Jack Santora

FIBS President Marco Mazzieri reflects on Team Italy in 2026 World Baseball Classic

Roberto AngottiLeave a comment
President Marco Mazzieri brings new life to Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball

Roberto Angotti: After two wins over Brazil and Great Britain, what emotions are you feeling? 

Marco Mazzieri: The joy, the gratitude, the emotions are unreal right now. But I think we should start from the very beginning about 14 months ago when I made the call to Ned Colletti and ask him if it would help me with this adventure. His excitement was second to none and his commitment since he’s been really something extraordinary. You know he is a big name in the industry of sport in the U.S. Having worked in the Chicago Cubs’ front office (1982-1993) and then becoming the San Francisco Giants’ Assistant General Manager (1994-2004) and later the Los Angeles Dodgers’ General Manager (2006-2014), there is a lot of experience he brings to Team Italy. For him to talk with the agents, the players and the franchise general managers on a one-on-one, face-to-face basis made it kind of easier for me to be able to put this roster and remarkable coaching staff that possesses 21 Word Series rings all together. Not only that, it’s the passion, the leadership, the commitment, the determination and the joy that they bring. To be able to share their knowledge is what makes it special for these players. We have quite a special group of people first, and then, very good players. Our rotation is deep and our lineup, I mean, you’ve seen it for these past two games. The veteran guys and the young ones are doing their job. So it’s very, very special. 

Team Italy GM Ned Colletti speaks to the Azzurri squad and staff at Cubs Spring Training Camp in Mesa, Arizona

Roberto Angotti: Team Italy has always been looking upon as the underdog, always fighting as if it’s do-or-die. Does that still apply to this group?

Marco Mazzieri: Yeah, but I would say we don’t mind being the underdog. Throughout my days as Team Italy manager, the Italians were always considered an afterthought. In fact, from the very beginning when all our ancestors came from Italy, they were an afterthought back in the past. But at the same time, they helped build this country. So I think that the pride, commitment and determination of those people who sacrificed everything is what makes these players even more appreciative of being here. I think being the underdog is something that we enjoy because we enjoy overcoming adversities. It’s always been hard for us. The WBC brackets have always been tough for us since the very beginning and we always showed up playing our best. By winning our first two games against Brazil and Great Britain, we have now qualified to appear in our sixth consecutive WBC, which I consider something very special. That was the first step, but now we’re shooting for the next round. 

Team Italy manager Francisco Cervelli

Roberto Angotti: Having secured the silver medal in the 2025 European Baseball Championship, Team Italy has a lot of momentum coming into the 2026 World Baseball Classic under manager Francisco Cervelli. What is the winning formula? 

Marco Mazzieri: Let me go back to the beginning of this interview when I told you that the first thing was to call Ned Colletti to help me in putting this roster together. The next step was making a second call to Francisco Cervelli, who from the very beginning of our relationship when he played for me in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a young prospect at the time. He told me one day that he would be our manager. So it gives me goosebumps by reflecting on this memory 17 years ago. He told me that then and now he is the Team Italy manager and doing a great job. His passion and energy is just second to none. It rubs off on the impact on the players every day. He really cares for his players and what he did last year in the Euros with Team Italy is a sporting miracle, resurrecting from ninth place in the prior edition to a second place finish in 2025. He drove up and down the country to look for the best players in Italy. He discovered some gold along the way because nobody knew about some of them. One day he called me from Parma and said he was watching a second level team. He told me that he was watching this kid taking batting practice and he was hitting the ball like an MLB MVP. We helped develop Giaconino Lasaracina into a prospect who recently signed a professional contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. It is very special for him. A 22-year-old signing a contract with a competitive major league club is to the credit of Francisco Cervelli. What he did was excellent. The team would go to war for him, and the way they played really showed. These guys are pretty much doing the same thing. So, it’s about how much you care for the players. If you want them to give you all they got, you need to show them you really care.

Team Italy pitcher Gabriele Quattrini
Team Italy pitcher Claudio Scotti

Roberto Angotti: The World Baseball Classic has always been a platform for Italian players to shine. Who are some of the players that have impressed you the most? 

Marco Mazzieri: Gabriele Quattrini and Claudio Scotti are on this roster, but we miss our team captain at home, Alberto Mineo. It’s not the same without him and we are really sorry that he couldn’t be here. He would have shown us his leadership. But Gabriele Quattrini and Claudio Scotti have risen to the occasion.  I mean, pitching at this level with no fear and throwing strikes getting people out. Gabriele Quattrini earned the win against Great Britain (1.1 IP, H, BB, K) and ended his outing with a strikeout. It was very, very gratifying for us. All these guys are here to develop. We will possibly see more and more players from Italy making this WBC roster. Because that’s what it’s all about. Vinnie Pasquantino said it best when he revealed that these guys are not only here to win and to compete, but they’re here to give hope to Italian players and help grow the game. It’s always been that way and the fact that they’re really excited in helping the progress program while getting the best result is great.

