On Wednesday evening, new Phillies manager Joe Girardi was the guest of honor at the Italian American Baseball Foundation’s fourth annual dinner in Brooklyn. The IABF, a nonprofit charity established in 2016, is committed to developing and promoting youth baseball and softball in the United States and Italy by sponsoring clinics supervised by Major...
READ MOREMany times my interviews have given light to people and institutions born in America who work to help Italy, improve the bridge between our two countries, and represent in an excellent way an aspect - territorial, thematic, professional or cultural - of being part of the Italian American community. The friend who is today the protagonist of this in...
READ MOREWhen Mike Piazza was hired to manage Italy's national baseball team, one of the first people he shared the news with was Tommy Lasorda. Now 92, the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager had persuaded Piazza to switch from first base to catcher at the start of what would be a Hall of Fame career. “His style may be a little dated for lack of a better te...
READ MOREAccording to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, the New York Mets have reached out to 36-year-old MLB veteran Drew Butera in an effort to extend depth at the catcher position. Originally selected by the New York Mets in the fifth round of the 2005 amateur draft out of the University of Central Florida (UCF), Drew Butera began his professional caree...
READ MOREAfter being invited to participate in the fourth annual MLB College Showcase in Arizona last month, FIBS Academy graduate and Team Italy U18 catcher Lorenzo Moressi has received a scholarship from New Mexico Junior College to begin his journey abroad as a student and baseball player for the Thunderbirds in Division I of the National Junior College...
READ MORENarrowly edging out runner-up New York Yankees skipper Aaron Boone, Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was awarded American League Manager of the Year on November 12, 2019. The Manager of the Year Award is specifically tailored for the manager of the team that most exceeded expectations. Winning the most games in franchise history since 1965, t...
READ MORETeam Italy manager Mike Piazza was interviewed by Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds, hosts of MLB Network's live offseason morning news show--Hot Stove, on November 13, 2019. National Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza spoke in perfect Italian when asked about his level of language fluency while living with his family in Italy. A longtime advocat...
READ MOREAfter meeting with Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) President Andrea Marcon on November 11, 2019, National Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza has agreed to serve as the manager of Team Italy. A press conference in Rome is scheduled on November 29, 2019 to formally introduce the new Team Italy skipper and his staff to the Italian and in...
READ MOREAs an integral member of the Team Italy pitching staff in three World Baseball Classics (2006, 2009, and 2013), Jason Grilli was known for his fighting Azzurri spirit every time he took the ball on the mound. He made his Team Italy pitching debut on March 7, 2006 in the 10-0 shutout overAustralia at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in Lake Buen...
READ MORESunday November 17, 3:00 pm. Garibaldi-Meucci Museum, 420 Tompkins Avenue, Staten Island, NY. Admission: Members: $5; Non-members: $10; open to the public. Contact: Stephanie Lundegard 718-442-1608 [email protected] Author Mike DeLucia grew up in the Throggs Neck/Pelham Bay section of the Bronx and spent his childhood playing bas...
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