Mister Baseball

by Riccardo Schiroli

I am glad Mister-Baseball.com asked me to write a weekly column on the Italian Baseball League and, at the same time, I am aware of the fact some people may find strange that a consultant with the Italian Federation writes a column on Italian baseball. In this case I am simply what I have been for the last 17 years: a sports writer doing what he loves most. I hope you like my column.

The 2008 Italian Baseball League will take off on Thursday April 17th. The defending champions Montepaschi Grosseto will open the season at home against the newcomer Redipuglia live on Rai Sport Satellite.

The opener is an easy call: Grosseto looks like a power house, while Redipuglia is the team everybody believes will finish last and return quickly to the Serie A2. What happens on the field is very often different from what is written on paper, but this time it’s hard to believe there will be a surprise. Grosseto has way the deepest pitching staff in the league, especially for game one and two. Lefties Cooper and Ferrari and the D’Amico brothers will back up starters Mikkelsen and Oberto. In the third game, when it comes down to pitchers that must qualify as ‘players of the Italian school of baseball’ (ASI) it could be a different story, especially when youngsters Lucati and Panerati fly to the US to join the Houston Astros and the Cincinnati Reds. But this will happen in July and for the first three months of the season they will support starter Riccardo De Santis and veteran reliever Ginanneschi.

2007 season runner up Danesi Nettuno maybe does not have the same depth, but for what concerns quality can match anybody. The three starters will be former Big Leaguer Nelson Cruz, Giovanni Carrara (who plays this season as an Italian citizen) and Carlo Richetti. The Dominican born hurler, after playing six seasons in Italy, now qualifies as an ASI. Nettuno has also added a bat like former Major Leaguer Frank Menechino (who hasn’t completed the paperwork to have his Italian citizenship recognized and will play as an import) to a line up that counted already on the power of center fielder Camilo and third baseman (and 2007 MVP) Peppe Mazzanti.

If Grosseto and Nettuno look like the favourites to play in the Italian Series once again and Redipuglia is the main candidate for last place, any other preview looks pretty difficult.

T&A San Marino, after missing the playoffs for two seasons in a row, has found on the market place the pitchers that could make their staff solid. Matt Marrone will start game two and very likely William Lucena will start the games reserved to ASI pitchers. With Figueroa (and his 94 mile per hour fastball) starting game one and veteran lefty Looney as his reliever, it looks like a competitive staff. Run production will depend mostly on the impact newcomers Vasquez and naturalized Brazilian Tiago Da Silva will have on the team.

San Marino neighbours Telemarket Rimini signed a star like Manny Alexander, but built a team that will have to platoon at a couple of key positions. Because of the ASI rules, catcher Serafin de Camargo and middle infielder Jack Santora (both Team Italy’s regulars) won’t be in the line up together in two games out of three.

Cariparma has lost an important bat like the naturalized Cuban Laidel Chapelli. Former Modena and Rimini slugger Vicente Garcia Belizzi will have to fill his shoes. First year hurler Mike Natale had a very promising debut in Nettuno last week. Gilberto Gerali counts on Natale going deep every week, because depth is not something Parma pitching can count on, especially with Stefano Bazzarini sidelined by a sore elbow.

Fortitudo Bologna has a couple of new imports to discover (Dominican shortstop Bautista and American center fielder Austin) and has filled two holes (second baseman and game two starter) signing Joe Mazzuca and Cody Cillo from Godo. The future of the team depends on run production by Claudio Liverziani, who had too many ups and downs in 2007. With right-hander Matteo D’Angelo gone until the end of the NCAA season (he plays for Winthrop in Division One baseball), veteran Fabio Betto will be game three starter.

De Angelis Godo has lost three key players. Lefthander Mura retired and joined Cillo and Mazzuca in Bologna, picking up GM duties. His spot will be filled by ‘fork ball’ specialist Lino Luciani, a lefthander who can be tough to handle when he hits his spots. As it often has happened in the past, Godo had the ability to find in College baseball a couple of new players: outfielder Messineo and pitcher Nisco. If Godo is a competitor depends on the bats of their new imports Sanchez (the everyday catcher), Lockwood (should hit clean up) and Baerlocher (the ace of the pitching staff). Closer Mike Crudale accepted a last minute offer from Taiwan and will be replaced by 24-year-old reliever Collina, who played as high as Class A Advanced for the Indians.

After the 42 game regular season, the best 4 teams will play a 12 game round robin and the top 2 will play the best of 7 Italian Baseball Series.

The season will be presented to press in Rome on Tuesday April 15th. In the same press conference IBAF will announce the venues of the 2009 World Cup.