Mister Baseball

by Pim Van Nes

Italian federation president Riccardo FRACCARI announced this week that there is still a long way to go before reaching professional baseball in his country. The official FIBS website earlier this week issued a new bulletin holding the interview by FIBS communicator Riccardo SCHIROLI with his boss looking to the future of Italian baseball. The main item (MLB support for professional status named Italian Baseball League) was dealt with in only the last paragraph of the website article. FRACCARI stated there, that the way to the League is still very long and that this kind of project cannot be realised by just declaring in a press conference that “we like to do that so very much”.

The Italian baseball president presented his business plan to MLB vice presidents when attending the IBAF congress in February last year, when the world wide federation needed a new president succeeding to the late Aldo NOTARI. Whilst asking money from the USA baseball delegation, Fraccari voted for the Cuban candidate for IBAF presidency opposing the winning candidate from USA, Harvey SCHILLER. The Italian vote was bound to FRACCARI’s statement to the Cuban press during his visits to Havana in 2006, when he promised publicly Italian support for Reynaldo GONZALEZ. In the Beijing election, however, Gonzalez was defeated by 58 to 29 and since one year ago USA candidate SCHILLER has been in charge with the IBAF presidency.

Two times FRACCARI expected an answer by Major League Baseball to his business plan founding the start of professional baseball in Italy, but the traffic light in New York remained red during the deadlines in April and November, when Fraccari was waiting for green. The intended start of the Italian Baseball league effective 2009 was already postponed to 2010 and now it seems that his recent considerations on the FIBS website will lead to a further delay decision by the board.

In order to cheer up the spring spirit in Italy, FRACCARI underlined the importance of the second invitation to participate in the World Baseball Classic. “We had received already various signals in this domain, but now that the invitation is official, we can start the WBC preparation already one year in advance”.

Surprised by his president’s words, SCHIROLI - apparently remembering earlier and definite statements by FRACCARI about Italy already being invited - asked him if he really had feared Italy being excluded from the 2009 edition of the Classic.

FRACCARI responded: “Not me, but after Italy’s early exit in Barcelona some other European country played this argument quite aggressively. However, during the World Cup in Taiwan Italy has partially restored the traditional hierarchy of our continent and everybody knows that the Barcelona result does not express the real value of Italian baseball. Our success in the World Cup game versus Team USA became famous all over the world. The objective of the World Baseball Classic is to bring spectacular baseball attracting the whole world’s reflectors. Therefore we will behave like other countries and start looking for the best possible players for our team. Respecting the rules, that is clear”.

by Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
www.honkbalsite.com
www.sporttribune.nl
www.baseball.it