by Riccardo Schiroli
The 2010 season will be a milestone in the history of baseball in Italy. The Italian Baseball League will be the very first championship in the history of Italian sport to be organized according to the format of professional sports in the United States. No team will be relegated and, as it had been done in American baseball for over 50 years, each team will have a Minor League club.
For clubs like Nettuno and Parma, that reside in areas that are pretty strong in players development, it will mean that they will be able to keep an eye on prospects and keep them also active in playing in the Second Division team. Quite a change in perspective.
Another change in perspective comes from the decision of FIBS (the Italian Federation) to raise the number of players of the Italian School of Baseball (or ASI) that have to play in every game to 6. In one of the 3 games, the pitchers will have to be ASI for the duration of the game. Still, managers will be able from this year to make their rotation. The import pitcher will have to play in game 1, but the rotation will be free in the other 2 games, provided that one game is reserved to ASI pitchers.
UGF Assicurazione Bologna looks like a team that can repeat the winning 2009 season. They lost Claudio Liverziani (suspended after testing positive to amphetamines), Daniele Frignani (retired) and Richard Austin (remained in the US) but added veteran Jairo Ramos, who was the best hitter for Italy in the IBAF World Cup and is an ASI player. Cody Cillo will return to the pitching staff after one season in the Independent Leagues in America. Bologna acquired prospects Santaniello (second baseman) and Reginato (catcher) from Reggio Emilia.
After making the final in 2009, T&A San Marino has made a few trades to be even more competitive.
San Marino will have a new starting pitcher in game 1: Enrique Bonilla, a former Triple A pitcher born in El Salvador but developed as a player in the States. His back up will be Venezuelan Jose Escalona, who played in the Serie A2 League last season. The other 2 starters should be Tiago Da Silva and Luca Martignoni. What’s new is the bullpen. After letting go Orta (Parma), Lucena (San Marino) and Schiavoni (Rimini), San Marino signed lefty Mattia Salsi (Parma), right-handers Ilo Bartolucci (Rimini) and Gregory Palanzo (Reggio Emilia) and will probably have the support of Seth La Fera as the closer. Italian Canadian Tony Granato will take over for La Fera at shortstop. The very last move could be the signing of Alvaro Montes (who was the import pitcher for Parma a few years ago), a right hander born in Colombia and who should become an Italian citizenship through marriage.
Another key acquisition may be Giovanni Pantaleoni at third, with David Sheldon splitting time at first with Rovinelli.
Another top competitor will be Telemarket Rimini, another team that made a lot of changes during the off season.
Rimini has 2 new import pitchers (former Big Leaguer Jim Brower and Alex Serrano and has replaced most of the heart of the lineup. Rimini let go Coffie and Rios, while veteran Carrozza retired. The new comers are…not really new: Laidel Chapelli and Jhonny Carvajal played in 2009 for Parma, Clinton Balgera has played for Rimini in 2 previous occasions.
Mauro Schiavoni is supposed to give consistency to the bull pen, while Sandy Patrone will start the ASI game.
Rimini is still waiting on a decision from the Federation’s Court on the position of Enorbel Marquez, the Cuban pitcher with German passport who is accused of having signed 2 contracts (one with Rimini and one with Nettuno).
Danesi Nettuno looks also as a strong competitor, even if the age of some of their key players (newcomer Buccheri was born in 1968, the other new bat Connell is 38, shortstop Alexander is 39, pitchers Leal and Masin are in their 40ies) may be a concern.
Nettuno added a Big League arm with Kris Wilson and a solid starter like Mike Natale (with Parma in 2008) to their rotation and still hope to count on Marc La Macchia, who pitched for Team Italy in the 2006 Classic. Vince Parisi will be back to his catching duties.
Cariparma and Montepaschi Grosseto look like the outsiders of the Post Season Race.
Parma will rely on starting pitcher Gustavo Martinez, who will try to prove to Rimini that it was a bad move to let him go. After losing the bats of Chapelli and Carvajal, the parmesans added former Nettuno slugger Juan Camilo. The new shortstop will be Venezuelan Marco Yepes, who should guarantee a better defense, if compared to Carvajal, but not the same figures at bat. Parma may prove to be short, when it’s time to go to the bench for some help. Especially in the ASI pitcher’s game, considering newcomer Pedro Orta will be the only alternative to starter Corradini.
Grosseto’s new manager Ruggero Bagialemani may experience the same problems in the ASI pitcher’s game, since they lost Junior Oberto, who is out for the season after a car accident. The starter should be Riccardo De Santis, playing his first full season after ‘Tommy John surgery’. Lino Luciani< and William Horn will be his relievers.
Warriors Catania and De Angelis Godo will try to play one game at a time to show they belong to this level.
Catania has made 12 acquisitions during the off season and has some depth at all positions.
Former Double A pitcher Yorkin Ferreras should be the ace of the staff, with 24 year old Dominican Orland Yintema able to support him and possibly pitch in another game thanks to his Dutch passport. Manager Benedetto Falcone will have to make a choice between prospect Giuseppe D’Ignoti and veteran Franklyn Torres for the ASI game starter, while Leonardo D’Amico and William Lucena (both are ASI pitchers) will be the key in the bullpen.
Former Cuban Serie Nacional 31 year old slugger Rolexis Molina is the player who could take Catania to the next level
Godo may be the weakest team around the IBL. The biggest holes are at catcher. New manager Steve Weidner will have to make a choice between Federico Rubboli, who has played mostly at first in the last couple of season, and Marco Sabbatani, who will make his debut in the IBL) and on the mound for the ASI game. 49 year old veteran Cabalisti is now also the pitching coach and could be even pushed to give the ball to 18 year old rookie Cozzolino. Probably Godo will try to match the rotation in order to have Panagiotis Sikaras pitch against the opponent’s number 3 starter.
Gary Burnham, who played in 2009 for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Big Leagues, will have to provide most of the power in the lineup.
Official English Website of Italian Baseball League
History of Italian Baseball
About Italian Baseball League
Photo: © Ferrini/FIBS