patiently like the rest of us True Blue Dodger Fans for Melbourne pitcher Shane Lindsay to get healthy and up-to-speed before lighting up area radar guns with his atomic splitting fastball.
As the players enter in their SUVs with radios blaring and bling flashing in typical Hollywood style, they simply nod to the semi-retired security guard working the players’ gate entrance prior to driving in one-by-one. However, when Aussie Shane Lindsay approaches, a modest smile and a cordial “g’day” is offered.
After parking his vehicle, the fashionably-conscious Lindsay exudes confidence. Despite not having thrown one pitch for the Dodgers and being reassigned to the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes, Shane remains optimistic that he will be making his debut in a True Blue uniform at Chavez Ravine shortly. The 27-year-old Lindsay made his MLB debut for the Chicago White Sox in September 2011, and the LA Dodgers took notice.
front of a sold-out Comerica Park.
ABQ baseball history dates back over 120 years.
Despite being injured, Lindsay has nothing but praise for the Dodger franchise. “You don’t ever want to be hurt,” Shane continued. “But as far as places to be hurt and the treatment and stuff…I don’t think you can beat this. (They are a) very forward thinking organization and very modern in the way they go about things. So love it so far and hopefully it will be a longtime stay.” With the recent announcement of the group led by Magic Johnson taking over Dodger ownership, Lindsay remains upbeat. He commented, “It’s an organization with a lot of heritage, a very prestigious organization. I’m just really excited of it all. I’m sure there are big changes on the horizon, and hopefully it’s a very exciting change.”
When Lindsay was asked what Big League goals he has set himself for 2012, he responded confidently: “Establish myself at the major league level and prove to everybody else what I know I can do. I’m just trying to contribute in whatever way I can and help us get towards that World Series Championship. It’s what everybody’s goal is…” Magic Johnson along with new co-owner Mark Walter share the same sentiment as Lindsay and the Dodgers based on what he told the Los Angeles Times back in December while pursing the franchise. Johnson said, “The first thing I asked Walter was, ‘Do you want to win, and do you want to put money in?’ He said, ‘Absolutely’ … He told me three times, ‘All I want to do is get to the World Series.'” Aussie pitcher Shane Lindsay has an uphill battle ahead of him to get a World Series ring. He conceded, “Obviously from a statistical standpoint, the biggest setback is the walks and the issues that we’ve had. But there is a lot more to it. And anybody that sort of knows me I’m trying to take pride in getting it down. We’ve done a lot of work over the last 18 months with mechanics, and I hope to just build on that this year. Being able to repeat my delivery with a very consistent mental approach will yield consistent results on the field too.”
Homer Simpson will welcome Shane Lindsay to Isotope country. The team’s name was voted on in an online survey of readers of the Albuquerque Tribune. Officially, there is a tie-in to New Mexico’s history with nuclear energy, but really it’s about the episode of “The Simpsons” where Homer goes on a hunger strike to prevent the Springfield Isotopes from moving to Albuquerque.
However, the Albuquerque Isotopes prevailed in the end, and The Simpsons have found a home there too. Life-sized figures of Homer and Marge grace the main concourse, a mural of Homer haunts the ‘Topes clubhouse and all sorts of other whimsical tributes to America’s favorite cartoon family are discovered throughout the ballpark. The Simpsons have had their share of airtime, but now all eyes are on pitcher Shane Lindsay. He is known as an aggressive reliever with an electric fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s and a wild delivery. Throwing with extreme intensity, no pitch delivery is ever the same. Shane Lindsay has a sharp curveball that freezes hitters and results in less than desirable at-bats. Not afraid to throw his fastball inside, Lindsay lives on the edge and provides high drama every outing on the mound.
Shane Lindsay has received a lot of media attention for all the wrong reasons after being labeled “wild”. While outside a California restaurant in late May of 2008, Lindsay and a member of his Colorado Rockies Single-A Advanced Minor League affiliate Modesto Nuts host family were attacked. The end result was a trip to the local hospital, where eight screws and a metal plate were surgically implanted in his left hand. Lindsay reflected, “It’s just was one of those situations where (it was the) wrong place, wrong time. It definitely could have been avoided had I just not been there. I’m not a troublemaker. I don’t instigate. I’m not out there trying to disrespect anybody or anything like that. But unfortunately in this world, things…instances happen. It was a terrible day in my life, and hopefully I learned a lot from that.” Shaking off rumors that he was the Aussie version of Derek Jeter, Shane was asked if their was any validity to him dating Los Angeles party girl Lindsay Lohan. Shane chuckled with laughter then replied: “Definitely not true. I’ve
never met the girl.” But when pressured to find out if he would invite her to the Dodger locker room, he caved in laughing and admitted: “Sure, why not?”
