24 hour day to Anzio and Back...

So this weekend marked the end of the first half.  We were set to take a long journey down to Anzio, which is essentially 30 minutes outside of Rome.  Anzio came in second last year in our division, and has been streaking as of late.  It would also be our first bus trip.

We got up at the crack of dawn, rolling out of bed around 5 am.  The bus was set and ready to leave at 6.  The only thing on my mind was a quality sleep.  Sleeping on buses has never been an issue for me.  I think it's one of the few advantages of not being very tall.  Either way, with my pillow in hand I fell asleep immediately.  The trip to Anzio is about 5-6 hours long, but given that we stop 2 times for breakfast and lunch, it takes a little more.  It is always nice to have all your meals payed for, so I'm definitely not complaining.

These games were important, and our President was sure to be vocal about the matter.  Coming off a lose to Rome, she wasn't happy with the way we have been playing.  One of the major things about Europe is the organization/fans are very critical.  If you're doing great, everybody is happy.  Once you start to lose or slip in play, they become very worried and sometimes downright mad.  Josh and I have both been struggling recently, and we have been hearing about it.  So it wasn't the best when we dropped the first game.  Our team came out flat, and we barely hit.

After the game, while waiting for food, our President started reading off all our stats.  She basically was letting us know about how bad we had just preformed.  She even said to me how I was good last year, but I am not good this year.  You can't do anything but laugh it off, and she isn't fully wrong.  We are payed to do a job and when it's not getting done, they have the right to get mad.  Luckily, our team is very loyal and sticks with their players.  Other organizations will just let you go, sometimes not even telling you that you have been replaced.  It's crazy, but a sad truth.

After being called out, I promised I would get 4 hits in the next game.  I have no idea why I said 4, probably because I wanted her to change the subject.  Although I didn't get four hits, I ended up going 2 for 4 with a triple and 2 rbis.  The team ended up winning 11-1, which put everybody's mind at ease.  After the game, we grabbed some pizza (our third free meal of the day) and headed home.  Once my head hit the pillow, I was out until we arrived back in Reggio.  We left at 6 am and got back at 6 am, and nice 24 hour work day.

This weekend we have off, which means some time to travel!  After careful planning, we are set to leave Wednesday and head to Munich.   Josh and I will take a 6 hour train trip, and spend three days in my favorite city in Europe.  After that, we are set to hop on a Ryanair flight and head to Valencia.  This will be my third spanish city, and I'm very excited to see something new.  We will spend three days there, and finally head back to Bologna on Tuesday morning.  Have to take advantage of the time given off to the best of your ability, because cheap travel is one of the perks of playing abroad.  This should provide a lot of pictures and great stories, so I'm looking forward to the next post.

I hope everybody had a great Memorial Day Weekend.  Nothing like the start of summer.  Remember to check out ReggioBaseball.com for all the updates.  Also, check out Mister-Baseball.com for updates around European baseball.  Thanks for the support and talk to you soon!

Finally, a weekend of baseball....

This weekend was set to be a big one for Reggio baseball.  Having not played in what seemed like forever, we were set to play a team that boasted a newly bolstered lineup.  This team, of course, is Rome.  They have pretty much revamped their team, adding experienced pitching and an explosive offense.  It was set to be a true test of our teams merit.

In the first game we did was we were expected to do.  We had control of the game, and whenever it looked like we were about to lose it, we took it right back.  We ended up winning the first game 8-5.  The second game would pose as a totally different challenge.  Josh didn't have his best stuff, and only ended up pitching 3 and 2/3. Tito came in and did well, but it wasn't enough.  We made a lot of mental errors, and those mental errors would catch up to us.  We ended up losing 5-3.  It was a tough lose, but a lose that we may have needed.

This upcoming weekend we are set to take our first big road trip.  We are heading down to Anzio, which is about 30 minutes outside of Rome.  They are always a talented team, and shouldn't be overlooked.  Hopefully with the Rome lose, there will be some fire out on the field.  The worst thing you can do in baseball is underestimate your opponent.  Originally, we planned to spend the night in Anzio and take a trip over to Rome for a couple of days.  Those plans didn't work out, mostly because we had to sacrifice one trip for another.