Dave Righetti, Alessandro Maestri, Drew Rossi, Frank Menechino, Sal Fasano, Jack Santora and Jorge Posada

Roberto Angotti: Team Italy has a dream team MLB All-Star coaching staff. What was your reaction when seeing the names in print for the first time? 

Marco Mazzieri: I grew up watching all of them on television. So you can imagine for me what this means for me. During my managing time. Mike Hargrove, Tom Trebelhorn, Nick Punto and all the great coaches that I have worked with have been a blessing. But this WBC coaching staff is the top of the top. It doesn’t get any better than Francisco Cervelli, Jorge Posada, Dave Righetti, Ron Wotus, Frank Menechino, Sal Fasano, Allard Baird, Alessandro Maestri, Jack Santora and Lipso Nava. All because of their love of the game and their love of Italy. There are so many things that go into it. That makes it extraordinary to me because everything is coming together in such a short time. That is kind of gratifying for me as a president. I hope that the people back home will understand what this means as a forward step in our progress with these players on the roster.

Bill Holmberg

Roberto Angotti: Italian Baseball Hall of Famer and former FIBS Academy Director Bill Holmberg must be looking down from heaven and smiling at what you have done. 

Marco Mazzieri: He was a great man who was always about growing the game in Italy. Bill Holmberg was always looking at how to improve baseball at all levels. I’m sure he is very happy from up there to see Alessandro Maestri being the pitching coach because of the hard work he put into him. You know, of all those years that I have been managing, I think that we have built a legacy with former players turned coaches like Jack Santora, Frank Catalanotto and Nick Punto. I would love to get Alex Liddi to join us as he is like a son to me. We want and need to make Italy proud.

Team Italy and Los Angeles Angels pitcher Sam Aldegheri

Roberto Angotti: Please give me your thoughts on Samuel Aldegheri after his outstanding pitching performance against Brazil (4.2 IP, H, BB, 8 K).

Marco Mazzieri: It’s hard to find the right words to describe the kind of performance that he had. There’s a lot of pressure in the WBC opening game. Of course, it’s a must-win game. Instead of staying back in Arizona at Angels Spring Training trying to secure a place in the pitching rotation, he decided to come out and represent his country. It says a lot, it shows a lot and the way he performed, I think put himself in a good position to get a rotation spot for the Angels. He  painted the corners and had great control on the mound.  He just couldn’t do any better. I mean, that’s one of the best performances in the World Baseball Classic that I have ever seen. 

Roberto Angotti: Team Italy and Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel also called a great game behind the plate.

Marco Mazzieri: We knew that coming in the WBC. Kyle Teel is the kind of player that is demonstrating his outstanding power and potential here. But the excitement, passion and determination to play for this team is even more impressive. It was hard to sit him out of the lineup yesterday, but we had to because the Chicago White Sox Club didn’t want him to catch back-to-back games in early March. He was a bull in the pen because he wanted to play and that shows a lot.  

Roberto Angotti: The Kansas City Royals and Nick Leto, Director of Royals’ Minor League Operations, have been good to Team Italy with the addition of Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone. 

Marco Mazzieri: Nick Leto has always been a friend to Italian baseball, and our program. He has always been of a lot of help in many different ways. By having Jac Caglianone and, of course, our captain Vinnie Pasquantino has made it special. Vinnie has embraced the captain role with grace and commitment.  I don’t have enough words to thank Vinnie, Jac, Nick, and the entire Royals organization for allowing their players to come here and be the pros that they are. 

Roberto Angotti: Any final words for everyone in Italy watching the WBC? 

Marco Mazzieri: Give us time. We have an idea and we know what to do. But, you know, things don’t change in a heartbeat. We are trying to do good things with good people. We have the right people to get the job done, but we need time. So be patient. Before commenting or criticizing all the time, just see what you have in front of you.

Roberto Angotti: Thank you for making history! Forza Italia…

Team Italy manager Francisco Cervelli speaks before the 2026 World Baseball Classic 

Roberto AngottiLeave a comment

How can the World Baseball Classic help the growth and development of the game in Italy?