In Jeter-like fashion he added, “Anyone is welcome.”
Lindsay enjoyed his time in the ABL. He said, “It was a fantastic opportunity for me personally. It allowed me to go home from the White Sox–where we were really breaking ground on mechanics stuff and approach to the game–and it gave me a platform to work on it. Phil Dale was good enough to allow me to start and get a lot of repetitions in and a lot of different things. I felt like I achieved a lot. My numbers were not fantastic, but at the end of the day we’re trying to achieve certain goals. I think I achieved them, and I can’t wait to show that I have.” Seemingly scripted for the entertainment capital of the world, the timing is perfect for Isotope relief pitcher Shane Lindsay to show his best stuff in Albuquerque so that he is able to steal the Magic show and go prime time in Los Angeles.
Month: March 2012
An espresso not sold at Starbucks, Italian slugger Alex Liddi jolts Seattle Mariners with power buzz
Alex Liddi–may have inspired the first Seattle-born coffee maker to venture into the Italy’s competitive playing field with the opening of retail locations in Milano, Venezia, Roma and Napoli. If that isn’t enough caffeine to combat jet lag, a double shot of Italian international baseball ambassadors–Alessandro Maestri (the first Italian-born and-raised player to have reached AA ball in MLB) along with Alex Liddi–are headed to Japan. Coming off a successful stint as the 2012 ABL Fan Choice in the Australian Baseball League, Maestri–the former Chicago Cub minor leaguer–has signed a contract to pitch for the Kagawa Olive Guyners, while Alex and the Mariners battle the Oakland A’s on March 28th and 29th in a two-game Japan Opening Series to launch the 2012 MLB season.
Both graduates of the Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS)-operated Major League Baseball International European Academy at the Olympic Training Center in Tirrenia, Italy, Maestri and Liddi have mentored a whole new generation of Italian youth who aspire to play baseball internationally. Six Italian-born players have appeared in the major leagues, but all of them immigrated to North America during childhood, according to Riccardo Schiroli, communications manager for the Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball and co-author of Azzuri on the Diamond: Characters and Stories. Liddi, however, was born in Sanremo, Italy, and played amateur baseball there before signing with MLB.
Alex Liddi has become so popular worldwide that there is an Alex Liddi Fan Club on Facebook. Why shouldn’t they be excited after the 23-year-old bachelor absolutely made the most of his 2012 Mariners Spring Training campaign by showcasing his defensive versatility at first and third base in addition to cranking out some very impressive offense: .429 BA/.500 OBP/.714 SLG/1.214 OPS. He led the M’s in hits (15) and doubles (7) plus his 10 RBI were only one shy of team-leading Jesus Montero (11). Liddi said, “I hit for power, but RBI–that’s my job! I’m supposed to drive in runs.” Seattle manager Eric Wedge looks to give more opportunities for the powerful 6-foot-4, 230 pound Italian slugger as a utility infielder and a secret weapon off the bench. The Mariner skipper remained optimistic before boarding his flight to Tokyo and commented, “The more versatile he is, the more quickly we might find a spot for him.”
in just 40 at-bats, Alex Liddi was nothing short
of spectacular in his MLB debut in September 2011
for the U.S. Pacific Northwest's Seattle Mariners.
Having athleticism in his blood helped Liddi early on. His father, Augustine, played baseball and taught Alex the game. His mother, Flavia, played softball at a competitive level and inspired her son to love baseball at age three. In 2004, Liddi played for the Italian National Junior Team in the World Junior Championship. Signed in 2005 by Mariners’ international scout Wayne Norton and Mario Mazzotti, one of the team’s European scouts, Liddi competed in Italy up until the time of signing a professional contract at age 17.
He went on to play for the Italian National Team in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup, the 2007 European Championship and the 2009 World Championship. Alex was also a member of the Italian National Team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in 2009, when he hit .375 under the guidance of hitting coach and MLB All-Star great Mike Piazza. 
third base position to first base in the M's line-up.
me that I was good enough to play against some of the best. After that,
I felt like I belonged here.”
