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Team Italy slugger and Cincinnati Reds prospect Leonardo Seminati named to U-18 All-World Team

Roberto AngottiLeave a comment

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After leading Team Italy in runs (5), hits (11), home runs (2), RBI (17), batting average (.423), slugging percentage (.654), on-base percentage (.531), on-base plus slugging (1.185), walks (6), and stolen bases (2), Azzurri first baseman and Cincinnati Reds prospect Leonardo “Grande Leo” Seminati was named and honored as a member of the 2017 WBSC U-18 All-World Team during the closing ceremonies of the 12-country international tournament at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. A sold-out stadium of fans and supporters–including 19 of his Azzurri teammates, Team Italy U-18 manager John Cortese along with coaches Rolando Cretis, Stefano Cappuccini, Gianluca Marenghi, Daniele Santolupo as well as FIBS delegation manager Fabrizio De Robbio, trainer Graziano Abbate, physician Guido Squarcia and FIBS media representative Marco Landi–cheered enthusiastically as Seminati stood proudly on the podium next to fellow players selected to the 2017 U-18 All-World Team.

Following the memorable night of glory under the lights at Thunder Bay’s Port Arthur Stadium, Leonardo Seminati packed his bags and headed in a different direction than Team Italy. Unlike most traveling back to Rome, Grande Leo flew to Goodyear, Arizona to report to Cincinnati Reds instructional league camp. Impressed by the way the Team Italy captain and MLB prospect carried himself and his Italian squad in the 2017 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, the Reds wasted no time in getting Seminati on their home turf to begin the process of molding this European all-star into a world-class ballplayer. Leonardo Seminati is a breath of fresh air as baseball media and fans alike will soon find out as he embarks on his minor league journey with sights of a career in the Big Leagues. Grande Leo conducts himself professionally on and off the field. His coaches, teammates and family have nothing but praise for the outstanding 17-year-old slugger. He is one of the most approachable, responsible and intelligent young competitors one will ever meet in the game today. Like promising 20-year-old Italian Kansas City Royals prospect Marten Gasparini, Cincinnati Reds prospect Leonardo Seminati has a bright future ahead of him in Major League Baseball. Thanks to the efforts of 29-year-old Alex Liddi, who was the first Italian-born-and-raised player to make it to MLB, the table has been set for Marten Gasparini and Leonardo Seminati to represent Italy as a viable breeding ground for up-and-coming baseball talent on the global stage. Forza ragazzi! Forza Italia!!!

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FIBS media representative Roberto Angotti with Team Italy’s Leonardo Seminati at the 2017 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay (Photo by Azzurri coach Stefano Cappuccini)

Team Italia closer Jason Grilli integral in bringing 2016 World Series Championship north of border to Toronto

Roberto AngottiLeave a comment
Grilli
39-year-old Jason Grilli is better than ever in Toronto.

Just ask former Jays manager Cito Gaston about the current team’s roster, which now boasts veteran Italian American pitcher Jason Grilli as their reliable setup man. Just two games out of first in the American League East Division, the Blue Jays would like nothing more than ending the 23-year-old drought by bringing a World Series title back home to Toronto. Gaston said, “I think they have the team to win it. It’s going to be fun, and it’s going to be fun for this city to watch.” Since being traded on May 31st from the Atlanta Braves, Jason Grilli has provided the necessary leadership to propel current Toronto Blue Jays skipper John Gibbons’ team to the top.

Grilli Italia
Proud Italian American and Floridian Jason Grilli

The trade that brought Grilli north of the border probably would have never taken place without a little help from Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, who encouraged the front office to take action and served as catcher for Grilli while with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013 when Jason earned a nod to the National League All-Star squad. Like a fine Italian wine getting better with time, Grilli saved 33 games and posted a 2.70 ERA with 74 strikeouts to just 13 walks for the Pirates that year. His accolades grew larger in 2014 when the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame honored Pirates closer Jason Grilli as the “Man of the Year”. Jays General Manager Ross Atkins cited Martin’s endorsement of Grilli as being a factor in bringing him to Toronto.

Grilli and Martin
Pitcher Jason Grilli and catcher Russell Martin have reunited to bring another World Series title to Canada.

Martin admitted Grilli is now getting by more on craft and guile than power. “His arm is still electric. There’s still some bullets in that thing,” Russell said. “He’s got that fastball that guys like to swing at when it’s up in the zone. He knows how to disrupt timing with the slide-step, how to elevate the fastball. And he’s got a really tight slider — one of the best that I’ve caught.” Jason has made fifteen appearances for Toronto, tossing 13.2 innings, allowing ten hits and six walks while striking out 23. Grilli has also notched four holds since joining the Blue Jays.

