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06/18/2004 Archived Entry: "Italian Baseball News: DAVID THE UNTOUCHABLE!"
DAVID THE UNTOUCHABLE! by Vincenzo Russo
DAVID THE UNTOUCHABLE!
The Italian baseball tournament is half the way after 27 games were played and an Italian-american born pitcher is making a great sensation: David ROLLANDINI (RHP 25 yrs.), an Oklahoma State product, and an indyleaguer the last two years (Frontier and Atlantic League), is playing this summer for Grosseto of the Italian League (Serie A1). He has been impressive right now with an open scoreless inning streak of 46 that has been lasting since the beginninig of the tournament (7-0; 0.00; 46 IP, 45 K, 14 BB, 22 H, 3 R, 0 ER). He’ll probably wear the Italian shirt at the Olympic tournament in Athens next august, hoping of becoming the next Jason Simontacchi, an Italian baseball tournament alumni with Rimini and former italian national player (Sydney 2000), now with S. Louis.
STANDINGS W - L
Grosseto 24-3
Bologna 22-5
Nettuno 17-10
Parma 17-10
Modena 12-15
Rimini 11-16
S. Marino 11-16
Paterṇ 11-16
Anzio 8-19
Rho 2-25
At the end of the regular season (a round robin tournament with each team playing vs. each other 6 times), the first 4 seedings will play in the playoff , the last two ones will be demoted in Serie A2, with the first two of Serie A2 promoted in A1.
Notes: In Grosseto is pitching very well Jaime NAVARRO, the Puerto Rican pitcher with 12 yrs of MLB experience with Brewers, Cubs and White Sox . He is 8-0 (1° in the league) with 1.99 ERA (5°) and 69 K (1°) in 68 IP.
Among the best pitchers is dominican Jesus MATOS (30 yrs. - of reigning champions of Bologna): 7-1 (2°), 1.31 (2°), 69 K (1°).
Among notables playing in Italy are: venezuelan 2B Liu RODRIGUEZ – Rimini (former White Sox); RHP Anthony CHAVEZ – Nettuno (former California Angels); P Mike SAIPE – Rimini (last year with Las Vegas AAA) and one of the best pitchers of the Dominican winter league with Azucareros; Panamian P Rafael MEDINA - Parma (former Florida Marlins in 1998 and 1999).
The best hitters are dominican SS Fausto SOLANO (30) – Bologna (a former blue Jays farmhand) with .467 AVE; dominican SS Rafael OZUNA (30) – Grosseto .441 and Italian Gabriele ERMINI (28) – Grosseto .407.
The best sluggers are the Italian prospect Giuseppe MAZZANTI OF (21) – Nettuno 6 HR (1°) and .606 SLG (3°) behind Ozuna (.688) and Solano (.630) and before the former big leaguer venezuelan Wil CANATE (Blue Jays) .548, playing with Modena.
Replies: 1 Comment
Thanks Vincenzo. Good stuff. Keep it coming!
Posted by Gary Garland @ 06/22/2004 01:09 AM EST
