championships locally with the storied Windsor Chiefs.
In total, LaBute won six Canadian Championships and eight Ontario Championships.
LaBute also helped the Tecumseh Thunder win several provincial and national titles at the Senior, Junior and Midget levels.
“Chico was a bigger than life baseball character who loved the game and whose life was consumed with it,” says Dave Cooper, the Saints baseball head coach. “Local baseball has suffered a big loss today.”
Bernie 'Chico' LaBute was 54 years old.