The weekend after Anzio, we have another bye weekend.  I can't believe it is already the halfway point in the season.  Luckily, we were given the weekend off, so obviously we needed to take advantage.  After a lot of price assessments, we decided to spend 4 days in Munich and 3 days in Valencia.  The entire trip will cost around 150 euro, which needless to say is pretty ridiculous.  I'm extremely excited to visit my favorite city in Europe, while also being able to see a new one.  It will definitely be nice to step away from Italy for a little bit and immerse ourselves in a different culture.  

Overall, these next few weeks should be a lot of fun.  We also sneaked in a little beach day in Riccione, which is part of the reason for the delay in the blog post.  Should provide some great stories and hopefully that translates into better blog posts.  I hope everything is well at home.  Remember to check out mister-baseball.com and reggiobaseball.com.   Take care and talk to you soon!

Rain outs when you play one day a week

This year, for whatever reason, feels like we haven't played baseball in forever.  We were set to play the last place team, Poviglio, on Sunday.  Saturday came and went with beautiful weather, and as Sunday rolled around bad weather was predicated.  Normally, I take the Italian weather forecast with a grain of salt, but they were right on as it poured from the moment we woke up until the moment we left the field.  This was our second rain out of the season, and given that we started off with the very un-baseball like bye, we have played a total of 8 games in 6 weeks. 

Now being an American baseball player, the transition from playing almost every day to once a week is always difficult.  It's as if you are playing American Football.  Only thing is, American Football doesn't have rain outs.  Therefore, when you do get rained out it is extremely disappointing and almost disheartening.  There is nothing more frustrating than having to wait another 7 days to play a game.  It was decided, however, that we are going to make those two games up during the week.  We will play them on consecutive Wednesdays in June, which means 6 games in two weeks.  Probably better to look at the positives.

Outside of baseball, everything has been going smoothly.  Unfortunately, this weekends plans to go to Munich had to be canceled.  Two of our teammates are hosting a bbq in Verona, and given that I missed it last year I found it to be rude to miss it again.  We have rescheduled the trip, so we will arrive in my favorite city soon.  The following weekend, we head down to Anzio, which is about thirty minutes outside of Rome.  Thinking ahead, I booked a couple nights in Rome, which always provides a good time.

This week also had its up and downs.  If you recall, last week we had our car towed.  We later found out we were also given a ticket, which I found to be somewhat of double jeopardy.  Either way, the damages will total almost 50 euro per person because of some random act of Italian diplomacy.  To add fuel to the fire, Graziella (our team president), found a ticket in our car from Munich dating back to last year.  Let me go into further detail.

Last year, Chris and I took a trip to Munich.  The trip was originally intended for us to watch Germany in the World Cup final.  Obviously, they didn't make it, but we decided to take the trip anyway.  At some point in that journey, we got a 15 euro parking ticket.  We most likely threw it in the glove box, and forgot about it.  Now, about 10 months later, Graziella finds this ticket.  Given the recent events with the car, she wasn't too pleased.  I told her everything would be alright and that I would figure it out. 

In my mind, I was worried.  I was certain that this 15 euro ticket had evolved into a 1000 euro fine and there were multiple warrants out for our arrest.   I immediately messaged two of my friends in Munich, asking them what the rules were.  Luckily, the Germans came through again.  If you receive a ticket and don't pay it after three months, they send a letter to the owner requesting the payment.  If you don't receive that letter, then the ticket is no longer valid.  It's a lot like if the cop doesn't show up to your hearing when you get a speeding ticket in the states.   Needless to say, I was relieved and happily told Graziella there was nothing to worry about. 

All in all, I hope that the off the field issues diminish and we finally start playing baseball on a consistent basis.  Remember to check out www.reggiobaseball.com for all other news and photos.  Also, take a look at www.mister-baseball.com for all European baseball updates.  I hope everybody had a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

Walk Off Weekend

This weekend, the Palfinger Italia's faced off against Crochetta.  Tied at the top of the standings, this weekend was big.  Two wins would put us in great position in the playoff hunt, given that the rest of the league were all sitting around the .500 mark.  The first game went as most first games go, long and somewhat boring.  We won 10-0, beating them in 8 innings.  The second game, however, is what I would consider a defining game for Reggio.