Although his 2011 Minor League season for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers was stellar with 30 home runs, 104 RBIs, 121 runs scored, 32 doubles and 61 walks, Liddi had his share of strike outs. However, in his second spring in Major League camp, Liddi made some adjustments at the plate with a lower leg kick. After working with M’s hitting coach Chris Chambliss, Liddi’s swing appears to have shortened–which results in him making more contact. Alex Liddi has more raw power and a better eye for walks than his main competitor–Kyle Seager–for the third base back-up job behind utiltyman Chone Figgins, who will seemingly play anywhere to accommodate Liddi’s hot bat in the Mariners’ line-up.
Overall, Liddi could not be happier with his progress at M’s camp. “Things have been really good here,” Liddi said. “I feel like I’ve improved on my contact. That’s what it’s all about. My goal is to be a .300 hitter and drive in some runs.
I don’t really care about home runs.
I care about RBI. I’m still working on it. I’m getting better.” Saying ‘sayonara’ to the Field of Dreams in Arizona and ‘ciao’ to the Land of the Rising Sun in Japan, Liddi has embarked on a remarkable journey of perseverance, dedication and validation in his first full season in MLB. Let’s enjoy the show! Buona fortuna Alex!!
Mineo: legendary historical landmark of Sicily or Italy’s finest catch exported to the Chicago Cubs?
of the most important sanctuary of Sicily's indigenous Sikel people in the eastern part of the
island with Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, towering over Catania seen far away
The Siculi (Sikeloi; Sicels; Sikels) were the native inhabitants of the eastern regions (including Mineo) of Sicily south of the Italian Peninsula over 10,000 years ago. The island of Sicily takes its name from the indigenous Siculi people. With its strategic location at the center of the Mediterranean, Sicily is rich in its history of conquest and empire. It is a melting pot of cultures with over a dozen ethnic groups whose warriors and merchants walked her shores. Although the other two indigenous societies of the Sicanians and Elymians assimilated easily with the Greeks, the Sicels constituted a highly developed society that the Greeks respected profoundly. Despite conflict and its desire to remain autonomous, it took several centuries for the Sicels to completely assimilate and amalgamate with their Greek neighbors. Except for the Romans, the Sicels were the only predominantly Italic people to settle in Sicily in large numbers as colonists.
Italy leads all European countries in its number of immigrants to America. Beginning in the late 1800’s, poverty and natural disasters drove Italians out–especially in Il Mezzogiorno, the southern and poorest provinces of Italy. As late as 1900, the illiteracy rate in southern Italy was 70 percent. The Italian government was dominated by northerners, and southerners were hurt by high taxes and unfair tariffs on the north’s industrial goods. Southerners suffered from exploitation by people of the same nationality and religion.
Self-reliant on only themselves for mere survival, southerners had an allegiance to la famiglia (the family) and l’ordine della famiglia (the rules of family behavior and responsibility). Suffering from a scarcity of cultivatable land, soil erosion and deforestation as well as a lack of coal and iron ore needed by industry, life in the South was difficult. Southern Italy was ravaged in the early 20th century when Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna erupted and buried towns nearby. In 1908 an earthquake and tidal wave that swept through the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland killed more than 100,000 people in the city of Messina alone. For many Italian immigrants, fleeing to the United States was not to be interpreted as a rejection of their homeland. Instead, it defended the Italian way of life because the money sent home helped to preserve the traditional order. Rather than seeking permanent homes, they desired an opportunity to work for a living and aspired to save enough money to return to a better life in the country of their birth. Unable to earn enough to support their families in their native Italy, they were migratory laborers. The majority were young men–aged 18 to 25–who planned to work, save their money and return home. Hoping their absence would not be too long, they left behind their parents, young wives and kids.
Fast forward a century later and native Italian athletes are still clinging to their roots and culture despite being lured by U.S. professional sports to homogenize into the American lifestyle. The first Italian-born baseball player awarded a MLB contract was pitcher Alessandro Maestri. Signed by Chicago Cubs scout Bill Holmberg, Maestri never pitched at Wrigley Field–even though he was a Minor Leaguer with a wicked Major League slider. However, the Cubs struck gold in 2010 when Holmberg signed then 16-year-old Italian catching prospect Alberto Mineo to a contract.
played for Team Italia at the 18 Under Junior World Championship in Thunder Bay, Canada
Holmberg watched Mineo develop into a natural talent from age 10 and knew early on he was special. Alberto was mature enough to accept feedback and listened to Holmberg and Maestri’s sound advice. He commented, “Both of them, they would always say to me ‘Work hard everyday because there is somebody somewhere else that is working hard to get to the Big Leagues’ and I started believing that I could sign with an American team.” Exercising good plate discipline, Mineo is a patient hitter who jumps on a pitcher’s mistake. “I always think as a hitter that I must wait for my pitch until I get two strikes,” Alberto explained. The left-handed hitting Mineo can demolish the ball with his technically sound swing, and once on base he can demonstrate great speed for a catcher.
