ROBERTO ANGOTTI: You had an innovative program called Mission Classic. Now Italians have always had a rich history of being resilient people and have fought back from adversity. Now how can you bring to light Mission Classic today for those 13 players who experienced and embraced their Italian culture? How will that play a part in today's contest?
MIKE PIAZZA: Well, I mean being I think it plays a part in the sense that you have to create a team atmosphere, and if we didn't have that experience and we didn't start bringing these guys together as a team, we would have no time. You go to a foreign country halfway across the world and expect to play as a team; you're not a team. You're a collection of players that have never played together.
So the fact that we had that experience -- and it's not just a one-off experience. I mean, the whole objective of this tournament, of this whole experience, and so grow the game worldwide and for us as Italian Americans, and Italians on the team, to grow this game back to Europe, and obviously Italy specifically.
So the only way it's going to do that is building bridges. Italy needs the Italian-American experience to rekindle and have a renaissance of baseball in Italy because as you well know, I mean, the last ten years in the professional league wasn't the best time or era, I guess, for Italian baseball. For me living in Italy as an Italian as a dual citizen, this is something that I hope to help and realize that if we can continue to build these bridges and bring baseball back to Italy as the American service members did during World War II, that's what it's all about.
Because for me, this is giving back to this great game that has given me everything in my life. So maybe this is the first part of my life was for me, and now the second part of my life is for giving to others.
So I feel that; that is part of my personal creed, and so let's go out today. Forza! Andiamo...
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC NEWS
(Photo of Team Italy manager Mike Piazza at WBC press conference prior to Panama game on March 11, 2023 by Roberto Angotti)