It’s great. This is part of the larger mission of the game. In the future, we want more Italians on this team. We want to elevate the level of the game and give them more playing time. That’s the question mark all the time. You get five or six months during spring and summer then you lose everything. You don’t do anything in winter. It’s a problem. So you try to figure out a way to keep the players active in tournaments outside Italy in Asia or the Dominican Republic. But the WBC is good for us now. I love it. 

After the two pre-WBC exhibition games against the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels, what have you learned about the Team Italy players?  

There is talent on this team. They are prospects. And the good part is even if they’re not playing and not in the lineup, every time I walk by they look at me. Like they’re waiting to hear when I might be calling on them. They are very aggressive and run the bases well. We have got speed. My idea and the way I like to play baseball is by attacking, attacking, attacking… A lot of guys that can hit for power, and they can hit for extra bases. But the team is solid, and those kids are real players. 

Los Angeles Angeles pitcher Samuel Aldeghieri is an Italian-born and developed player proudly representing his country in the WBC. How has his participation given baseball a boost in Italy?

It means a lot, you know, it  means like we’re doing something right. He earned it and is the face of Italian baseball right now.  I hope we get more like him playing professionally. Unfortunately, due to injury, we don’t have San Marino’s Alessandro Ercolani, who plays Double-A ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. I hope we can have more guys like Giaconino Lasarcina, who signed with the Toronto Blue Jays just a few days ago. He is a power guy and very impressive. So we want to get  more guys like him here in the U.S. They need to come here and learn how to play competitively to get them to take it to the next level. They may miss home because Italy is beautiful, but they need to play in the states where this sport is great. They have got to be able to be here for a long time. 

How can Italian players attending U.S. colleges increase their chances of playing professionally? 

The shift over the last four or five years is more college players being taken in the draft. American college baseball has a much higher level of development. We need to take our 16 or 17 year old kids and somehow get into that track. I would love our Italian players to go to college. First because you know, I come from Venezuela, where we got no Plan B. It’s either we get signed and play professionally or you go back home. It’s embarrassing to be sent home because there is no Plan B. I would love Italian players to have a Plan B by learning English and earning their college degree. Then they are also able to play baseball by signing a professional contract at 21 or 22 years old. There are more guys going to college now and it’s a great opportunity. We have a young core of 16 to 17-year-old players in Italy. They are able to sign as a professional so we’re looking forward to getting more young guys on board by signing early so that they can develop quickly. 

How can we get more Italian children to learn to play and love baseball? 

In Italy it is a challenge to find a kid and tell him “Let’s go play baseball.” So what we are doing is introducing Baseball5 in Elementary School, where kids learn the basics of baseball. They like it and eventually we bring them onto the field to play the game. Baseball is probably the hardest sport. It’s not easy to hit, right? You give a kid a bat, and they start swinging and missing. When they don’t have success, they’re going to quit. Baseball5 is the pathway to bring them to the field. So now we have got a bunch of kids playing baseball and also have little girls playing softball. 

Tell us about the success you have had with the Francisco Cervelli/IABF Baseball Academy in Castiglione della Pescaia (Grosseto). 

It’s great. I have had an amazing time. We go to tournaments in Europe and last year our team represented Italy at the Pony League World Series in the U.S. The players had a blast.  That’s what we’re looking for is to give them opportunities to play at higher levels of the game at a young age. Not only are they playing in Italy or Europe, but they compete abroad in the U.S. and other parts of the world. 

Describe your experience during the first year as the manager and leader for Team Italy.

Well, the first year has been a learning year, trying to understand how to make things work successfully in the WBC and beyond. My idea is to make noise. This is the thing, not only just to make some noise, but creating an impact where the people in Italy know what we’re doing. And they start to believe in it because it’s a process. This is not something that you can develop in two years.I am hoping and looking forward to getting a big result here. it’s going to help everything. Whatever you do right here in the WBC, the noise you make, you can feel it deep down in your heart and soul. That’s what we’re trying to do, make noise, and make people  believe and understand what we do. Then we can explain to them what we do and keep this movement growing. 

What are some of your pitching options in the World Baseball Classic? 

We have many pitchers that fill different roles. The challenge in the World Baseball Classic, especially in the first round, is that guys cannot throw back-to-back games as it is early in the year so we have to be able to manage their pitch count. As far as closers, Greg Weissert or Kyle Nicolas are ready. Then you have guys that can give you multiple Innings like Gabriele Quattrini. You saw him pitch really well against the Los Angeles Angels. You know, this guy last year, when you see his numbers and you would think they were a little rough, but his performance at the 2025 European Baseball Championship was one of the best ever and helped us earn a silver medal. His brain works differently. He’s the kind of guy that wants the ball in tough games. So he has earned a roster spot at the WBC. We also have Claudio Scotti, who has played professionally in the minors. He throws hard, 96-97 mph, and  is another guy who has earned the right to compete in the WBC. We got options. We just have to let the game tell us what to do. This game is like chess. Sometimes you let the other team score so you can score later. 

