After Samuel Aldegheri’s historic MLB debut last night, the first by an Italian-born, raised, and developed pitcher, two things are abundantly clear: he is now a model of inspiration for Italian players of all ages, and he worked against unique odds, coming from Verona in Northern Italy, to make his dream a reality. 

Aldegheri pitched 5 innings, allowed 7 runs (2 earned), and struck out 3 batters in his debut. While the Angels are focused on performance and numbers, his home country is singularly proud of this incredible feat of getting to the majors. Their boy made it.