We were set to go up against a foreign pitcher whose background was intimidating.  He had pitched 7 years in the big leagues.  For what teams I don't know, but he was dominating Serie A as expected.  He didn't throw very hard, and obviously age had taken some of his stuff, but he knew how to pitch.  He held runners well, and had complete control of the game.  Josh didn't have his best stuff, but battled and kept us in the game.  Going into the 9th inning, we were down 3 -1.  Crochetta's starter was out, and their reliever was a big righty who threw mostly changeups and curveballs. 

We started the inning off with a single.  The next batter struck out, but turned the lineup over to the top.  Thomas layed down a beautiful bunt, making it first and second with one out.  Our number two hitter, Taio, popped up to shallow right field, making it first and second with two outs.  Standing in the dugout, I had a sense something good was about to happen.  I had deja vu of last year, when we beat Modena in the last inning with 4 triples.  Our three hitter walked, and with the bases loaded, Paul stepped to the plate.  He then walked on 4 pitches, making the score 3-2 with two outs.

I was on deck, but I had a feeling I wasn't going to hit.  Claudio had been swinging the bat well, and I was hoping this was his time.  On a full count, he hit a ball over the center fielders head to drive in the winning runs.  We all went crazy, and stormed the field.  In the celebrating, Claudio got punched in the face.  Needless to say, it was a great time.  There is nothing better than a walk off win.

So we were able to take two, putting us at 7 and 1.  It's games like those that really bring a team together, and we celebrated like a team after the game.  Everybody had done their part, and that's the beauty of baseball.  Plus, one day a week builds up a lot of anticipation.  It's almost as if we are playing American Football.  This upcoming week, we will play on Sunday against Poviglio, who is last in the division at 1 and 7.  This doesn't mean that are to be taken lightly.  It's baseball, anything can happen.

Off the field, this week seemed to have officially started summer.  The center has come to life, with concerts, art shows, markets, and other events being hosted what seems like everyday.  This has both positives and negatives.  The positives are obvious, more people and more events means more fun.  The negatives, well that's a little more complicated.  For example, outside of our building we can park wherever the lines are blue.  We have a permit to park in the center, so there is plenty of parking.  We have been parking on one side of our building pretty much all year, being that it is the closest and move convenient. 

After the game on Saturday, we pulled up to the apartment and parked in this area.  We wake up the next day to see our car missing, and around these parking spots are caution tape.  Our car had been towed, but we had no idea why.  I called Paul who called Graziella, and we found out that because of a bike tour going through the center they had blocked off that parking.  Obviously, it would have been nice to know this ahead of time, but towing the car just seemed to make more sense.  We ended up having to pay 100 euro to get it back.  Italian policies can be ridiculous sometimes, but sometimes things just happen that you can't do anything about.  So this week should consist of baseball responsibilities and a lot of time spent in the center of Reggio Emilia.  With some trips planned for later in the month, budgeting is in order.  All in all, things are going smoothly, baseball and life in general.

Lastly, I hope all the mothers had a great Mothers Day.  Remember, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at marmo.mike@gmail.com.  This week, Tuesday, starts the featuring of the blog on www.Mister-Baseball.com.  Check out www.ReggioBaseball.com for more write ups, stats, and general information about our team.  Thanks for the continued support, and talk to you soon.

A Reflection.....The European baseball player

Starting this Tuesday, and thanks to the help of my roommate Josh, my blog will be featured on www.mister-baseball.com.  The website is one stop update for all the European leagues.  It is extremely well done, concise, and I am thankful and happy to be a part of it.  When I found out Mister-Baseball was going to feature the blog, I started to really think about what this blog meant to me.  What started out as a way for me to communicate my experiences with my family and friends has transformed into a tool.  It is not only a way for me to remember and record my experiences, but I hope it acts as a tool for prospective European baseball players. 

