Alex Da Silva

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea and redhead Angel pitching prospect Alex Da Silva end up LA baseball rivals

Roberto Angotti1 Comment

AC/DC, Crowded House, Helen Reddy, Kylie Minogue, Little River Band, and Men At Work are just some of the big names that have sprouted out of Melbourne, Australia. There has never been a drought for world-class talent hailing from the metropolis often referred to as the “cultural capital of Australia” and the world’s most liveable city. Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria.

Melbourne-born Michael Balzary AKA “Flea” of LA’s Red Hot Chili Peppers jams the national anthem at Dodger Stadium.
Four-year-old Michael “Flea” Balzary moved from Melbourne to New York when his father, a customs officer, was transferred in 1967. Shortly after his parents divorced at age seven, his dad returned to Australia, where he now lives on the outskirts of Canberra with his second wife. Flea’s mother later married American jazz musician Walter Urban Jr. and moved the family to Los Angeles in 1972. Flea would often sit in on weekly jam sessions with his stepdad and the constant flow of musicians who visited. While most of the California high school kids were into disco and dance music, Flea listened to jazz legends Louie Armstrong, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. His greatest childhood memory was when he met Gillespie backstage after one of his concerts. Flea’s musical interests diversified when he discovered funk music and Jimi Hendrix became his new idol. He befriended Anthony Kiedis in 1977 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers formed after Flea left Fear and declined an offer to join PiL in 1984.
Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, LA Lakers center-forward Pau Gasol and Flea
Widely known as a devout LA sports fanatic, most people are unaware of Flea’s strong ties to Australia.
Flea has a strong connection to his Aussie roots. He professed, “I love Australia with my heart and Australian blood coarses through my veins. We are coming to Australia early next year, can’t wait to feel the connection to my birthplace once again.” The bassist owns a beachfront property in the little town of Congo on NSW’s South Coast. Flea said, “Chances are, I’ll end up living there permanently. Without wanting to sound corny, I feel it in my blood when I’m in that part of Australia. I get a lot of power and strength from the land.”
Redhead pitcher Alex Da Silva of
the Melbourne Aces and LA Angels
Power and strength are two attributes commonly referred to when Melbourne Ace and LA Angels pitching prospect Alex Da Silva takes the mound. Signed by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim international scout Grant Weir as a free agent on January 10, 2011, the 19-year-old Da Silva has a cannon for an arm. Weir commented, “Alex probably throws harder than anyone in the country. Just his tools are impressive.” Equipped with a 90 plus MPH fastball, curveball, change-up and cutter, Da Silva is committed to working hard everyday to realize his dream of making it to Major League Baseball. This past Australian Baseball League season the six-foot-two Aussie hurler was in good hands pitching under the guidance and supervision of Melbourne Ace manager Phil Dale, a former minor league coach for the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves as well as a national baseball coaching legend for leading the Australian team to its first ever silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics with a 1-0 upset over Japan. We checked in with Alex recently.
Melbourne’s Alex Da Silva signed a professional contract with Angels scout Grant Weir in 2011.

Roberto: How are things going for you in Tempe, Arizona?
Alex: Feeling pretty good at my first Angels Spring Training camp. It’s pretty good. They are very keen on looking after the players so everything is taken care of. I mean from getting picked up in the morning, breakfast, lunch. It’s just a baseball paradise here, you know.
Roberto: It’s everything you expected it to be?
Alex: And more…
Roberto: Reports from Australia are that you pack some heat with your fastball. Is that true?
Alex: It’s a bit more like that back home, but over here I am just another fish in the sea. I’m mean, it’s nothing special, really. That’s where I have to develop. I mean, back home, yeah, There are not many guys that throw that hard. Over here, everybody does. I’m just another number.
Roberto: But you’re a hard worker committed to a seven-year contract.
Alex: Yeah, seven years but at the moment just (taking it) day-by-day.

