Italia coach Frank Catalanotto, Mint Pros‘ Joe Quagliano, and National Baseball Hall of Fame artist James Fiorentino are hosts of a special fundraising event to benefit Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) and Italian earthquake relief as well as honor Team Italia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic on December 8th at Carmine’s Restaurant and Sports Bar in Brooklyn, New York. FIBS president Riccardo Fraccari and Team Italia manager Marco Mazzieri are among the honorary guests scheduled to appear. New York Mets announcer and National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame supporter Wayne Randazzo will emcee.
Among other memorable moments, the family of Yogi Berra will be presented with the late Italian American’s retired number 8 Italia coaches jersey from 2008, and internationally acclaimed artist James Fiorentino will honor Team Italia hitting coach Mike Piazza by revealing his commissioned portrait of the 2016 National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee during the dinner ceremonies. All fundraising dinner proceeds will support youth baseball in Italy by building and maintaining ball fields, purchase uniforms and equipment, organize clinics and other youth baseball programs under FIBS’ guidance.
Mike Piazza met FIBS president Riccardo Fraccari in 2002 while visiting Italy on a MLB International mission to help grow the game in Europe. Fraccari asked Piazza if he would be interested in representing Italy in international competition, and the proud Italian American responded that it would be privilege to play for the Italian national team in honor of his Sicilian ancestry. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee professor emeritus of Italian Lawrence Baldassaro-who served as the interpreter for Team Italia at the 2006 WBC–said, “Of all the younger Major League players I interviewed for my book, Beyond DiMaggio: Italian Americans in Baseball, none was more in touch with, and interested in, his Italian heritage than Mike Piazza. And his commitment to baseball in Italy is unmatched among those his age.” In response Mike Piazza replied, “We just want to continue to draw attention to the fact that we believe baseball is marketable in Italy. We think it’s viable. We think there’s a lot of upward growth. We can produce players over there. I’m convinced of it.”
Carmine Gangone has been slinging pizza at his family’s Williamsburg restaurant in Brooklyn since he was 7 years old. Carmine’s Pizzeria was opened nearly four decades ago by his hard-working Italian immigrant father from Salerno. Carmine’s Restaurant and Sports Bar has since become a favorite New York Yankees enclave with its enormous display of Brooklyn Bombers memorabilia, which most notably includes Italian American baseball legend Joe DiMaggio. Carmine’s Restaurant and Sports Bar plays host to the Italian American Baseball Family Launch and Fundraiser Dinner on December 8th. Team Italia coaches Mike Piazza and Frank Catalanotto, Team Italia players Jason Grilli and Francisco Cervelli as well as other MLB players including Mike Napoli are expected. For tickets and more information about this special event, click HERE. 
SPONSORSHIP LEVELSSINGLE1 ticket to the Team Italia event1 giclee signed by sports artist James FiorentinoYour name displayed in our event program$1,000DOUBLE2 tickets to the Team Italia fundraising event,1 Mike Piazza – 16 x 20 giclees signed by sports artist James FiorentinoYour company’s ¼ page ad displayed in ours event program.Pre event meeting with the celebrities$2,000TRIPLE4 tickets to the Team Italia fundraising event,2 Mike Piazza – 16 x 20 giclees signed by sports artist James FiorentinoYour company’s ½ page ad displayed in ours event program.Pre event meeting with the celebrities2 Field passes for batting practice and 2 field level seats for a 2016 or 2017 NY Mets game$5,000HOME RUN10 tickets to the Team Italia fundraising event,10 Mike Piazza – 16 x 20 giclees signed by sports artist James FiorentinoYour company’s full page ad in our event program.Pre event meeting with the celebrities4 Field passes for batting practice and 4 field level seats for a 2016 or 2017 NY Mets game$10,000GRAND SLAM15 tickets to the Team Italia fundraising event,15 Mike Piazza – 16 x 20 giclees signed by sports artist James FiorentinoYour company’s name displayed on the back page of ours event program.Pre event meeting with the celebrities6 Field passes for batting practice and 6 field level seats for a 2016 or 2017 NY Mets game$15,000
Despite losing 6-5 to Kingdom of the Netherlands in a late night ten inning contest, Team Italia returned less than 12 hours later to defeat the Czech Republic 3-2 in their final game of the 2016 European Baseball Championship. Team Italia manager Marco Mazzieri shared his final thoughts with MLBforLife.com at the conclusion of the international competition. Mazzieri said, “We’re very happy the way the players performed throughout the tournament. We battled against each and every team. We played some very good baseball. We only committed two errors in all our games, which is incredible at this level. The guys gave it their all. We lost a heartbreaker to the Netherlands. The way we lost and the ways we battled. I think we deserved to win that game. We only slept a couple hours before our next game because nobody could sleep after that loss. I really don’t know where these guys get the energy to get back in these games and actually win the way we did. They showed a lot to me… Nobody but us expected to see Team Italia with that will, commitment, effort and great attitude throughout the whole game against the Netherlands. We scored two and we were up by two runs in the 8th (inning). The Netherlands came back and tied the score. We were able to find the strength and the energy to get back to score two runs. Sometimes in baseball a bad bounce or a bad call can cost you a game. That’s what happened to us. You are going to win and lose games, but the way you act and the way you perform on the field by what you do in terms of will and approach…it’s something that’s there! So we cannot complain about that… We are very proud and happy that we have this group of guys. I’m proud of a great group of coaches and players that made this journey incredible.”
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