Team Italy players possess some of the best speed in the World Baseball Classic. Who can make a difference in these games? 

I think the only guy that cannot run will run. We have got a lot of speed in Dante Nori, Sam Antonacci and Jakob Marsee. Not only do they have speed, but they know how to use it. They are aggressive and they are waiting. You can see in their eyes. They are waiting for an opportunity to get an extra base. It’s a good thing to have. 

Please elaborate about your Team Italy WBC coaching staff (featuring Jorge Posada, Ron Wotus, Dave Righetti, Frank Menechino, Sal Fasano Alessandro Maestri, Allard Baird, Lipso Nava and Jack Santora).

We have got the people here to help me a lot. We have got an experienced coaching staff that is great. I would love to have this coaching staff manage an MLB team one day. With the staff, it is unbelievable. Jorge Posada is now an honorary Italian. I hear a lot of people saying he is not Italian. That’s a matter of baseball, which doesn’t have a flag. He has always preached baseball and is a proven winner. He has five world championship rings for a reason. You should have seen him in Florida work with the Italian-born and developed players for three days during a pre-WBC Spring Training Camp. He was so passionate about helping players and teaching them how to develop and refine their craft. He was free flowing with instruction and information that they needed. The players may have been talented before, but now they are better than ever because of him. 

You are considered by many as a player’s manager. Who trained you to become the manager you are today? 

I grew up in what I always say was in the best school in the world, the New York Yankees. They taught me how to do things, especially how to prepare myself for that day to win the game. And watching Joe Torre, Joe Girardi, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera every day gave me an idea and how to become a good manager. Managing is not an easy job. There are a lot of challenges and you have to have your eyes wide open all the time. But the key for the success of a manager is his coaching staff. You have got to have a good coaching staff. On our Team Italy WBC coaching staff, we have a total of 21 World Series Championship rings all together.  I was able to work as a San Diego Padres coach under manager Bob Melvin, one of the best I have ever worked with. What I learned from him is he let his coaches do their thing to get the job done. He used to tell me to work in my specialized area and that he would always have my back. He would protect his guys, and that’s what I’m doing right now. Our guys are professional so it’s easy, man. I don’t have to worry about anything. I just need to prepare for battle and execute our game plan to be successful.

San Marino & Rimini battle for 2014 European Cup

Roberto Angotti1 Comment

T&A San Marino and Rimini will fight for the right to represent Europe in the 2015 Asia Series.
T&A San Marino and Rimini will face off to represent Europe in the 2014 Asia Series.

T&A San Marino GM Mauro Mazzotti is also the manager for Team Spain.
T&A San Marino GM Mauro Mazzotti also serves as the manager for the Spanish national team.

Three-time defending Italian Baseball League champion T&A San Marino is loaded with seasoned MLB players and prospects selected by Orioles’ scout and San Marino GM Mauro Mazzotti, who was named 2012 Coach of the Year by the European Baseball Coaches Association and was instrumental in leading underdog Team Spain to its first-ever appearance at the World Baseball Classic. T&A San Marino features an international all-star cast including starting pitcher Júnior Guerra–a former catcher in the Braves and Mets organizations–and relief pitcher/closer Jesus Delgado–who made his MLB debut for the 2008 Marlins–both of whom are veteran Venezuelan hurlers who bolster the dominant San Marino pitching staff.

T&A San Marino lefty Chris Cooper has pitched for Team Italia since leaving AAA ball in 2009.
T&A San Marino lefty Chris Cooper has pitched for Team Italia since leaving the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2009.

Adding pitching depth to San Marino’s roster is 35-year-old Italian American Chris Cooper, who was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 35th round of the 2001 MLB amateur draft. Cooper, who hails from Pittsburgh, explained that his original family name was Cocchiararo. “It’s alphabet soup,” Cooper said, smiling as he elaborated on the scenario. “They changed my last name when my great-grandfather came over in 1911. They misspelled his name about three times, and the story was, supposedly, he pointed at somebody’s nametag when he was getting his papers here in the U.S. They just said, ‘Okay, we have Cooper.’” Cooper is joined by fellow Italian national team member Lorenzo Avagnina as well as Canadian-born Paul Macaluso. Both San Marino outfielders Avagnina and Macaluso are the unsung heroes of the squad as they emulate general manager Mazzotti’s true grit style of play and “Never Say Die” approach to the Italian Baseball League.