Alex Da Silva played on the 2011-12 Melbourne Aces which included Oakland A’s starter Travis Blackley.
Roberto: Playing for Melbourne with Travis Blackley and Shane Lindsay must have been inspirational?
Alex: You see how they go about their business and whenever they step on the field it’s always 100% business. It gives you something to go off and something to follow. Especially those guys, they are really good examples to follow. They always give you a nudge in the right direction when you need it. They are really good people to have around.
Childhood friend and Melbourne Ace teammate
19-year-old Darryl George is a bright MLB prospect.

Roberto: It must have been tough watching the Australian Baseball League Championship between your Melbourne Aces and the Perth Heat?
Alex: At the same time as you’re not playing, you’re still kind of there. You know the guys, especially Darryl George when he was getting up. I grew up with him. I know exactly what is going through his head. I’ve seen him do it since he was like 11-years-old. At the same time, you know they are doing everything they can and hopefully in the years to come I’ll be the guy out there.
Melbourne Ace pitcher Alex Da Silva

Roberto: Did you have a case of the butterflies when you took the mound for the first time in the Australian Baseball League?
Alex: I played the very first series in Sydney. That was the only series I played. I came on when we were down to a time limit so I was put on to waste a little bit of time. Yeah, the crowd wasn’t too happy so it was a little bit of a new experience for me. You know, the crowd against me. We were trying to do everything we could do to stretch the game a little bit. It’s a tough situation.
Roberto: You played with Chicago Cubs catching prospect Alberto Mineo from Italy at the MLB Australian Academy. What were were impressions of him?
Alex: When I first met Alberto, he was one of those really fun guys to be around. Always smilng. His English is actually pretty good, but we still messed around with him a little bit. But he took it in the spirit
Italy’s Alberto Mineo
it was meant to be. In terms of a catcher, I really like the way he went about his business. He took control of the game. There were times when I wanted to throw a pitch that I wanted to throw, but he insisted and pulled me back in line a little bit. In terms of catchers that I like, I just like catchers that get the job done and don’t say too much. I do my job, and they do their job.
Roberto: But do you take things personally when catchers are insisting on a pitch, and you are shaking them off for another?
Alex: I’m not a big fan of shaking guys off. Every now and then I might feel that I know a hitter pretty well and the pitch I want to throw might be a bit more effective. When they put the same sign down twice, I always think they’re really persistent on this one so I give them this one. I’ll go with what they say. You might have a bit of a joke about it later if they get a hit off you. Go back to him and say that it should have been a curveball instead of a fastball. I usually just trust what they do.
Roberto: Baseball is still in its infancy in Australia. With the abundance of more popular sports on your home turf, what lured you into baseball?
Alex: Well there is AFL, Australian Rules Football, but I didn’t like running that much so that kind of put me off it. I tried karate for a little while. I guess I really liked the guys who played baseball. I played with some pretty cool guys growing up. There was just something there that kept me going back every year. I really don’t quite know what is was, but something kept luring me back.
Roberto: Who was an inspirational figure in your baseball career?
Alex: My very first baseball coach, Greg Dawes, he was a bit of a hard ass. Even little things like everytime you go out there to make sure your shirt is tucked in and your socks are tucked up stuck with me until now. In a way, that’s the way the game should be played. That little bit of respect he taught me for the game carried on. Now I enjoy it much more because I got all that basic stuff out of the way. Now it’s off to the fun stuff in just playing, and I don’t have to worry about it.
Roberto: What is the most frustrating part of pitching?
Alex: The hardest part for me is when you throw a really good pitch, you’ll throw a curveball that snaps off really well, and the hitter comes up with something. He might get a hit off a curveball that would have bounced before the plate. I mean what things are out of your control are the things that really get to you. So you do your job really well and you hit your spot, but the hitter just does a better job. For me that’s the hardest thing. Or you do your job, you get a guy to roll over and there’s an error in the field. They’re the kind of things that really get me. I mean you’ve done your job, and at the end of the game you’ve got a loss next to your name. They’re the things that really get me. It’s just things that are not in your control is what frustrates me a little bit.
Roberto: Is it fun competing with international players abroad?
Alex: The two dominant forces here are the Americans and Latins. Americans are very similar to Australians. There is always the language thing. We say ‘mate’. They always make fun of us saying stuff like ‘Hey mate” and things like that. The Latino guys are really cool to be around, they’ll mix in some Spanish. They’ll mess with you a little bit, and you mess with them back. Just the other day we tricked one of the Latino guys into thinking that ‘vamos’ which means ‘let’s go’ meant ‘French toast’. So he is out on the field yelling ‘French toast’ (laughter). There’s really not that much difference culturally. I’ve been told that Tempe, this area, is very similar to Brisbane. It’s like being at home, just a bit drier and not as many hills. Otherwise, it’s very easy to assimilate into this environment.
Roberto: Other than the jetlag and the time difference?
Alex: Yeah, it was a bit difficult. My flight from Sydney to LA was fourteen hours, and I didn’t sleep a blink. The first couple days were hard. It took me like four days to feel like I was right. That’s going to happen. You’ve got to deal with it.
Roberto: It’s part of the game. What’s next for Alex Da Silva?
Alex: After spring camp and extended spring, I hope to make a rookie or rookie advanced team from there. I mean, either way,
I don’t really mind so long I am still playing here. That’s the greatest blessing just to be able to come out and play everyday. At this point, it’s spring, extended spring and short-season.

