Sports discipline: Baseball
Production company: Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball
ITALY 2020, 36 min
Director: Roberto Angotti
Editing: Pato Banton
Actors: Mike Piazza, Bill Holmberg, Andrea Marcon, Tommy Lasorda, Wayne Randazzo, John Franco, Chris Colabello
Photos: Roberto Angotti
Soundtrack: Pato Banton
Voice off: Roberto Angotti
Producer: Roberto Angotti
Introducing Team Italy Manager Mike Piazza is a musical odyssey documentary featuring the music of Grammy nominee Pato Banton. Filmed at the Italian National Olympic Committee headquarters in Rome and the 2020 CON6 Baseball and Softball Convention in Rimini, the documentary highlights the celebrated career of National Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, and captures the new leader of the Italian national baseball program as he meets the press and his team for the first time since his appointment. Introducing Team Italy Manager Mike Piazza provides a behind-the-scenes perspective on the iconic baseball figure and features interviews with Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda, New York Mets Announcer Wayne Randazzo, and former major leaguers John Franco and Chris Colabello. During his induction speech into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Mike Piazza thanked the country of Italy for giving him the gift of his father, whose family roots stem from Sciacca, Sicily. Mike Piazza honored his ancestral heritage by playing for Team Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and later coaching the Azzurri squad to two European Baseball Championships. “Mike is a guarantee, considering his history, experience, charisma and personality,” Italian National Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malagò said. “He’s the perfect person for the job.”