by Pim van Nes
After one game lost to Venezuela and one game won versus Canada during recent World Baseball Classic, Italian federation president Riccardo Fraccari took his microphone to let the world know, that the time was right to have next WBC version play in his own country Italy. He invited a few Italian journalists, who were attending the Classic’s Round One in Toronto. They walked through the wintering city to the Four Seasons hotel and listened to the Italian master’s voice. According to the official website article by Maurizio Caldarelli, Fraccari already speculated on the revenues of reaching the Classic’s Round Two in Miami. Next day Italy was defeated again by Venezuela: after 7-0 in game 1, the Azzurri scored a run in their third game: 10-1 for Venezuela. Take-off from Toronto, return to Rome, back to home league business.
The Italian team counted only nine home grown talents; pitchers Alex Maestri, Luca Panerati and Roberto Corradini, no catchers, infielders Alex Liddi, Giuseppe Mazzanti and Davide Dallospedale and outfielders Mario Chiarini, Leonardo Zileri and Andrea De Santis. The other 19 players either were imported to Italy for earlier seasons or were invited to join Italian players for the first time. But Fraccari still in Canada with the second game versus Venezuela in next day’s program, reckoned with the million euro he was expecting from Round Two in Miami: “The money that we are going to make in this Classic with the passage to the second round will amount to one million euro and will be invested again in young players development, just like three years ago.” Eye brows rising with the Italian journalists around: “Are the times right for hosting a World Baseball Classic Round One really in Italy?” Fraccari: “Yes, I would say. If Rome will have a stadium with 25,000 seats, there will be no problems to organize a pool in the next WBC, considering the gamble we are making with the World Cup is much more complicated from an organizing point of view.”
The Italian journalists immediately took over the subject: how about the diamond for the World Cup finals? Fraccari: “The Rome city administration has requested our national Olympic Committee (CONI) to systemize the Acquacetosa complex, but since several months I have been in contact with the mayor of Nettuno about the World Cup finale 2009. However, an important stadium in Rome will enable us to host the Classic, but also big Italian events. To this purpose, Mike Piazza has given us his disposability to be at our side to try to bring great baseball to Rome. As you can see, we have already all the actors, but we are still missing the theatre”, according Fraccari speaking Italian about Rome. Two days ago Italian website Baseball.it quoted the Nettuno mayor in a news bulletin: “Not any political decision can still take the World Cup finale 2009 away from Nettuno!” The conclusion we can draw from the various conversations between Fraccari and company is to cancel the prestige of Rome for IBAF World Cup 2009 definitely.
In what journalist Caldarelli described as a long lasting twaddle, also the “Italian Baseball League” was discussed again by Fraccari. He explained that he has been waiting since two years for the formal confirmation by Major League Baseball about the millions of dollars per year as financial help to start professional baseball in Italy. “However, in 2010 we will start the professional league even without their financial help! The clubs will have to begin thinking that winning is not everything, but also they can make a lot of money at the end of season by just working well!”
Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
www.honkbalsite.com
www.sporttribune.nl
www.baseball.it
Photo: © Ratti/FIBS
