Press release from Italian Baseball and Softball Federation regarding 2009 World Baseball Classic:
Marco Mazzieri will manage Team Italy also during the March 2009 World Baseball Classic. The former Team Italy center fielder was given the managing job before the 2007 IBAF World Cup.
“We have a long term program with Mazzieri” explained FIBS President Riccardo Fraccari “And we believe he has to be given the chance to be the manager in such a competition”.
Italy will add to Mazzieri’s staff a Bench Coach with important MLB experience. The rest of the coaching staff will be named at a later date.
“I am really happy” commented Mazzieri “And not overconfident. I am aware of the fact that I need to rely on the experience of a coach who has spent time in the Big Leagues”.
Born in 1962 in Grosseto, Marco Mazzieri has been a marquee player in the Italian League since the 1980ies, playing over 1000 games (his life batting average was .297) and representing Italy 73 times. As a coach he managed Grosseto in the IBL, playing the 2002 semi finals. For the Federation he has managed the AAA National Team since 2005 in 2 European Championships (1st place in 2007) and a World Cup.
Picture by Ezio Ratti for FIBS