Roberto: Is Anaheim in the future?
Alex: I just want to get there. It doesn’t matter when. I just want to make the big leagues. That’s why I am here. That’s why I was signed because somebody thought that I could make the big leagues. That’s just what I want to do. Doesn’t matter when, doesn’t matter who for—whether it be Anaheim or New York—it doesn’t matter. I just want to get there.
Roberto: Are you looking forward to pitching for the Melbourne Aces in the 2012-13 Australian Baseball League season?
Alex: I think by the end of the season, I might want a little break. I might take a couple weeks off, but I would like to play as many series as I can play with them. I would love to go over and play whatever role Melbourne Ace manager Phil Dale puts me into. Really, I would like to play as much baseball as I can.

A visit to Dandenong Ranges National Park and run up Mount Dandenong’s 1000 Steps Kokoda Trail is the reward for Alex Da Silva after a good outing on the mound.

Roberto: Any words of encourage or advice for up-and-coming baseball players worldwide?
Alex: Never give up. There is always setbacks, but you have got to keep going through the setbacks. I have been lucky. I haven’t had many injuries or anything,
I know some guys that have, and they are still where
I am. The thing is every time you have a setback, you just have got to keep going. Get through, get to the next little bit. Set yourself goals, get to the next little section. For me, my next section is to get through spring healthy and hopefully not giving up too many runs. I don’t expect much from myself at this point, but I mean once I get an idea where I am at extended spring camp then I will set myself some good goals. You know, like I may not want to give up more than one hit for every two innings or something like that. You really have got to set specific goals and when you get those goals—reward yourself! Maybe instead of
just running around your block–you’ll go for a run to the beach. You have always got to have those goals, and at the end of those goals you have got to have a goal to look forward to.Roberto: So have some immediate short-term goals leading to long-term goals?
Alex: Yeah, for me where I live at the bottom of the hills there is a place called the 1000 steps. Instead of my normal running, you know, it got a little bit boring so after I had a good outing I would go there. If I was starting, I would say that I wanted to get through five innings and only give up two runs or just be in a leading position coming out when I leave the game. If I got that, then I could go up to the 1000 steps and do my running because it’s a beautiful rainforest which is a bit cooler and a really nice place to run. That was my reward. Or just about anything that I looked forward to.
Roberto: What about the growth of Aussie baseball with the injection of the MLB-sponsored Australian Baseball League (ABL) and the MLB Australian Baseball Academy?
Alex: In terms of the fanbase, with the ABL in place it has just exploded. It still has a long way to go. As far as the MLB Australian Academy, you can look at how many guys have been signed since the program started… My year alone 12 guys were signed and the year before me was even better. Everyone of them has been through the Academy multiple years. It’s getting the results.
Roberto: Any words for your friends and family back home?
Alex: Missing you guys. I’m doing you proud!
Despite Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea and redhead Alex Da Silva ending up on opposing sides of LA baseball, their love for Melbourne is skin deep. On game day when LA Angel pitching prospect Da Silva gets ready for a start, he pumps up the volume with some of his favorite jams from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rise Against. When Chili Pepper bassist Flea wants to get fired up before a big concert, he watches Matt Kemp and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Regardless how these two individuals mentally prepare for their performances, both are professionals grounded and undeniably connected by their Australian blood.
Da Silva’s home away from home at LA Angels of Anaheim Spring Training Complex in Tempe

