Parma Baseball Club
The Parma Baseball Club is a professional baseball franchise that plays in the Italian Baseball League. Founded in 1950, the team is based in the city of Parma in Italy and plays its home games at the Stadio Nino Cavalli. The club entered the 2019 season ranked 6th in Europe and 2nd in Italy after reaching the 2018 IBL Finals which saw Bologna crowned as Italian Champions. Parma Baseball is sponsored by Parmaclima, Macron and Errea. The club, managed by Guido Poma, finished the 2019 regular season with a 12-11 record, good for 4th place in the IBL, behind Bologna, Nettuno, and San Marino. Parma lost in five games in a thrilling semi-finals to Bologna to end the 2019 season.
One of the most successful clubs in the Italian League, Parma has won 10 IBL championships, as well as 13 European Cup titles. The club finished 4th in the 2019 Champions Cup hosted by rival Bologna.
Nino Cavalli Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Parma.[1] It is the home stadium of Parma Baseball.[2]
2019
After a successful 2018 campaign in which Parma fell to Bologna in the Italian Series, Guido Poma's club hoped to build off their finals appearance. The injury bug limited the Parma club, which posted a 12-11 record in the regular season. Italian pitcher Michele Pomponi was injured prior to the start of the season, while French pitcher Owen Ozanich, who posted a 3.86 ERA and 18/4 K/BB ratio in the first half of the season, broke his leg during the 2019 Champions Cup.
Italian national team players Sebastiano Poma (.380, 4 HR, 26 RBI), Aldo Koutsoyanopulos (.317, 1 HR, 11 RBI), Ricardo Paolini (.308, 1 HR, 17 RBI) led the offense. Veterans Charlie Mirabal (.297, 1 HR, 10 RBI) and Luca Scalera (.364, 1 HR, 8 RBI) also made their impact in the lineup. Erly Casanova led the pitching staff with 50.2 IP to go with a 3.02 ERA and 52 K. Marc-Andre Habeck (2.48 ERA, 38 K in 29.0 IP) and Yomel Rivera (4.50 ERA, 24 K in 18.0 IP) were also very steady. Veteran hurler Mauro Schiavoni proved to be an important addition, the right hander from Argentina posted a 0.00 ERA in the regular season, not allowing a single run in 11.1 IP. He also had an impressive 1.93 ERA in the Champions Cup. Parma finished 4th in the week long tournament where the top 8 club teams face off to crown the new European champion. In the event, Casanova and Habeck led the staff with 8.0 innings pitched, Habeck posted the best ERA (1.12), while Ozanich finished with a team high 9 strikeouts in 5.2 IP. Offensively, Koutsoyanopulos hit .421 (8-for-19), Paolini .353 (6-for-17), Mirabal .333 (5-for-15), Poma .313 (5-for-16) and Alex Sambucci .313 (5-for-16).
Parma foud themselves in a rematch of the 2018 finals, this time in the semis, against rival Bologna. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, Parma lost three straight as Bologna came from behind, not only in the best of five series, but in game five as well. Erly Casanova was Parma's top playoff performer, logging 14.2 innings, allowing just two earned runs (1.23 ERA), walking one batter while striking out 15. Yomel Rivera (5.2 scoreless with 3 K), Junior Oberto (1 ER in 5 IP) and Marc-Andre Habeck (2 ER in 7.1 IP) also pitched well in the series. At the plate, in the playoffs, Ricky Paolini (.381), Rafael Vinales (.375), Stefano Desimoni (.333), and Mattia Mercuri (.300) were the club's .300 hitters. Longtime shortstop Charlie Mirabal injured his shoulder diving for a ball in the hole in Bologna, and hopes to bounce back in 2020 if healthy.
