Did you know that the first mixed race baseball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame was an Italian American? Roy “Campy” Campanella was born in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on Nov. 11, 1921. John Campanella, Roy’s father, was a son of Italian Immigrants and his mother Ida was an African American.  He later moved to Nicetown in Nor...

World Baseball Network has acquired more depth for its roster with the addition of sports media veteran Chris R. Vaccaro. Vaccaro, an Emmy Award and Murrow Award-winning media executive from Long Island joins the organization as a senior editorial advisor. He will help the staff with editorial strategy, production operations, and standards. “I’m bu...

The Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) College Pipeline has already proven successful for several young Team Italy prospects at American colleges The FIBS College Pipeline in association with the Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) has offered young players the opportunity to study and compete in the US by awarding scholarships....

Alumnus Chris R. Vaccaro, MA ’11, has incorporated his passions — civil engagement, journalism, baseball and Italian American heritage — into everything he does. And he attributes many of his professional successes to the skills he developed at Stony Brook University. Whether it’s been analyzing budgets at The Topps Company and Altice USA, getting...

The Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) and Elefterakis, Elefterakis, and Panek (EEP) have agreed to a partnership to support their collective efforts in youth baseball development. IABF has become one of the world’s premier heritage-based non-profit baseball organizations and is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of Italian America...

Babbo Italian Eatery is hosting its third annual Baseball for Babbo Day of Giving event on Feb. 29. All eight Valley Babbo Italian Eatery locations will donate 100% of profits made that day to the Seena Magowitz Foundation, to fund pancreatic cancer research at HonorHealth Research Institute, according to a press release. In addition, Babbo and Rog...

Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri will be inducted into the Louisiana American Italian Hall of Fame on Saturday, February 24. Mainieri and his fellow award recipients will be honored at the 38th annual gala that will be held at the Hilton Riverside in downtown New Orleans at 6 p.m. CT. Visit here for tickets and information. The Board of Dire...

Dominic Fletcher and Nicky Lopez, two of Team Italy’s best performing players in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, are reunited on the Chicago White Sox. After signing Martin Maldonado, Paul DeJong and Kevin Pillar as well as making a trade with the Atlanta Braves to get Max Stassi and Nicky Lopez, the Chicago White Sox made another important trade...

Mathieu Silva could barely contain his excitement. His father, Christian, had gathered the family together in their hometown of Bollate just outside of Milan to share an announcement. One which detailed an opportunity unlike any young Italian baseball player had ever experienced. Mathieu -- a 13-year-old outfielder who represented Italy in th...

The world seems more upside-down than usual. War in the Middle East and Ukraine engulfs our senses. In the United States, both political parties always appear on edge while the country struggles to find its international role, and our foes keep a watchful eye. These troubling times require an immediate escape and a semblance of order. In my pursuit...