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In front of a sold-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome, undefeated Japan won its fifth straight World Baseball Classic game in a row after defeating Team Italy 9-3 on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Japan now advances with Cuba to the WBC semifinals in Miami, With the daunting task of facing Japan starter Shohei Ohtani in the top of the first inning, Dominic Fle...

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He just turned 30. He bats left-handed. He boasts a career 124 OPS+ — the same as Nolan Arenado and Rafael Devers — and he was a free agent this winter. By those measures, you’d expect a bidding war for a long-term centerpiece. But Michael Conforto was a special case. The former New York Mets outfielder slumped in 2021, his original contract year,...

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Joe Pepitone, a three-time All-Star playing for the New York Yankees between 1962 and 1969 who was also known for his off-field lifestyle, has died at age 82, according to an announcement from the team. “The Yankees are deeply saddened by the passing of former Yankee Joe Pepitone, whose playful and charismatic personality and on-field contributions...

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I’ve been caught up all day with how important today’s Team Italy win was for what we’re trying to build in Italy and what we’re fighting for among Italian Americans. We understand baseball in Italy is a niche, and harnessing our interests in Italian Americans in the game is even more specific. But after today, do you see why? On the biggest stage,...

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After suffering a 2-0 shutout to Panama the day prior at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, the Italians returned for a win-or-go home game under the lights against Kingdom of the Netherlands on Sunday, March 12, 2023 and punched their ticket to the second round of the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo after defeating the Dutch 7-1. Before t...

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"Mission Classic," a three-part docuseries featuring an inside look at the Italian National Baseball Team before and during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, is now LIVE! Part 2 is about a Team Italy mini camp and send-off dinner in Arizona. This piece was produced in partnership by the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball and the Italian Ame...

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Nothing gets your heart pumping quite like competitive international baseball. Except, of course, for a strong shot of espresso. Team Italy, coached by New York Mets legend Mike Piazza, has a unique advantage if and when they get tired while competing at the World Baseball Classic. Their dugout has an espresso machine, with to-go coffee cups and ev...

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Making their WBC Pool A debut against Cuba at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan on Thursday night, March 9, 2023, the Italians defeated Cuba 6-3 in 10 innings. Having lost to the Kingdom of the Netherlands 4-2 the day prior, Cuba needed to beat Team Italy in WBC Pool A, but the resilient Italians put the winless Cubans in the cel...

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The World Baseball Classic's relaxed rules for country affiliation have created a few interesting pairings, including Lars Nootbaar and Japan, Marcus Stroman and Puerto Rico, and even Tommy Edman and Korea. In a tournament loaded with prominent names, one former major-league star is using the rules to his advantage and looking to make his pitch for...

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It'd be hard to find many more iconic figures in all of Americana than Rocky. There have been, what feels like, 100,000 movies made about him. The Rocky Steps in Philadelphia are one of the top tourist attractions along the East Coast. Everyone can do a Sylvester Stallone impression of the famed boxer. Although most of what he does in the films is...

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