2020
The 2020 offseason saw many changes to the Parmaclima roster. Gone are pitchers Casanova, Ozanich, Schiavoni, and Oberto. Infielder Mattia Mercuri and catcher Rafael Vinales have also moved on from Parma. Replacing Mercuri on the left side of the infield is Spanish national team member Leo Rodriguez, who spent 2019 with Nettuno. Alessandro Deotto returns to the club he called home in 2017 and 2018, Deotto figures to get the bulk of the innings behind the dish, with Riccardo Flisi serving as the number two catcher. Italian national team hurlers Mattia Aldegheri and Yomel Rivera have confirmed they will be back.
2018 team most valuable player Aldo Koutsoyanopulos and arguably the team's top arm from last season, Marc Andre Habeck have confirmed they will lace up the spiked for Parma in 2020. Second baseman Ricardo Paolini, first baseman Alex Sambucci, and the club's outfielders: Stefano Desimoni, Sebastiano Poma and Leo Zileri will return as well.
In early February, it was rumored that former major league outfielder Manny Ramirez would come to Italy and play for Parma. The 12x MLB All-Star last played in the major leagues in 2011 before making stops in the Dominican Republic, Taiwan and Japan since retiring with a .312 lifetime batting average to go with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI. The 47 year old has been said to be fond of Italian culture, and his wife's love of Milan had pushed the Dominican star to land in Parma, the Serie A club nearest to the Italian fashion capital.
As of late April 2020, the Italian League has announced a 16 game regular season schedule where Opening Day would be on June 14. Ten teams would be divided into two pools; with playoffs set to begin in late August and run thru September. It has yet to be decided if fans would be allowed to attend games.
Schedule
June 20 @ Torino (Turin, Italy) 4:00 PM
June 20 @ Torino (Turin, Italy) 8:45 PM
June 26 vs Collecchio (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
June 27 @ Collecchio (Collecchio, Italy) 8:30 PM
July 4 @ Redipuglia (Redipuglia, Italy) 4:00 PM
July 4 @ Redipuglia (Redipuglia, Italy) 9:00 PM
July 10 vs Bologna (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
July 11 @ Bologna (Bologna, Italy) 8:00 PM
July 25 vs Torino (Parma, Italy) 4:00 PM
July 25 vs Torino (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
July 31 @ Collecchio (Collecchio, Italy) 8:30 PM
August 1 vs Collecchio (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
August 8 vs Redipuglia (Parma, Italy) 4:00 PM
August 8 vs Redipuglia (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
August 14 @ Bologna (Bologna, Italy) 8:00 PM
August 15 vs Bologna (Parma, Italy) 9:00 PM
Playoffs August/September
2019 Schedule and Results
Regular Season Record: 12-11 (4th place)
European Cup Record: 2-3 (4th place)
Playoffs: 2-3
Overall 2019 Record: 16-17
Pitchers
Marc Andre Habeck (FRANCE)
Yomel Rivera (ITALY)
Mattia Aldegheri (ITALY)
Michele Pomponi (ITALY)
Francesco Nardi (ITALY)
Catchers
Riccardo Flisi (ITALY)
Alessandro Deotto (ITALY)
Kevin Alfieri (ITALY)
Infielders
Alex Sambucci (ITALY)
Leo Rodriguez (SPAIN)
Ricardo Paolini (ITALY)
Luca Scalera (ITALY)
Outfielders
Sebastiano Poma (ITALY)
Leo Zileri (ITALY)
Stefano Desimoni (ITALY)
Aldo Koutsoyanopulos (ITALY)
Lorenzo Gradali (ITALY)
References
- "Stadium Of Baseball Nino Cavalli — Punto dinteresse in Parma, Via Teresa Confalonieri Casati, 22, 43125 Parma PR, Italy,". parma-emilia-romagna.catalogo-online.it.
- "Parma Baseball - LE MODALITA' DI ACCESSO E I PREZZI DEI BIGLIETTI PER GARA TRE E L'EVENTUALE GARA QUATTRO. SI GIOCA MARTEDI' E MERCOLEDI' ALLE 20.30". www.parmabaseball.it.