On Tuesday the annual “Gala dei Diamanti” took place in Parma, Italy to honor the 2009 Italian Baseball League All Stars and to celebrate the end of the Baseball year. Fresh elected IBAF President Riccardo Fraccari, who also is the head of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation, shocked the attendance with a surprise announcement.
According to the report on Baseball.it there is a possibility that Rome, Italy could host a regular Major League game or even the season opener in 2011, if the new ballpark is ready by then. If this is not the case, Major League Baseball still would come in 2011 for a couple of spring training games at a different site in Italy.
Fraccari further said that he will travel to New York on Wednesday to discuss this matter as well as the future relationship between the professional league and the International Baseball Federation. This certainly would be a great opportunity for Baseball development in Europe.
Spring training or regular season game, doesn’t matter. It would be great!!!
This is great news but should it really be held in Italy. During the Baseball World Cup both Germany and Holland did a far better job. Italy was over priced and empty stadiums. World Cup final day you could not even buy tickets at the stadium. I would not even trust the baseball fed in Italy to look after my gold fish!!
Great news but please not in Italy. They will charge 50 plus euro to sit in the bleachers!!
Thats the advantage for Italy to have a Italian on the Highest Seat at IBAF..
Italian Federation may prove their organizing skills under the control of MLB.