Sikaras was talking to Danesi Nettuno this winter, but an agreement fell through a couple of weeks ago. The 32-year-old former minor leaguer is well known in Italian baseball, having played for De Angelis Godo and Telemarket Rimini. The 26-year-old Bourdaniotis was a member of the Greek team at the IBAF Baseball World Cup in Panama last October. He attended Sacramento State University and Cal State in Los Angeles.

It didn’t take long for general manager Mauro Mazzotti to find a replacement. Marco Yepez, also from Venezuela, is taking over Vasquez’ foreign player spot. He played for Cariparma Parma in the last two seasons, batting .303/.386/.322 in 2011. He is also some kind of insurance in case Giovanni Pantaleoni’s knee injury is indeed serious.

Yepez is going to be the fifth new player on the roster besides Chris Cooper, Daniel Bittar, Yulman Ribeiro and Joe Mazzuca. One last piece is missing for the reigning European Champions Cup winner, as a strong foreign starting pitcher is anticipated.

The 30-yerar-old Hayhurst was born in Canton, Ohio. He attended Kent State University, where he set numerous school records as a baseball player and received a degree in communication studies. The San Diego Padres selected him in the eighth round of the 2003 MLB Amateur Draft. He signed and made his professional debut later that summer.

Hayhurst moved up the ladder in the Padres farm system and made his Major League debut on August 23, 2008 as a spot starter in a matchup against Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants. After ten games with the Padres in the big leagues the Toronto Blue Jays picked him up on waivers, where he made 15 more appearances in Major League Baseball.

Hayhurst missed all of 2010 due to rehab after shoulder surgery and joined the Tampa Bay Rays organization for 2011, but didn’t make it back to the MLB. In eight seasons of Minor League Baseball, he had a 40-41 record with five saves and an ERA of 4.02 over 252 games (76 starts). He collected 619 strikeouts and 201 walks in 693 1/3 innings. In the MLB he was 0-2 with an ERA of 5.72 in 25 games (eight starts). He struck out 27 batters in 39 1/3 innings, walking 19.

As mentioned above Hayhurst is not only a baseball player, but also an author. His second book “Out of my League” is scheduled to get released on February 28, 2012. He also wrote a diary for Baseball America and works as a public speaker.

The third new hurlers is Ruderly Manuel from the Netherlands Antilles. The 21-year-old right-hander was with Sparta/Feyenoord Rotterdam last year. He was their number-two starter behind Bobby Carrington thanks to a 4-5 record with an ERA of 3.70 in the Dutch Hoofdklasse. He struck out 47 batters in 65 2/3 innings, walking 28.

After the Federal Council of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation officially approved Grosseto Baseball as successor of BBC Grosseto in the Italian Baseball League last Saturday, the new organization was introduced at a press conference on Monday. Founded by Mario Mazzei, Angelo Magalotti and Aldo Codispoti, the money is coming from Chris Carminucci Sports Group from the United States. Pete Caliendo, who is going to serve as team president, was in Italy to finalize the deal. Also on hand on Monday were Grosseto mayor Bonifazi, FIBS President Riccardo Fraccari and new general manager Darren Harrison-Panis. The new club needs to find a new manager after designated skipper Mike Marshall jumped the ship and will not come after all. They will be looking for someone, who speaks Italian.

Photo by FIBS.it

Roster-wise with the exception of an eventual return of shortstop Brandon Chaves there will be new foreign players on the team. Additionally Juan Pablo Angrisano (former Bologna) and Seth La Fera (former San Marino) could become reinforcements. On the mound Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez and Sandy Patrone have some uncertainties following elbow surgeries (“cleanup procedures”).

Nettuno, which lost the Italian Series to T&A San Marino in seven games last summer, is the most busy team in the IBL this winter, revamping the roster heavily. They will start into preparations for the new season on January 23. Similar to last winter seven exhibition games against the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg are planned starting on February 9.

Additionally Americans Evan LeBlanc, Justin Kuehn and Matt Vance will stay with the Buchbinder Legionaere. The 25-year-old Vance is playing for the team since 2009 and batted .354/.467/.505 in 2011. The other two just arrived in 2011. LeBlanc was named best batter and MVP in the southern division and hit .484/.561/.726. Kuehn struggled in the beginning, but turned out to be a strong foreign starter in game two at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. He was 4-1 with an ERA of 3.79. Also Dutch right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek (6-0, ERA 1.57) is expected to be back.

Overview:

• C.E.O. & Managing Partner: Chris Carminucci
• President & Managing Partner: Peter Caliendo
• Senior Vice-President/Director of Baseball Operations: Darren Harrison-Panis
• General Manager/Field Manager: Mike Marshall
• Assistant to General Manager: Mary Marshall

Sadler reached the big leagues in 2005 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but didn’t stick. The past two years he played independent league ball for Kansas City in the Northern League and the American Association. Overall he batted .275/.334/.461 with 189 homeruns in 1,318 games in the minors and independent leagues.

Nettuno also reached an agreement for the reconstruction of their franchise. The new organization includes Danesi Nettuno, Nettuno Elite, Nettuno 2, Lions Nettuno, Indians and San Giacomo Nettuno. They are also in talks with Junior Nettuno to join. Alfonso Gualtieri, president of the Lions, has been appointed as director to coordinate between the different clubs.

The regular season in the IBL is scheduled to start at the weekend of March 29 to 31. It will see stops for the European Cup and the All Star Game. The regular season ends on July 14. In the first week Bologna will face Parma, Grosseto squares off with the North East Knights, Novara battles with San Marino and Rimini meets with Nettuno.

The playoffs start four days later. The semi-final round will be played through August 4. The Italian Baseball Series starts on August 10. There could be changes due to the uncertainty of the European Cup Final Four, which most likely will be moved from September to July by the Confederation of European Baseball.

Complete Schedule as PDF

Parma Baseball however also has positive news, as pitchers Marco Grifantini, Mihai Burlea and Justin Cicatello already are confirmed to come back in 2012. Also Alberto Varin of Redipuglia will join the team as backup catcher for Riccardo Bertagnon. Orlando Munoz will serve as hitting coach for the IBL1 and IBL2 teams. The club additionally tries to bring back Roberto Corradini.

“It was and will be an education for all, but the IBL and those responsible for sport see the opportunity to change the model of clubs to help bring in more revenue, and baseball in Italy seems like the right place to give it a try,” he added. Genzale’s positive relationship with Major League Baseball, which helps run and grow the game around the globe, also helped make the vision of Milano United a reality.

More:

The baseball side will also have its challenges, but those will be ones Genzale will have some solid help with. He has enlisted ex Major League outfielder Mike Marshall as his manager, and is looking at a number of former MLB players as a coach, including former Indians and Rays pitcher Albie Lopez. Marshall, who spent 11 years in MLB with the Dodgers, Mets, and Red Sox and helped LA win the 1988 World Championship, had left baseball after his retirement, but returned to manage Indy League franchises in Albany, El Paso and most recently Yuma of the Golden League last year. He was recommended to Genzale by baseball officials in the United States, and will make the trek to Italy with his wife in early 2012 as the start of a new adventure in a sport he loves.

And:

That depth, along with the support of Italian rocker and baseball fan Nicola Fasano, known as “Faso” to music fans, will help get MU off to a good start come opening day. Faso, according to Genzale, has agreed to play a series of concerts during the season around home games, which will help boost attendance and promotion. “Our goals for year one are modest,” he added. “We want to draw about 800 a night and 1,200 for bigger games, and let people and our sponsors have a good time. Faso will help us fill some other dates and bring people back, which will show even more how much fun baseball as entertainment can be.”

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