Italian Baseball

From SoSH

Overview

The Italian Major Leagues consist of 9 teams - 8 from Italy and one from San Marino - which play about 54 games from April to September, primarily on Fridays and Saturdays. The best four teams qualify for the playoffs, and the format for both the first and second rounds of the playoffs is best-of-seven, with the eventual winner said to have won "Lo Scudetto". The winning team and the San Marino teams are then chosen to represent the Italian League in the European Cup.

Like the Dutch, the Italian baseball leagues have a relegation system similar to European soccer leagues where teams can be promoted and demoted according to standings. The top league is known as Serie A1, while the second league (Serie A2) has about 25 teams, and the third level (Serie B) has about 40 teams.

The most successful franchise would either be Nettuno, who have won 17 Italian championships, or Parma, who have won 13 European Cups.

The Italian teams have strict rules about foreigners on teams, including the rule that non-Italians may only pitch on Fridays.

Six MLB players have been born in Italy, but none have played with the Red Sox.

Former Red Sox minor leaguers Rene Miniel, Justin Sherrod, and Cole Liniak all currently play in Italy.

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