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The Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993.

After Grilli was traded to the Angels from the Pirates in 2014, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said: “I know this about Jason. Every time a new opportunity has come to him, he has been able to find another gear.” Based on his performance for the past six weeks, Jason has indeed found a new lease on life in Toronto–thanks in part to the recruitment efforts of Canadian-born Russell Martin, who would love matching World Series rings. “I thanked him and up down,” Grilli said of Martin. “I told him I knew he had something to do with me being over here.”

Italo-Canadese John Mariotti gives Team Italy winning spirit in 2013 World Baseball Classic

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In the 2012 European Championship against the Netherlands, Team Italia winning pitcher John Mariotti limited the Dutch to three hits and one earned run while striking out six.
In the 2012 European Championship final, Team Italia winning pitcher John Mariotti limited the Netherlands to three hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out six in six innings of work.
Italia celebrates after defending the 2012 European Championship
Italian players celebrate after successfully defending the throne and winning its third consecutive European Championship and 10th title win in history since 1958.
Having been previously drafted twice by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after graduating from Toronto’s Chaminade College School in 2003 and again in 2004 while attending Florida’s Gulf Coast Community College, the third time was the charm for the Baltimore Orioles as their 18th round 2007 draft pick John Mariotti. He signed on the dotted line and began his pro ball career after leading the nationally-ranked Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers to Big South Conference prominence and compiling an impressive 13-2 career record.
2007 Coastal Carolina graduate John Mariotti
Coastal Carolina University pitching ace John Mariotti led the Chanticleers to the top in 2006 and 2007.

The six-foot-one right hander made his professional debut in 2007 with Orioles’ Short-Season Single-A Aberdeen and posted a 2-2 record with a 1.46 ERA. He spent his entire 2008 campaign at Single-A Delmarva. Mariotti began the 2009 season at Single-A Advanced Frederick and moved up to Double-A Bowie, where he started 13 games and compiled a 3.44 ERA. The Orioles’ farmhand was back at Frederick in 2010, when he made 41 appearances out of the bullpen and chalked up three saves.

The Quebec Capitales won their fourth consecutive Can-Am League Championship in 2012.
Italo-Canadian John Mariotti now pitches closer to home for the Québec Capitales, winners of their fourth consecutive Can-Am League Championship title in 2012.
Quebec Capitols' John Mariotti
Québec Capitales’ starting pitcher John Mariotti has found his groove in the Independent Can-Am League.
The Woodbridge, Ontario MiLB expat was a welcome addition to the 2011 Québec Capitales‘ starting pitching rotation. Mariotti went 11-1 in the regular season with 2.74 ERA in 108.1 innings of work before going undefeated in the postseason with a 1.98 ERA. The Philadelphia Phillies came calling for Mariotti as he was signed to a minor league contract and invited to 2012 Spring Training. The hype was short-lived, and he retreated to comfy Les Capitales de Québec, where he tallied a 10-1 record in 98.1 innings with a 4.03 ERA in 2012.

Representing the "Azzuri" Team Italy, John Mariotti will face Mexico, USA and Canada in the 2013 WBC.
Representing the “Azzuri” Team Italy, John Mariotti will face Mexico, USA and Canada in the 2013 WBC
at Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ) and Salt River Fields
at Talking Stick (Scottsdale, AZ) beginning March 7th.
Under the leadership of manager Marco Mazzieri, pitching coach Bill Holmberg, hitting coach Mike Piazza, third base coach Alberto D’Auria and first base coach Claudio Vecchi, Team Italy remained undefeated (9-0) in the 2012 European Championship by outscoring opponents 45-4 during the first five games of Pool A competition and then continued with their winning ways by outscoring others 18-6 in the remaining four games of the medal round. By defeating the Netherlands twice back-to-back on their home turf during the final two days of the 2012 European Championship, Team Italy demonstrated its resilience against a squad which was the biggest surprise of the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Remember the Dutch defeated the Dominican Republic twice and moved on to the second round of play.

Event_WBC Let’s put the Italian victory over the Netherlands in the 2012 European Championship into perspective. By the Dutch winning the 2011 World Cup after upsetting a talented Cuban team in the finals, does that make Italy the new elite class of European baseball and the spoiler in the upcoming 2013 World Baseball Classic? With John Mariotti’s winning spirit, Italy has got a real shot.

