Expected to join his father Barry Butera as speaker at the upcoming CON-X 2024 in Rimini, Italy, Blake Butera was congratulated by Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball President Andrea Marcon upon hearing of his recent promotion in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He said, “We are obviously very happy for this extraordinary promotion, and I extend the warmest congratulations to him from the FIBS family. I hope and trust that this great new responsibility will allow him to continue to find the time to dedicate to the project of developing our baseball program. The Butera family is an example of how love for our country and pride for the blue shirt can be translated into concrete actions that we must treasure. In the meantime, we look forward to Barry and Blake as speakers at CON-X 2024.”
Serving as an integral part of Team Italy WBC coaching staff selected by Azzurri manager Mike Piazza, Italian bench coach Blake Butera is considered one of the youngest and best baseball minds in the game. The 31-year-old coach from Louisiana continues his record-breaking career which saw him after two years as an aspiring prospect become the youngest manager in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) in 2018. He went on to lead the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs to two consecutive championship titles in 2021 and 2022 as well as win MiLB manager of the year honors.
Blake Butera was Mike Piazza's right-hand man and the soul of the staff that led the Italian national team to fifth place in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He and his father Barry Butera, former Boston Red Sox and principal in addition to serving as head baseball coach of the 12-14 year old category at Lake Castle Madisonville School in New Orleans, were highlights at CON-X 2023. Both of them are valuable coaching resources that the Italian baseball movement can count on for the development of homegrown talent now and in the future. Back by popular demand, the dynamic father-son duo are expected to return for an encore speaking engagement at CON-X 2024. Forza #Italia!
by Marco Landi and Roberto Angotti
(Photo of Team Italy bench coach Blake Butera throwing batting practice at the Tokyo Dome before the 2023 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Japan by RL-IABF)