Mineo: legendary historical landmark of Sicily or Italy’s finest catch exported to the Chicago Cubs?

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A panoramic view of the archaeological site of Rocchicella di Mineo, ancient Palikè, the location
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.
Piazza DiMaggio commemorated the legendary son of an Italian immigant, Joe DiMaggio, who lived the American Dream of playing baseball and the tens of thousands of Italian immigrants who came to America through the Taylor St. U.S. port of entry seeking a new life in the heart of Chicago's Little Italy during the early part of the Twentieth Century.

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.
Chicago Cubs Italian catching prospect Alberto Mineo at 2012 Spring Training in Mesa, Arizona
Catcher Alberto Mineo calms his pitcher down and discusses strategy to get the next batter out.
Now ranked 58th behind #1 Cubbie Starling Castro in the Chicago Cubs Top Players Under 25 Organizational List, catcher Alberto Mineo has his eyes set on making it all the way to Wrigley. The defensive standout with excellent catch-and-throw skills said, “The part that I like most about being a catcher is throwing runners out at second.” The 5-foot-11, 170 pounder has strong hands and forearms which assist his receiving skills and defensive instincts. Blessed with outstanding arm strength and a quick ball transfer exchange, Mineo looks comfortable behind the plate. Exuding confidence as a first-rate catcher, opponents will need to exercise caution on the bases.
Left-handed hitting slugger Alberto Mineo
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.
Cubs prospect Alberto Mineo has speed on the bases and is very quick with his glove defensively.

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.
Catcher Alberto Mineo has all the tools to follow fellow MLB International European Academy graduate Alex Liddi of the Seattle Mariners and become the second Italian-born player in the Big Leagues.

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…”
Lady Liberty of a Cubbie kind stands tall and proud in the city of Chicago.

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.
Wrigley Field, National Historic Landmark and home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916, is the second oldest ballpark in the Major Leagues and the oldest standing National League ballpark.
Although there had been a long-time association of Italians being die-hard Cubbie fans,
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!

Italian Cubbie fans of all shapes and sizes await Alberto Mineo's imminent arrival at Wrigley Field.

LA Angels believe in Aussies Sookee and Da Silva

Roberto Angotti3 Comments

Aaron Sookee of the ABL's Sydney Blue Sox (Jen Edwards/SMP Media)
Grant Weir, Australian scout for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, has not let anyone down in the past with his baseball wit and intuition in discovering raw talent. Just ask Angel owner Arte Moreno and manager Mike Scioscia, both of whom are very pleased with Weir’s 2002 find of one of the team’s longest-tenured players, Aussie pitcher Rich Thompson. A decade has passed, and Weir is still finding hidden gems. Among his Angel signings are two young up-and-coming MLB pitching prospects currently in the Australian Baseball League: 20-year-old Aaron Sookee of the Sydney Blue Sox and 18-year-old Alex Da Silva of the Melbourne Aces. Both pitchers have seen limited action in the ABL. Aaron Sookee (0-1, 5.68 ERA) has pitched 6.1 innings of relief while striking out seven, and Alex
Da Silva (0-0, 0.00 ERA) has made one appearance. Despite their limited visibility in the spotlight, the education these young hurlers are receiving behind-the-scenes is what is most impressive and valuable.
The sky is the limit for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim right-handed MLB pitching prospect Aaron Sookee.