A favourite of Pro Surfer Kelly Slater, The Beautiful Girls from Australia tour Canada and fast become more popular than BC starlet Pamela Anderson

Roberto AngottiLeave a comment

Although these are gorgeous girls from Australia, Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls are playing five live concerts in British Columbia, Canada.
The Beautiful Girls are an Aussie band led by Mat McHugh (center), an internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter who also tours solo while not surfing the break
at Sydney's world-class beaches.
Move over former lovers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock because Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls have arrived at Pamela Anderson’s old stomping grounds. Whether it be at one of Kelly Slater’s secret surfing spots on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino or at the site of Shawn White’s 2010 Winter Olympic brilliance in Whistler, The Beautiful Girls are playing there. Weaned on punk rock, reggae and hip hop while growing up and surfing in Sydney’s Northern Beach community of Dee Why, frontman Mat McHugh has filled his cup with a cornucopia of influences after spending extended periods of time away from his peaceful Aussie abode in such diverse places as New York, India and Nepal. A lover of dub and dancehall with an ear for wicked riddims, McHugh has his pulse on the international global beat. The Beautiful Girls’ 2010 “Spooks” release showcased the group’s signature sound of folk, reggae, rock, and roots. Mat said, “Our albums tend to sell over time. they never seem to come out with a bang. We rely on word of mouth and like the feeling of people discovering our music for themselves, which I guess is the opposite of how the media-driven music industry would tend to operate. We are just an independent band that
The Beautiful Girls are bassist
Pauly B, guitarist Mat McHugh
and drummer Bruce Braybrooke.
has to find a foothold with every release. By choice we don’t have a major label budget or marketing plan to help us be established. The only way we can even compete in the circus that is the music industry is by having something to say and saying it as honestly as we can. It’s a constant battle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because, for the most part, the music industry and it’s style of hyping every ‘next best thing’ makes me sick.” The long drought for a new release from The Beautiful Girls is by design. Mat McHugh has been busy touring nonstop as a solo act after releasing an EP and two full-length efforts, including the new CD entitled “Love Come Save Me”–which is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD at www.lovecomesaveme.com.
McHugh said, “My only goal is to spread love and give something back to the Universe. I would love for anyone that the music reaches to share it and send it out into the World. The power of ‘word of mouth’ is almighty.” In the spirit of giving, all net profit of CDs sold will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation.

The Beautiful Girls enjoy some positive beach vibes.
Currently on tour solo supporting Sublime with Rome in Australia, Mat McHugh is an Aussie one man punky reggae party. “I love the really early dancehall and rocksteady stuff. It’s as crusty and weird as early punk to me. King Tubby, Johnny Osbourne–that’s the more influential side of reggae to me–the originators, who led to the punky stuff like The Specials, The Clash, The Beat,” McHugh said.
World Surfing icon Kelly Slater (center) sang and jammed on traditional Hawaiian ukulele with
The Beautiful Girls at the 2007 Pro Music Festival at Duranbah Beach on Australia's Gold Coast.
Kelly Slater and Eddie Vedder surfing together.
Mat McHugh, Kelly Slater and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam are passionate about surfing and music. So it would come as no surprise to see the three of them onstage singing about the sport they love and the special connection they all share with the ocean. Slater and Vedder have been friends for 15 years. Vedder also was very close to the late legendary punk rocker Johnny Ramone. Pearl Jam paid tribute to the Ramones by covering the classic “I Believe in Miracles”, which is one of Slater’s favorite jams.
Born on Vancouver Island and "discovered" after being shown on the BC Lions big screen,
Comox Valley native Pamela Anderson welcomes The Beautiful Girls to her childhood digs.
The Beautiful Girls are happy to be returning to their huge loyal fan base in B.C., Canada.
Dressed in a Labatt beer T-shirt, Pamela Anderson was “discovered” at a football game when her image was transmitted on the British Columbia Lions stadium’s big screen. Fans fell in love with the 22-year-old blonde bombshell, who was signed immediately to become Labatt’s Blue Zone Girl. The Beautiful Girls have had a tough act to follow in swaying the Blue Zone vote their way, but they are well-known for giving their ever growing BC audience intimate sold-out shows like no others. The Beautiful Girls Canadian show schedule is as follows: April 18th from 2:30-5:30 pm with Ash Grunwald opening @ Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival-Skiers Plaza and later that night at Kokanee FreeRide @ Moe Joe’s Nightclub;
April 19th @ Club 9one9 in Victoria; April 20th @ The Legion Hall in Tofino; and April 21st 7 pm with Ash Grunwald opening @ The Venue in Vancouver. The prolific and bona fide McHugh said, “I want to take this opportunity to deeply thank everybody that has supported me and my music, whether solo or with The Beautiful Girls, throughout the years. You’ll never know how much it means. Please accept this music how it was intended, with love…”
Net profit of Mat McHugh's "Love Come Save Me" CD will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation.