Baseball, new coach is Francisco Cervelli: “A huge honor.”
Baseball, the new coach è Francisco Cervelli
Francisco Cervelli è is the new technical commissioner of the Italian national baseball team. Appointed at the Federal Council meeting held Friday, Jan. 24, at CON-X 2025 in Rimini, Cervelli replaces Mike Piazza, who arrived at the natural expiration of his contract last Dec. 31.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Cervelli has enjoyed an important ultra-decade-long Major League career, wearing the uniforms of the New York Yankees (2008-2014) – with whom he won the 2009 World Series -, Pittsburgh Pirates (2015-2019), Atlanta Braves (2019) and Miami Marlins. Overall, Cervelli finished with a .268 batting average for 41 home runs and 275 runs batted home in 730 games played. Defensively, he committed only 52 errors in 5679.2 shots played purely as a catcher for a .990 average. Cervelli also wore the uniform of’Italy at the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2017.
"It is a tremendous honor for me to be named manager of the Italian National Baseball Team,” stressed the new coach.
Since 2017, when I played the last World Baseball Classic, I have carried in my heart a mission: to help elevate Italy as a benchmark for d'élite baseball in Europe".
"With humilityà and gratitude, I want to thank the Italian Baseball Softball Federation for granting me this incredible opportunity. Representing Italy is not è just a responsibility, but a real dream come true. Wearing this iconic uniform again fills me with pride and I am ready to work tirelessly to lead this team and inspire future generations of Italian players" concluded Cervelli.
