by Riccardo Schiroli
As a professional sports writer I had already watched a Uefa Champions League final. Well, once in Wien (1995) I admit I was not that professional. AC Milan had just lost (1-0) in a terrible game against Ajax Amsterdam (now that I think of it, it looks like the Dutch like to disappoint my sport passions…). I had just had an argument on the phone with my editor because I had written something about Ajax playing a defensive game (“think of what the Dutch press would have written if Milan had played like Ajax” was what the editor did not like).
I had also watched a Champions League final with Barcelona involved (in Athens in 1994, AC Milan had outplayed them 4-0…Johan Cruijff, I will never be sure about the spelling of his last name, was their coach and after all sometimes the Dutch do not disappoint my passions…).
As a longtime baseball fan, I would have never thought I would have had a chance to watch a Uefa Champions League final sitting close to Mike Piazza.
Since I was travelling with Mike and I knew Piazza would have liked to watch the game, I was as brave as to say: “I may go with him”. Not that I believed that it could really happen, I was just giving it a chance, you never know. But on Tuesday night someone called my cell phone and asked if I was the person supposed to pick up the tickets for Mr. Piazza and Mr. Schiroli: “You’ll find a parking ticket. I am sorry, it’s not the closest to the gate”.
Yeah, I thought, let me complain a bit because I have to walk to the gate. Fortunately enough, I never pronounced these words.
While I was driving through thousands of Manchester United and Barcelona fans, I reminded of myself covering the Intercontinental Cup in Cuba in 2002. I remember a phone call from FIBS President Fraccari stating that Mike Piazza had accepted to represent Italy.
It happens quite often that President Fraccari expresses his enthusiasm and I try to cool him a bit. And it did happen this time: “Presidente” I said “They are not going to let MLB players appear in International baseball”.
But Fraccari had his vision and told me that he believed a World Cup with MLB players was going to happen.
I actually did happen in 2006, even if it was called World Baseball Classic. And Piazza actually signed a so called ‘Player Participation Agreement’ and sent his grandfather’s Rosario papers for eligibility and did wear the ‘maglia azzurra’ and did say: “As an Italian American, when I go back to Italy I feel like a duck chick making it to the water for the first time”.
While Mike was saying these words, I did doubt for a while. I mean, he is a pro and knows how to deal with the press. And after all I had asked him to help us show the Americans that players like him were eligible to represent Italy. Not only for the rules of the WBC, but also because they had the right to have their citizenship recognized. So, I thought, he’s simply doing what I asked him to do.
I saw Piazza in Scottsdale, Arizona one year later. The A’s were playing against the Angels a Spring Training game and he had just signed for the A’s.
I was on the field and Piazza saw me and gave me a hug: “Do you know I had a daughter? Guess what’s her name…Nicoletta…Nicoletta Piazza…what do you think?”
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time for a picture. Or maybe I didn’t dare ask. And I was sorry, because I thought maybe people were not going to believe we had really talked.
But then a couple of years later, I am entering the “Stadio Olimpico” with Mike. Who has just spent a couple of days working out with our players and was there when we announced that the IBAF World Cup Final was going to be played in Nettuno.
I would have a few questions to ask, but I agree that I am supposed to give answers and not ask questions. Still I would like to emphasize the fact that those who were saying that the WBC was not going to leave anything to Italy, especially if Italy insisted in putting on the rosters players like Mike Piazza, were very wrong.
Mike Piazza, a future Hall of Famer, the player who hit the most home runs in the history of baseball while playing catcher, the millionaire…this Mike Piazza committed long time to Italy after representing the country in the 2006 WBC and after serving as a coach 3 years later.
I hope everybody is with me: one of the best hitters of all time will walk on the Tirrenia FIBS Academy turf to teach Italian kids what he has learned in his star years in the Big Leagues. Isn’t it great?.
It’s almost too good to be true, that Piazza has committed long time with the Italian Federation. I believe it’s good for Italy and it’s good for Europe as much.
I only have one moment in which I doubt. It’s when Piazza lets me know his personal solution for Manchester United that is trailing 2-0 against Barcelona: “Don’t you think they would use a player such as Miccoli”.
I almost choke. Piazza knows Miccoli? The Palermo striker in the Italian Serie A?
I turned my head and saw Naomi Campbell. And I was ready to decide I was only dreaming. Then Mike Piazza smiled and said that maybe, even with Miccoli on the pitch, they would have lost anyway. And the night is over.
Photos: Ratti (top) and Ferrini (bottom)/FIBS