After being signed by Bill Holmberg–who also is the pitching coach for the Italian National team and operates the Major League Baseball International European Academy at the Olympic Training Center in Tirrenia, Italy–Ronchi dei Legionari New Black Panthers catcher Alberto Mineo began his professional career in the month-long MLB Australian Academy Summer League, where he became friends with Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim promising pitching prospect
Alex DaSilva–who later moved up the competitive ladder to play for the Australian Baseball League (ABL)
2012 Runner-Up Melbourne Aces. Mineo played well in Australia (.270 batting average, 1 HR) as did his Italian mentor Alex Maestri, who was so popular that he won the 2012 ABL Fan Choice Award. 
The ABL’s first Italian pitcher/catcher combo with Maestri and Mineo could become reality if Alberto has his way. Mineo commented, “I had a nice experience in Australia, where I met a lot of great players that I still remain in contact with via facebook. I would really like to play with Alex in the ABL.” The dynamic duo could possibly make their debut in the near future as members of the Italian National team under the guidance and direction of pitching coach Bill Holmberg and former Major League Baseball All-Star hitting coach Mike Piazza. Mineo has played as a member of several Italian National teams at various levels– including the 18 Under Junior World Championship in Thunder Bay, Canada. Italian National team catcher Francisco Cervelli of the New York Yankees now has Mineo as back-up.
Mineo said, “I don’t feel the pressure to be the next Italian to make it in MLB. I just want to have fun and enjoy this amazing experience that I’m living right now. But it would be really nice to play with Alex Liddi on the Italian National team…”
Alberto had an exceptional Cubs 2011 Arizona Instructional League four-game campaign with a
.500 batting average, .556 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. “The Cubs Instructional League was an awesome experience. I really like
to practice with Casey Kopitzke, the catching coordinator. I think he’s really good,” Mineo said.
“So far Cubs Spring Training is going very well. I like to work hard on the field and in the gym. It’s the best place you can go if you love this sport. A couple days ago Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster and Rodrigo Lopez came to the complex to talk to us about the right way to get to the Big Leagues, but my favorite Cubs player is still Marlon Byrd. Inspired to play baseball at age five by his father and become a catcher three years later, Alberto followed American baseball religiously. “My favorite player has always been Derek Jeter. Now it is Joe Mauer. I really like how he plays, and I also think that he’s a very professional guy,” Mineo said.
the connection got even stronger when the late and great Hall of Fame Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray–whose real Italian last name was Carabina–signed on to the super station WGN Network in 1982. Although he passed on to baseball heaven in 1998, his legacy is still alive and well today as the legendary Caray’s Italian Steakhouse remains a Chicago restaurant icon. Now with Alberto Mineo in the Cubs organization, Italians in Chicago and beyond should rejoice and be thankful for their ancestors’ sacrifices years ago for the opportunities bestowed upon us in 2012. In the case of the young catching prospect Mineo–not only does he possess the natural skills necessary to become a professional ballplayer–
but he has the unconditional love and support of a dedicated team of international coaches, players, fans and family to be a true Italian baseball ambassador worldwide. Forza Italia!
Grosseto set to experience MLB Italian Renaissance
Baseball in Italy got its first break in the late 19th century when two American naval ships, the USS Lancaster and the USS Guinnebaug, arrived in the Tuscan port of Livorno. The American servicemen held their first baseball game on January 23, 1884 at the Campo d’Osservazione AKA Observation Field. Enthusiastic crowds cheered on the players, and the games garnered enough interest in the media to include coverage by Livorno’s newspaper, La Gazzetta Livornese. With an eager international following in Italy, early baseball pioneer Albert Goodwill Spalding served as a ‘Goodwill’ ambassador of the sport and held tournaments in Florence, Naples, and Rome in 1889. In an effort to unite forces with the allied Italian Army during World War I, the American Army taught Italian soldiers the sport and held baseball games between the two armies.
