Last fall a press release by John Genzale about creating a real baseball franchise with Milano United created some buzz in the European baseball community. It looks like the project really will get underway next year. Jerry Milani of Baseball Digest talked to him and published a detailed article on Monday. Some excerpts:
“It was and will be an education for all, but the IBL and those responsible for sport see the opportunity to change the model of clubs to help bring in more revenue, and baseball in Italy seems like the right place to give it a try,” he added. Genzale’s positive relationship with Major League Baseball, which helps run and grow the game around the globe, also helped make the vision of Milano United a reality.
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The baseball side will also have its challenges, but those will be ones Genzale will have some solid help with. He has enlisted ex Major League outfielder Mike Marshall as his manager, and is looking at a number of former MLB players as a coach, including former Indians and Rays pitcher Albie Lopez. Marshall, who spent 11 years in MLB with the Dodgers, Mets, and Red Sox and helped LA win the 1988 World Championship, had left baseball after his retirement, but returned to manage Indy League franchises in Albany, El Paso and most recently Yuma of the Golden League last year. He was recommended to Genzale by baseball officials in the United States, and will make the trek to Italy with his wife in early 2012 as the start of a new adventure in a sport he loves.
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That depth, along with the support of Italian rocker and baseball fan Nicola Fasano, known as “Faso” to music fans, will help get MU off to a good start come opening day. Faso, according to Genzale, has agreed to play a series of concerts during the season around home games, which will help boost attendance and promotion. “Our goals for year one are modest,” he added. “We want to draw about 800 a night and 1,200 for bigger games, and let people and our sponsors have a good time. Faso will help us fill some other dates and bring people back, which will show even more how much fun baseball as entertainment can be.”