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Things appear to be better than expected for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo pulled a hamstring last weekend playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, but on Wednesday, he was back in Port St. Lucie, ready to test it. Nimmo said his hamstring felt fine and that it had improved over the past two days, with the saving grace that he was shut do...

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The predominant language used on Italy’s World Baseball Classic team is English, with a little Italian and some Spanish mixed in. But everyone understands “I got it!” Fly ball drills in the Arizona sun were a bit of an adventure during a workout Tuesday, two days ahead of an opener at Mexico in Guadalajara. “The appeal is the emotion, the competiti...

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Jon Morosi’s first taste of the World Baseball Classic came on March 7, 2013, when he watched from the press box as Italy scored two ninth-inning runs to beat Mexico 6-5 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The game had some personal relevance for Morosi, then a Fox Sports writer—he is Italian-American, his wife his Mexican-American, and that was the first ever...

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Diamondbacks infielder Daniel Descalso will play for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, but not because he simply accepted an invitation. Things aren’t so easy for an Italian from Redwood City, Calif. His very Italian last name wasn’t good enough to convince the International Baseball Federation of his heritage, either. “It was like a little fact...

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A series of "not-to-be-missed" articles is coming to We the Italians' magazine next spring: 10 special stories dedicated to athletes of Italian origin who had success in many popular sport disciplines in the United States.  From baseball to basketball, from boxing to bowling, from football to golf, from hockey to racing and soccer and wrestling: th...

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Johnny Giavotella has played at all levels of baseball in his young 29 years, and he will soon add one more to the list.  The New Orleans area native has committed to play for Team Italy in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, in what will be the fourth year of the international competition. Giavotella prepped at Jesuit High School in New Orleans,...

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It was a beautiful reunion when Angels' skipper Mike Scioscia welcomed Team Italy hitting coach Mike Piazza to Tempe's Diablo Stadium hours before the start of Italy's WBC warm-up exhibition game against the LA Angels. Scioscia exclaimed, "Where's Sal Varriale?" Anyone in the Team Italy circle, especially Piazza, would know if Varriale was in the W...

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By J. Brady McCollough / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Sonny Vaccaro can get lost in his words, the stories tumbling clumsily from one into the next, and if you aren't careful, the conversation can really end up in the desert. But when he's on point, when he knows exactly what needs to be explained, his thoughts crystallize into a clear stream. On a re...

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Sport is a very important topic in our trip around the US looking for how, when and where Italians have left positive contributions to the growth of the American society. Sport champions are often true heroes, especially in the US: and some of those heroes have been Italian Americans, inspiring a strong and justified sense of pride in those fellow...

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Yogi Berra should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A man of unimpeachable integrity and respect, he befriended the first black and Latino baseball players in Major League Baseball. He is currently an ambassador for Athlete Ally, which promotes LGBT rights in sports. Berra enlisted in the U. S. Navy during World War Il and served during...

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