Any inter-war following was soon decimated upon the rise of Benito Mussolini’s fascist regime, which banned baseball for its American influence. Baseball experienced an Italian Renaissance post-World War II under the leadership of Ottino and Graziani, when the Lega Italiana Softball and the Lega Italiana Baseball leagues were created. The first professional baseball game between two Italian teams was held on June 27, 1948 in front of 2000 fans at Giurati stadium in Milan. These two leagues would eventually evolve into what is known today as the Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS), the governing body of baseball in Italy.
The Italian Baseball League (IBL) was founded in 1948 and is comprised of teams from Bologna, Parma, Nettuno, Rimini, Godo, Novara and Grosseto as well as the culturally Italian yet independent country San Marino. These eight teams compete in a 42-game season. Each team is allowed to have up to four non-Italian citizens, and each team must have at least six Italian citizen baseball players on the field at any given time. Former American players have found a second home in the IBL, including Jay Palma–the 1980 sixth-round draft pick of the New York Mets and current coach for the Novara United team.
Michael Anthony Smith was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5th round of the 2000 amateur draft at the end of his college career at the University of Richmond. He pitched in 14 games for the Blue Jays in 2002 including six starts. The Minnesota Twins acquired Smith from the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2005-2006 offseason, but he was not called up to the Major Leagues until August 2, 2006. Smith played for the 2009 Brother Elephants team in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).
He led the 2010 Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League in wins (12) and ERA (2.87) in 125.1 innings. He was also named to the 2010 Cam-Am All-Star Team, along with Rox teammate and newly signed Grosseto catcher Chris Grossman. Smith went 8-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 94.2 innings during his 2011 Brockton Rox pitching campaign. The 34-year-old MLB veteran will prove to be a valuable asset for the Tuscan squad both as regular starting pitcher as well as mentor and pitching coach for the talented roster of Grosseto hurlers.
35-year-old switch-hitting shortstop Jay Pecci has wanted to play in Italy for nearly a decade when he tried out in January of 2005 for the Italian national team that played in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. Although he had hit a home run and a single
in his final scrimmage game, Pecci was cut from the Italian team before the international competition.
Pecci recalled, “It was real close. I felt like I was on
the bubble.” The versatile athlete has always had a knack for high drama going back to college when
Pecci walked on to the Stanford baseball team and impressed enough to become a everyday starter.
A 1998 All-Conference player, Pecci led Stanford to
the 1995 and 1997 College World Series and boasted one of the all-time best College World Series batting averages after going 10-for-17 (.588). At Stanford
he played with MLB success stories Jody Gerut,
Joe Borchard, Chad Hutchinson and eventual Gary SouthShore RailCats teammate Tony Cogan.
All-Star Game MVP and ranks in the top five in nearly every offensive category in Northern League history.
Pecci came close to early retirement in 2004 when he fractured his skull and broke his jaw colliding with a Norwich teammate while chasing a flyball in Trenton, New Jersey. Having his jaw wired shut for a month, Pecci was determined in making a comeback. He remarked, “I thought at that point, I wouldn’t let that be my last game in baseball.” In his 15-year pro career, nothing came close to his personal best 2008 campaign with the Indy League Gary SouthSide RailCats. Pecci set the RailCats single-season hits record (115) that season and hit a career-best .317 batting average and .474 slugging percentage along with 26 doubles and nine home runs. He homered in the Northern League All-Star Game in 2008 and earned Most Valuable Player honors after hitting the game-winning home run in the ninth inning of the decisive Game Four of the Northern League Semifinals. Following the 2008 season, Pecci earned his first Post-Season All-Star commendation from the league as the circuit’s top shortstop. An agile and seasoned veteran ballplayer with well over 1000 games of experience, Jay Pecci will give Grosseto a competitive edge in the IBL.
With over 10 years of baseball instructional experience, Infante has been sought after to serve as personal training coach for some of New York’s finest. While offering private baseball instruction for the Cooperstown Athletics Sports Performance Training Facility in Manhattan, five of Jeff’s private alums have gone onto playing professional baseball within the last few years. Coupled with the injection of manager Mike Hartley and pitching coach Mike Smith, Infante and the new blood on Grosseto’s coaching staff now have the ability to positively impact the team’s bright future ahead. Finishing 13 games behind 2011 IBL Champion San Marino last season, the newly revamped and much improved Grosseto squad will be a top contender in Europe as a result of the 2012 MLB Italian Renaissance in Tuscany.
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