Liddi at the 2014 european championship

21 Settembre 2014
ALEX LIDDI’S ROAD LESS TRAVELED TO JOIN TEAM ITALY  AT THE 2014 EUROPEAN BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Roberto Angotti for Mlb for Life

Shortly after his pinch-hit single for the Dodgers AA-affiliate Chattanooga Lookouts in the fifth inning of the 2014 Southern League Championship game against Miami Marlins top pitching prospect Justin Nicolino of the Jacksonville Suns, Alex Liddi would embark on a marathon travel expedition from Florida not suited for the weak at heart to strengthen Team Italia’s chances of capturing its third consecutive title in the 2014 European Baseball Championship. After defeating Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and Czech Republic, Team Italia battles the Netherlands in the final today.

Team Italia 3B Alex Liddi in action against Spain on September 18, 2014 in the 2014 European Baseball Championship.
Team Italia manager Marco Mazzieri said, “Let me tell you…Alex could not to wait to be here with us. He played his last game in Double-A ball on Friday night, September 12th then rode the bus for eight hours back to Chattanooga before driving to Atlanta on Saturday morning so that he could catch an eight hour flight to Munich. From there he had another two hour ride to Regensburg. When he arrived on Sunday morning, he went to the gym to work out with our strength and conditioning coach Gianni Natale for two hours.
Then he ate lunch, and we told him to go to bed and rest but he couldn’t. He had so much adrenaline pumping that he couldn’t sleep after two nights of not sleeping. Then he came in to play and hit a big home run and double. He was just tremendous. I mean Alex is Alex…
For us, Italian baseball around the world…it’s Alex along with Alessandro Maestri.
Whenever we can, we just love to have them with us.”
A successful career playing in the Japanese Professional League has kept Team Italia pitcher Alessandro Maestri from participating in the 2014 European Baseball Championship.