Reggio Baseball: Pro Days in Italy
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Reggio vs Munich
Monday, March 28, 2011
New Aparment, new roommates.
To say this week was hectic would be an understatement. After the arrival of my new roommates, Josh and Thomas, things went into full swing. They arrived on Tuesday. Josh came in after a 26 hour journey from Australia. Thomas came in from Florida, and was accompanied by a little thing called strep throat. Both were exhausted, but had to journey over to the field with me. After brief introductions, it was on. Thomas spent most the week healing, while Josh got into the swing of things in practice.
During this week, we were scheduled to play Haar (the team from Munich) on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, we would have practiced during the week, maybe done a few other little things for the new guys to get them acclimated and ready, and then played on Sunday. Those essentially would have been our obligations. Instead, we were required to deal with the Italian media. Actually, most of the dealings would be for Thomas, but Josh and I were required to tag along. In very few words, Thomas's father is a part of a group who is bidding to buy the Rome soccer team. Clearly, this has nothing to do with Thomas nor baseball, but because the Italian media is soccer crazy, they are trying to pry every bit of information out of him in regards to his father's personal business endeavors. So, this means the media is "taking an interest" in Reggio Baseball. Obviously this is fantastic exposure for Reggio and Italian baseball in general, but it is also crazy.
So all week, Thomas has been speaking with all different types of media. This includes television, radio, and print. In what seems to be out of sympathy, Josh and I are included. Listening to these people ask questions is definitely funny. For example, one of the questions posed to Thomas when they found out he played FIFA the video game was, "What team do you play with? Is it Roma?" I kid you not. They have come to our practices and filmed those as well. It is unlike anything I have been apart of. I feel for Thomas, and I hope he isn't getting frustrated. Either way, both are good guys and we get along. Both are very talented, and will definitely bring our team to the next level.
On Sunday, we played the Disciples in a two game set. Organized mostly by me and my friend Ty, who plays on the Haar team, things went smoothly. Everybody was a little rusty, working on our timing and just getting back into baseball shape. The games were competitive, and both teams had talented players. The best part was the realization that on the field there was a team who spoke a completely different language, had a completely different culture, but it was all the same on the field. European baseball at its finest.
This year we have also gone out a few times, and have met some great people. Being located in the center is definitely a huge plus. The apartment has really come together, and I'm excited for what the year has to bring. I took some pictures and footage of the game on Sunday, and I'll post them this week. This week we will be making multiple appearances around Reggio to be recognized for our championship last year. I'm just focused on a repeat being that all the teams have improved. Winning a championship was difficult, but I think defending it will be a true challenge.
Anyway, I hope everybody is having a great day. Check out our website, www.reggiobaseball.com, and become a fan. It is important for our sponsors to see that people are taking an interest from all over the world. Also, if you have any desire join the fantasy baseball league. It's very simple. Thanks very much for all the support so far.
During this week, we were scheduled to play Haar (the team from Munich) on Sunday. Under normal circumstances, we would have practiced during the week, maybe done a few other little things for the new guys to get them acclimated and ready, and then played on Sunday. Those essentially would have been our obligations. Instead, we were required to deal with the Italian media. Actually, most of the dealings would be for Thomas, but Josh and I were required to tag along. In very few words, Thomas's father is a part of a group who is bidding to buy the Rome soccer team. Clearly, this has nothing to do with Thomas nor baseball, but because the Italian media is soccer crazy, they are trying to pry every bit of information out of him in regards to his father's personal business endeavors. So, this means the media is "taking an interest" in Reggio Baseball. Obviously this is fantastic exposure for Reggio and Italian baseball in general, but it is also crazy.
So all week, Thomas has been speaking with all different types of media. This includes television, radio, and print. In what seems to be out of sympathy, Josh and I are included. Listening to these people ask questions is definitely funny. For example, one of the questions posed to Thomas when they found out he played FIFA the video game was, "What team do you play with? Is it Roma?" I kid you not. They have come to our practices and filmed those as well. It is unlike anything I have been apart of. I feel for Thomas, and I hope he isn't getting frustrated. Either way, both are good guys and we get along. Both are very talented, and will definitely bring our team to the next level.
On Sunday, we played the Disciples in a two game set. Organized mostly by me and my friend Ty, who plays on the Haar team, things went smoothly. Everybody was a little rusty, working on our timing and just getting back into baseball shape. The games were competitive, and both teams had talented players. The best part was the realization that on the field there was a team who spoke a completely different language, had a completely different culture, but it was all the same on the field. European baseball at its finest.
This year we have also gone out a few times, and have met some great people. Being located in the center is definitely a huge plus. The apartment has really come together, and I'm excited for what the year has to bring. I took some pictures and footage of the game on Sunday, and I'll post them this week. This week we will be making multiple appearances around Reggio to be recognized for our championship last year. I'm just focused on a repeat being that all the teams have improved. Winning a championship was difficult, but I think defending it will be a true challenge.
Anyway, I hope everybody is having a great day. Check out our website, www.reggiobaseball.com, and become a fan. It is important for our sponsors to see that people are taking an interest from all over the world. Also, if you have any desire join the fantasy baseball league. It's very simple. Thanks very much for all the support so far.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Apartment Part 2
As promised, here are some pictures of the apartment. If requested, I'll do a video but I don't really see the need. Anyway, enjoy!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Serie A: Round 2
Hello everybody, and welcome to round 2 of Reggio Baseball. Baseball season is getting dangerously close, and I have arrived in Italy ready to go. I am genuinely excited about this year. It should pose to be an interesting one filled with different experiences and encounters.
