The Italian Baseball League club Telemarket Rimini introduced their new manager last Thursday and Mauro Mazzotti was so kind to answer a few questions for Mister-Baseball.com.
Mister Baseball: What are your expectations with your new team in Rimini for the upcoming season?
Mauro Mazzotti: Well when you manage Rimini there’s no other expectations than be competitive from the beginning till the end. Rimini won 11 Championships so far and it is one of the Clubs with more tradition in this Country.
MRBB: The Pirates brought in several new players during the winter. Had you any insight into the offseason plans or was this not possible due to the arbitration process with CONI and Grosseto?
MM: Mr. Zangheri is the President and the Owner of the Club since early 70s and he’s the main person for the acquisition of new players.
MRBB: How surprised were you last summer, when Grosseto decided to fire you, especially after agreeing on a three-year extension? Any hard feelings?
MM: Of course I was shocked; the firing came when we were already started talking about what kind of Team having on 2009 …. but that’s part of the past and I’d like not to talk about it anymore. I think that in “almost” 3 seasons in Grosseto I did a good job, we won a Championship in a Club that in all his history won 4, so I guess that’s pretty much important.
MRBB: You have won four Italian championships with three different teams. Do you have any secrets, other coaches don’t have? What are the keys to be successful in the IBL?
MM: I don’t think there’s any secret in what I do. I’m fully committed with my job on and off the field, I like what I do and I work hard. The IBL is not an easy League especially when you’ve to blend in guys that speaks three different languages and comes from different background, but even here there’s no particular secret, because Baseball is always Baseball all over the World.
MRBB: What are your favored teams to reach the playoffs and to win the title in 2009? Is Rimini one of them?
MM: It’s difficult to make a prediction right now, because it’s still 2 weeks before the season, but I guess there’ll be always the same 6 Teams for 4 spots … hopefully Rimini will be one of them.
MRBB: If you had a chance to make changes in Italian Baseball, what would it be?
MM: Everybody will like to have more Teams in the League and play more games, but I know it’s difficult due to different issues. We hope that from next season when the new IBL will start these things could happen. At the moment I’d like to 3 games in 3 different days.
MRBB: You are also coordinating the scouting activities of the Houston Astros in Europe. Please explain in a few words to our readers, what exactly you do and how do you became a scout back in 1994.
MM: Scouting Europe you’ve to keep under control all the European Leagues and especially the players from 16 till 20 years old. The MLB European Academy in Tirrenia of course helps a lot showcasing almost all the best talents in this Continent. I became a Seattle Mariners Scout long time ago when the Organization started to look in different countries besides Latin America. I’ve been with them from ’94 till ’06 and I signed 6 players. 3B Alex Liddi is the last one. From ’07 I work as Coordinator of European Scouting with Houston Astros and so far I signed 2 players. IF Jan Baldee from NL and RHP Andrea Lucati from Italy.
MRBB: Looking at young players throughout Europe, who has the chance to become the next Rick van den Hurk; Gregory Halman or Alex Maestri?
MM: I’ve been involved in the signing of Greg Halman and I’m very glad he’s in the M’s 40 men Roster. Hopefully they’ll give him a chance. About Maestri, I think that if he stays healthy, he’ll be up in the Show in a couple of years. Well …. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
Mister-Baseball thanks Mauro Mazzotti for answering our questions.