When I first decided to do this, I thought it would be a great way to look back in 10 years and read about the memories I may have forgotten.  I thought it would be a way to share the experience with my family and friends.  I did it because I enjoy writing, and I enjoy the way it allows you to recollect on the past week, allowing you to re-live it one more time.  Now when I write, I find myself thinking about the guy who doesn't know, the person I was before I came abroad.  When I graduated college and finished baseball, I started work just like everybody else who doesn't sign.  I felt like something was missing, that I wasn't ready to finish doing what I did for so long.  I wasn't ready to hang them up, and I wanted to try and finish on my own terms.  Isn't that most peoples dream?

Looking back, I had no idea what to expect.  I was uneducated in the process, and the only thing motivating me was the idea of getting back on the field.  Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have people around me who knew the process.  I was lucky enough to get a passport without a problem, find a quality organization that was great both on and off the field, and found myself in a beautiful city without a worry in the world.  I know others that weren't so lucky, and many of whom came in blind and got the short end of the stick.  It happens, and it's a darker side to the European baseball experience.

Knowing what I know now, I want this blog to be a way for all people to understand what being a European baseball player is about.  Some of us do it for the love of the game.  Some do it because they can't do anything else.  Some do it to live abroad and travel the world.  I think most do it because they aren't ready to give up on the game. This game can consume you.  You spend your whole life working toward one goal, and when it comes close to the end, it's extremely difficult to let go.  I know that idea may seem foreign to some.  Personally, there is no greater feeling then stepping in the batters box or putting on the gear and running out to the field.  You feel a sense of pride, a sense of worth, and a sense of accomplishment.  This may be a game of failure, but that is only statistically.  Baseball is a boys game.  That's what makes it pure. 

I hope everybody that reads this blog gets something out of it.  Whether its the baseball, the experiences, or just basic entertainment.  I truly enjoy writing it, and I hope everybody enjoys reading it.  This blog is not about me, it's about the reader.  If anybody has any questions, comments, or general feedback, feel free to email me at marmo.mike@gmail.com.  Thanks to everybody who supports the blog, and thanks to www.mister-baseball.com for the opportunity. Also, remember to check out www.reggiobaseball.com and become a fan. 

Reggio vs Modena and the Gina's

So this past week has been fairly quiet.  After crazy weeks previous, I decided to take it easy and not do too much leading up to the Modena series.  Besides the occasional beers and heading to the center for coffee, this week mostly revolved around prep baseball work for the weekend. 

This series was fairly important.  In reality, it is too early in the season to start and claim games to be extremely important.  Due to our scheduling and the italian baseball set up, it's more like football with each weekend counting.  This weekend was important for 2 reasons.  One, a couple of wins would separate us from the pack, putting us in control.  Two, we were set to face the best pitcher in the league, Angel Marquez, at his home field.

Much like last year, we easily took the first game.  I hit a bases loaded clearing double in the top of the first, which set the tone for the rest of the game.  We cruised, beating them 8-3 but felt like we beat them 20-0.  After a meal, we were set to square up for game two.  Marquez is a hard throwing righty, usually sitting high 80's or low 90's with a sharp curveball.  Last year he beat us at home, and we beat him at our home field with a come from behind win.  This year was a little different.  Marquez struggled to find the strike zone, and from what I remember his velocity was down.  We didn't hit him too hard, but we played fundamental baseball and were able to take an early lead.  He would end up pitching 7 innings, but not at the caliber of last years performance.  We took the game 6-0 behind Josh's complete game shut out.  He was lights out, and I am very excited about how good our chemistry has been.

So taking two from Modena puts us at 5-1 on the year and atop the leader board.   Hopefully we keep it going this weekend against Crochetta, the team we share first place with.  This week should be mellow as well with Crochetta looming.  I have been planning a bunch of trips in the near future, including Munich, Dublin, and Barcelona.  Hopefully they all come into fruition.

I would also like to mention that the Softball Gina's season has started with a 2-0 performance.  Being that I was a former member of the squad and helped in the journey to a championship, I hope they are able to bounce back from last years disappointing finish and have a championship caliber season.  Good luck guys

So a short and sweet blog post.  If anything comes up I'll be sure to post again.  I hope everybody is having a great week, and I'll leave you with some pictures of the past weeks adventures.  Talk to you soon..