The European Baseball Coaches Association (EBCA) has named Mauro Mazzotti Coach of the Year 2012 during the 9th EBCA Convention in Mulhouse, France this weekend. The 53-year-old Italian led Spain first to the bronze medal at the European Championship in the Netherlands. Afterwards they went to Jupiter, Florida to stun the favored Israel to win the World Baseball Classic Qualifier, giving Spain a first-ever appearance at the World Baseball Classic next March.
Mazzotti beat out Italy’s head coach Marco Mazzieri, Bern Cardinals’ player-coach John Baum, CB Barcelona’s head coach Jorge Miqueleiz and Hungary’s head coach Justin Prinstein in the EBCA Coach of the Year voting. For a second year in a row EBCA members had a say in the voting. Mazzotti follows Brian Farley (Dutch national team head coach) as EBCA Coach of the Year, which is being handed out since 2008.
“Of course I’m happy to win the award and for Spain and generally speaking for European Baseball. A bronze medal at the European Championship and especially the qualification for the 2013 World Baseball Classic is something that will stay forever in the story of Spanish Baseball. Now that we enter with the best baseball countries in the world, we need to work hard in order to compete with them.”
Born in Cesena, Italy, Mazzotti played for Milano 1946 in the Serie A before becoming a coach at an early age of 28 years. He was and still is the only coach in Italy to win national championships with three different teams (Rimini 1999, Bologna 2003&2005, Grosseto 2007). He also worked as coach of the Italian national team in 2007. In 2009 he took over as head coach of the Spanish national team. Since 2011 he is the general manager of the reigning Italian champion T&A San Marino.
EBCA Coaches of the Year:
- 2008: Chris Dassy (Namur Angels)
- 2009: Steve Janssen (DOOR Neptunus)
- 2010: Greg Frady (German National Team)
- 2011: Brian Farley (Dutch National Team)
- 2012: Mauro Mazzotti (Spanish National Team)