Aaron Sookee is being mentored
by past and present MLB pitchers–including Korea’s Dae-Sung Koo
(New York Mets) and fellow Aussies Chris Oxspring (San Diego Padres) and Brad Thomas (Detroit Tigers), while Alex Da Silva gets to rub shoulders in the dugout with American Jason Hirsh (Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies) and Aussies Travis Blackley (Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants) and Shane Lindsay (Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers).

18-year-old Melbourne Ace pitcher Alex Da Silva has been known for shooting down hitters effortlessly with the fastest gun in Australia. (Joe Vella/SMP Images/ABL)
Aaron Sookee has spent most of his two minor league seasons playing Arizona League Rookie ball with modest success. Last year for the Arizona League Angels, the six-foot-three reliever went 3-3 with three saves and a 4.63 ERA. In 14 appearances, he pitched 23.1 innings and struck out 28. Averaging more than one strike out per inning in both the Arizona League and ABL is an encouraging sign. International scout Grant Weir commented, “The Angels are very excited with the signing of Aaron, and we believe he has an enormous future in professional baseball. He has physical attributes that are going to help him have a long and fruitful career, but more importantly he is a great kid who works hard.” Having a seven-year professional contract with a probable World Series contender a la Pujols, Sookee can potentially develop into a huge Major League Baseball talent over time.
It took Aussie Angel predecessor Rich Thompson over five and a half years to make his MLB debut in 2007.
Based on the Thompson timetable, Aaron Sookee is right on schedule to have a significant impact on this franchise’s young pitching promise and future.Alex Da Silva is a ladies' man.

Named MVP of an international competition in America while playing for the Penrith and Sandringham Baseball Clubs and the NSW team in Blacktown, the younger Aussie Alex Da Silva was watched meticulously by MLB scouts during the national youth tournament in Perth and was signed shortly thereafter by Angels’ scout Grant Weir, who was blown away by the velocity of his 90 mph fastball.

Ladies' man Alex Da Silva prays for the opportunity to give one-on-one lessons to TV starlet Eva Longoria.

With a keen eye for the ladies and his sights on some
of the Angels’ Hollywood heartthrobs and playmates, Alex Da Silva hopes that his pitching arsensal of a wicked fastball, curveball, change-up and cutter will expedite the process of an invitation to Angels’ Spring Training Camp and Hefner’s Playboy Mansion. Having completed eight weeks of intensive training at the
MLB Academy on Australia’s Gold Coast, the young
work-in-progress pitcher will join the Arizona Angels’ Rookie Camp in March. Weir said, “Alex probably throws harder than anyone in the country. Just his tools are impressive. He has the fastball, and he just has to learn how to pitch. He’s got the right tools to pitch.
But he’ll learn in the right environment.” Da Silva has an uphill battle ahead as he experiences the growing pains of rookie camp with aspirations of turning heads and being selected on one of the organization’s minor league teams. Having followed Alex’s pitching finesse since playing for the U13 development squad, Weir believes Da Silva has what it takes to be successful.

Alex Da Silva hopes to play with and catch Holly Madison in MLB.

“He’s a smart kid. I think he’s realistic, and he knows that this is just the start for him. There’s a lot of work to be done yet,” Weir said. Beginning his baseball playing days when he was nine years old, Alex’s athletic career has progressed from participating on club teams to Victorian State teams and then on to Australian national squads. Alex feels blessed that he was born with what he called “natural pitching ability that cannot be learned.” Da Silva credits his dad for his six-foot-two stature. He said, “I’m a pretty good build, and I get that from my father’s side so I think I just have naturally improved as a pitcher. I really want to see where my talent can take me. I want to make the Major Leagues.” Given Derek Jeter’s Major League relationships with the likes of Minka Kelly, Mariah Carey, Lara Dutta, Joy Enriquez, Jordana Brewster, Vanessa Minnillo, Vida Guerra, Jessica Alba, Adriana Lima, Jessica Biel, Rachel Uchitel, Tyra Banks and possibly Scarlett Johansson, the future looks bright for both Alex Da Silva’s personal dating life and his potential to join the game’s elite as a pitcher for the LA Angels.