First and foremost, I will obviously be doing the blog again. After some thought and constructive criticism, I want to try and do things a little differently. As you can see, I have changed the look. I am aware of the fact that while writing last year I had a lot of content in the beginning and slowly began to dwindle at the end. My posts were mostly about baseball related things, kind of a recap of sorts. This year, I am going to try to add a little bit more to it, and that should start with a more consistent approach. I plan to write every Sunday/Monday. I want to spend less time on the games and more time on other aspects of being here. Hopefully it all goes according to plan, and you all enjoy it.
To start, I want to touch upon a question that has been asked to me more times than I'd like to remember: Why? Why come back after having the experience of last year? The answer to this question is two fold. For one, I love baseball. Baseball is the game I have dedicated my life to for as long as I can remember. To walk away from it isn't easy, nor is it something I'm prepared to do. I'm finding success and still loving it. I think that is the simplest answer, but there is another part. Although I miss my family, and I am well aware that I am putting work experience second, I truly believe the experience I am getting here is worth it's weight. I enjoy adventure, I enjoy exploration, and I enjoy meeting new people. Being here is allowing me to accomplish all those things, all things that I believe are just as valuable as work experience. I may be putting off growing up, but if I don't do this now then when will I?
So now that that's out of the way, I'm back. I flew into Reggio on March 17 and jumped right into the mix. Within the last 4 days, I have gone out with my teammates, moved into my new apartment, had the team physical, played 2 games, and even attending an upscale art show (which was one of the strangest things I have ever been apart of). I have been alone in the apartment, which leads me to my next point. Both of my teammates from last year, Chris and Luis, are not coming back. We have replaced them with two new American players. Our new shortstop is Thomas DiBenedetto. He attended Trinity College and played A ball in the Red Sox organization. Our new foreign pitcher is Josh Rickards. He attended Marist University and played last year in the German baseball league. Although I haven't met them yet, I'm excited about the new editions. Both players have great experience and numbers, and should help us immensely in our title defense.
Our new apartment is located within the city center. It's not as big as last years, but still of decent size and much better location. Considering I was here first, and have one year of Reggio baseball under my belt, I got the biggest room. I will post pictures and possibly a video soon, depending on how ambitious I am feeling. Our season officially starts April 2nd, but we won't be playing. A team dropped out of our division, causing each team to have 2 byes. I know, ridiculous, but true. So we will start league play April 9th. Next weekend, we are scrimmaging the Haar Disciples from Munich in a two game set.
This year should pose new challenges and a different experience. I am taking on a new role, helping acclimate my new teammates to Italian baseball. I am excited about the travels, and I plan on doing as much as I can in the time frame given to me. I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity, and I look forward to sharing it with everybody that reads this blog.
Also, before I forget, if you haven't done so please go to www.reggiobaseball.com and become a fan. It's easy and takes 2 seconds. This year will also feature Italian Fantasy Baseball, which you can find on the website. So if you're up for it, check it out and join.
Until the next post, have a great day!
First and foremost, I will obviously be doing the blog again. After some thought and constructive criticism, I want to try and do things a little differently. As you can see, I have changed the look. I am aware of the fact that while writing last year I had a lot of content in the beginning and slowly began to dwindle at the end. My posts were mostly about baseball related things, kind of a recap of sorts. This year, I am going to try to add a little bit more to it, and that should start with a more consistent approach. I plan to write every Sunday/Monday. I want to spend less time on the games and more time on other aspects of being here. Hopefully it all goes according to plan, and you all enjoy it.
To start, I want to touch upon a question that has been asked to me more times than I'd like to remember: Why? Why come back after having the experience of last year? The answer to this question is two fold. For one, I love baseball. Baseball is the game I have dedicated my life to for as long as I can remember. To walk away from it isn't easy, nor is it something I'm prepared to do. I'm finding success and still loving it. I think that is the simplest answer, but there is another part. Although I miss my family, and I am well aware that I am putting work experience second, I truly believe the experience I am getting here is worth it's weight. I enjoy adventure, I enjoy exploration, and I enjoy meeting new people. Being here is allowing me to accomplish all those things, all things that I believe are just as valuable as work experience. I may be putting off growing up, but if I don't do this now then when will I?
So now that that's out of the way, I'm back. I flew into Reggio on March 17 and jumped right into the mix. Within the last 4 days, I have gone out with my teammates, moved into my new apartment, had the team physical, played 2 games, and even attending an upscale art show (which was one of the strangest things I have ever been apart of). I have been alone in the apartment, which leads me to my next point. Both of my teammates from last year, Chris and Luis, are not coming back. We have replaced them with two new American players. Our new shortstop is Thomas DiBenedetto. He attended Trinity College and played A ball in the Red Sox organization. Our new foreign pitcher is Josh Rickards. He attended Marist University and played last year in the German baseball league. Although I haven't met them yet, I'm excited about the new editions. Both players have great experience and numbers, and should help us immensely in our title defense.
Our new apartment is located within the city center. It's not as big as last years, but still of decent size and much better location. Considering I was here first, and have one year of Reggio baseball under my belt, I got the biggest room. I will post pictures and possibly a video soon, depending on how ambitious I am feeling. Our season officially starts April 2nd, but we won't be playing. A team dropped out of our division, causing each team to have 2 byes. I know, ridiculous, but true. So we will start league play April 9th. Next weekend, we are scrimmaging the Haar Disciples from Munich in a two game set.
This year should pose new challenges and a different experience. I am taking on a new role, helping acclimate my new teammates to Italian baseball. I am excited about the travels, and I plan on doing as much as I can in the time frame given to me. I plan to take full advantage of this opportunity, and I look forward to sharing it with everybody that reads this blog.
Also, before I forget, if you haven't done so please go to www.reggiobaseball.com and become a fan. It's easy and takes 2 seconds. This year will also feature Italian Fantasy Baseball, which you can find on the website. So if you're up for it, check it out and join.
Until the next post, have a great day!
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