A
switch hitter, Candaele was born in
Lompoc, California, on January 12, 1961. Candaele played prep baseball at
Lompoc High School and attended the
University of Arizona, where he played collegiate baseball for the Wildcats and was a part of the
1980 College World Series champion team. He was signed by the
Montreal Expos on August 15, 1982, as an amateur free agent. Candaele split the 1983 season between Class A and Class AA baseball. With the
West Palm Beach Expos of the Class A
Florida State League, he batted .305 in 127 games; he played 5 games for the
Memphis Chicks of the Class AA
Southern League. He spent the 1984 season with the
Jacksonville Suns, batting .273 in 132 games with the team then, over the next two seasons, was with the Class AAA
Indianapolis Indians of the
American Association, batting .259 in 302 games in 1985 and finishing the 1986 season with a .302 average in 119 games. Candaele made his major league debut for the Expos on June 5, 1986, pinch hitting for pitcher
Dan Schatzeder and striking out against
Charles Hudson in a 7–3 loss to the
Philadelphia Phillies at
Olympic Stadium. He finished the 1986 season with 24 hits in 104 at-bats for a batting average of .231. In 1987, his first full year in the major leagues, Candaele batted .272 with one home run and 23
RBI in 138 games. Candaele played the first half of the 1988 season with the Expos, batting .172 in 38 games, with 20 hits in 116 at bats. He also played 79 games for the Bisons in the 1997 season, finishing with a .228 batting average. He then continued playing for another three seasons, shuffling around the minors, retiring after the 2000 season. ==Coaching career==