03/15/26 04:57:00
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03/15 16:55 CDT Italian team players celebrate WBC success with la dolce vita:
espresso, wine and Armani
Italian team players celebrate WBC success with la dolce vita: espresso, wine
and Armani
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
MIAMI (AP) --- Dylan DeLucia pitched four scoreless innings against Puerto Rico
to help boost Italy to its first World Baseball Classic semifinal and
immediately was aware of the impact created by a team celebrating home run
shots with shots --- of espresso.
"I opened my phone after the game to like 60 DMs and it was in words ... I
didn't know how to say," the pitcher explained Sunday of his direct messages.
"So definitely going to have to do some Google translate, for sure."
Italy plays Venezuela on Monday night for a berth in the championship against
the United States or the Dominican Republic.
Just three players listed on Italy's roster were born in Il Bel Paese: Los
Angeles Angeles left-hander Sam Aldegheri; Gabriele Quattrini, a 29-year-old
right-hander who has pitched in the Italian Serie A; and Claudio Scotti, a
27-year-old right-hander released from a minor league contract by the New York
Mets in 2023.
Italy's roster also includes Philadelphia All-Star pitcher Aaron Nola, who
would start Tuesday's final, and Kansas City All-Star first baseman Vinnie
Pasquantino, the team captain, who gives his each home-run hitting teammate a
kiss on each cheek.
Long ball hitters cut a bella figura, honored with a Giorgio Armani jacket
during the dugout celebrazione,
Following each win in a 5-0 start, the team luxuriated la dolce vita, with
pitchers and players each given a bottle of wine, a suggestion of team
publicist Jason Zillo of the New York Yankees. Pedigree increases with each
win, and selections have included Francesco Rinaldi Barolo, Barbaresco
Montefico, Antinori Prunotto: Bric Turot and Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella
Classico.
"Last night I forgot to take the brown paper bags off of them when I handed
them out. so it looked like I was passing 40s around to guys on the team after
we won," Pasquantino said after he became the first player with a WBC
three-homer game, in the group stage win over Mexico.
In a soccer-mad nation where calcio is omnipresent, the baseball Azzurri have
managed to make some impact.
Sunday's front page of La Gazzetta Sportiva was dominated by Inter Milan, AC
Milan and Juventus but included a small box at the bottom featuring baseball
with the headline "CHE ITALIA" followed by a subhead that started "Altra
impresa" (What an Italy ... another feat)."
"In the south of Italy they don't play that much baseball and yesterday
everyone was watching the game," Italy manager Francisco Cervelli said. "They
send me pictures all the time. It's like the family reunion watching baseball."
A big league catcher from 2008-20, Cervelli was born in Venezuela to an Italian
father, and he played for the Azzurri in the 2009 and 2018 WBCs. He moved to
Florence, Italy, last year after he replaced Hall of Famer Mike Piazza as
manager.
A Juventus fan, he of course follows Serie A.
"If you watch the newspaper, it's going to be five, six pages about soccer," he
said. "And now we're in. Yesterday I think was the first time for the national
team on TV."
Pasquantani was born in Richmond, Virginia, and says he became eligible for the
Azzurri because his paternal great grandfather was from Italy.
Home runs are celebrated this year with sips from a Lavazza Classy Mini, and
Pasquantino is the current barrista. He took over from Piazza, who had a
Nespresso machine in the dugout at the 2023 WBC.
"I think it kind of comedically worked out that they were too hot the first
day. So people were spitting them out," Pasquantino said. "But it is just
coffee. I'm not spiking it with anything other than coffee."
___
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