Mike Ekstrom of the Rimini Pirates
Mike Ekstrom of the Rimini Pirates

Standing in the path of T&A San Marino’s path to the European Cup is a very dangerous Rimini Pirates baseball team. Their pitching arsenal is led by MLB veteran/Oregon native Mike Ekstrom and Cuban-born southpaw Enorbel Márquez-Ramírez along with former Mariners’ minor leaguer Jose Escalona serving as Rimini’s closer. Should the Rimini Pirates defeat T&A San Marino in the upcoming Euro Cup, they will be the European representative in the 2014 Asia Series–an international competition featuring the champions of the Australian Baseball League, Korea Baseball Organization, Nippon Pro Baseball in Japan, Chinese Professional Baseball League and the European Cup. Having already earned himself a ticket to the Asia Series as the pitching ace for the 2014 Australian Baseball League (ABL) Champion Perth Heat (5-1, 0.72 ERA, 50.1 IP, 10 BB and 57 K), Ekstrom could potentially have a difficult decision to make on whether to play for the Aussie or Euro Cup Champs. Italian-Australian TradeTeam Italia pitcher Nick Pugliese was faced with similar circumstances when he played for last year’s European Cup Champion Unipol Bologna and the 2013 ABL Champion Canberra Cavalry. Because Pugliese was committed to the Italian team, it opened up a roster spot on the Cavalry pitching staff for Ekstrom. Despite being a member of the Perth Heat, Ekstrom was granted temporary pitching privileges for rival Canberra Cavalry so that Australia could put their league’s best players out on the field in the international spotlight. The strategy paid off big as Ekstrom led the longshot Cavalry to the 2013 Asia Series Championship, and the ABL was subsequently awarded the winner’s $500,000 prize money. Should Rimini win the Euro Cup, let’s hope that Ekstrom chooses to share some amore by bringing home the loot to benefit Italian baseball.

Jack Santora has played for Team Italia since 2006.
Jack Santora has played for Team Italia since 2006.

Team Italia captain Mario Chairini accepts the 2012 European Cup after the Italians beat the Netherlands.
Team Italia captain Mario Chairini accepts the 2012 Euro Championship trophy after Italy beat Holland.
Based on what he has been written in his blog “Baseball Round The World”, Ekstrom has nothing but love for Italia. How could he not when Italian American teammate Jack Santora, a 19th round Arizona Diamondbacks draft pick in 1999, has shown him the ropes after having spent the last eight years playing the infields of the Italian Baseball League. The Monterey, California native Santora, along with Rimini hometown hero and Italian national team captain Mario Chiarini–who played for the 2000 Arizona League Mariners and competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics–are the elder statesmen of the squad. These veterans have been both critical to Rimini’s success and inspirational to newcomers to the team like Ekstrom. However, nothing means more to the players right now than the EU Champions Cup and the right to represent European baseball in the 2014 Asia Series.

Rimini and San Marino are only minutes apart.
Rimini and San Marino are merely minutes apart.

San Marino and "Monte Titano" were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.
San Marino and “Monte Titano” were added to the exclusive UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.

Although the battlegrounds for the European Champions Cup Finals will take place nearby, Rimini and San Marino had to travel great distances to play the other EU Championship teams and win their respective Qualifier Champions Cup bracket to get here. Rimini defeated the best from the Netherlands, Germany, France, Ukraine and host Brno, Czech Republic, while T&A San Marino beat a similar group of international squads which included Italy’s Nettuno and home team Vaessen in the Netherlands. Italian Baseball League favorite T&A San Marino may have the edge over Rimini, but the Pirates are not to be underestimated. Rimini outfielder Leonardo Zileri‘s hitting frenzy in the European Champions Cup Qualifier garnered him a .591 batting average (13-for-22) and awards for MVP and Best Hitter in the tourney. T&A San Marino will counteract with Venezuelan slugger Jairo Ramos, whose performance in the European Champions Cup Qualifier (.500 BA, 2-2B, 2-HR, 9 RBI) yielded similar MVP and Best Hitter accolades in the competition.san-marino-rimini-baseball

logo fibs 20 x20(1)With the much anticipated best of three-game series between T&A San Marino and Rimini for the 2014 European Champions Cup taking place beginning August 7th, baseball fever is at its all-time high in Italy. The Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) website will provide up-to-date details and links to the live internet streaming broadcasts. More than a local rivalry between San Marino and Rimini, the ramifications of winning the European Champions Cup extend internationally as the EU representative in the 2014 Asia Series. May the best team win and go on to turn heads in Taiwan. Lord knows an injection of winners’ prize money earned abroad would help nurture the growth of the game in Europe.