Mister Baseball

by Riccardo Schiroli

After 27 games the situation in the Italian Baseball League looks pretty clear for the first three positions (Fortitudo Bologna, Danesi Nettuno and Montepaschi Grosseto should not have a problem in making the ‘post season’) and for the last (Rangers Redipuglia are very likely to make the return trip to the Serie A2).

All of the drama is expected for the fourth place race that involves three teams: T&A San Marino, Telemarket Rimini and Cariparma. In this order as this is the order of the IBL standings. San Marino has 11 losses, Rimini 12 and Parma 13.

The two-game lead over Parma San Marino has now, could easily evaporate next time the teams take the field though. After the Euro Cups break Parma will travel to Redipuglia (Thursday 6/26 the game will be televised live on satellite by Rai Sport Più) while San Marino will host the defending Champions Montepaschi Grosseto. At the same time Rimini will travel to Nettuno to face Danesi and Fortitudo will play against De Angelis Godo.

At the end of June, with 12 games to be played till the end of the ‘regular season’, we may have Bologna out of reach, Nettuno and Grosseto pretty relaxed and the fourth place race in the heat. Or we may not, because if San Marino sweeps Grosseto at home, we’d better cancel all of our thoughts and reconsider the ‘post season’ race to become a “four team for two positions” race.

San Marino is playing good baseball and will take advantage of the break to see if catcher Matamoros is ready to pick up is place at backstop or, at least, his position in the lineup. Both San Marino and Grosseto are struggling on Saturday nights because their pitchers of “the Italian school of baseball (or ASI)” give up too much. And the rubber match of the series could be a factor in the race.

Every team can rely on pretty good starters in the first two games, but solid starts in the ASI games are rare goods, so to say. Team Italy’s right hander Roberto Corradini, after recovering from a sore shoulder, has given pretty good starts to Cariparma. Considering the parmesans look the best hitting team amongst the fourth place contenders (or at least the most consistent), if I have to pick up a favorite, mine is Cariparma.