Mike Piazza plays for Italy?

[Meat Face]

huh? I hate baseball as it is, but this just makes it even worse. How can an American play for a foreign country? Just because he's of Italian heritage? I don't understand. Somebody please explain.

[stoperat]

Monday, November 07, 2005 9:27:00 PM

Report: Wide eligibility for Classic

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Mike Piazza would be eligible to catch for Italy in the inaugural World Baseball Classic next year under eligibility rules being discussed by the Commissioner's office and the players' association.

The sport is considering adopting rules that allow the most latitude, a high-ranking baseball official said Monday after arriving at the annual meeting of big league general managers.

 

For soccer's World Cup, players must be a citizen of a country and hold a passport for that country to participate. Rather than let each nation's eligibility rules be the determinant, baseball will likely apply the broadest rules of any participating country to all teams in the 16-nation event.

 

Under these rules, players born in the Dominican Republic who are United States citizens still would be eligible to be on the Dominican team. These rules probably will lower the quality of the U.S. team and boost the depth of other nations in the tournament.

 

While rules have not been finalized, among the ways players could be eligible for a team would be if they hold a passport, were born in the country, have a parent who was born in that country or they had residency in that country.

 

"The union told us they determined that Mike could play for the Italian team," said Piazza's agent, Dan Lozano. He was unsure of the specific reason why Piazza, who was born in Norristown, Pa., was eligible.

 

Baseball hopes to announce at the Winter Meetings in December commitments from players to participate.

 

"Eligibility rules are still being discussed. It will be similar to the IBAF rules," said Paul Archey, senior vice president of Major League Baseball International, referring to the International Baseball Federation.

 

Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer, was traveling Monday and did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

[Vinatieri Is God]

Feeble attempt to get other countries more interested. Italy will still be bad but they are hoping Italian people will watch because Piazza is on the team. No loss to the US as he wouldn't have made it anyway. They are stacked.

[I Like Soup]

And you know over in Europe when an American says I am Italian but was born in the US they look at you like I don't think the "heritage" thing means anything to them over there like it does here. I guess we are still trying to "identify" ourselves.

 

I am a hugh baseball fan and have absolutely no interest in the WBC.

[LegFuJohnson]

Here's another reason he's playing for Italy.

 

http://www.worldbaseballshop.com/?source=o...bc-Italy-jersey

 

But it's not a bad looking jersey. I'm not a Piazza fan, however.

[Meat Face]

 

"The union told us they determined that Mike could play for the Italian team," said Piazza's agent, Dan Lozano. He was unsure of the specific reason why Piazza, who was born in Norristown, Pa., was eligible.

 

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exactly.

[Whiskey Pimp]

No loss to the US as he wouldn't have made it anyway.  They are stacked.

 

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How'd that stacked team work out for you yesterday? Go Canada

[Vinatieri Is God]

Good win for the Canucks. Check back with me when you know something about baseball. With a confident pitcher, timely hitting, and a few breaks any team can beat another team on a given day. Not to diminish the win for Canada...they played great, but in a 10 game series, that US team would win 8 games.

 

Peace

[Guest Cherni]

huh?  I hate baseball as it is, but this just makes it even worse.  How can an American play for a foreign country?  Just because he's of Italian heritage?  I don't understand.  Somebody please explain.

 

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It makes no sense to me either. Especially after Piazza was so vocal after 9/11. He lived a few hundred yards from the Trade Center. You would think that would have inspired him to play for the USA. He was born where? Philly or S. Jersey? I don't get it. Same thing with Arod's "dilemma" to play for the Dominican Republic or the USA. Granted his parents were born in the DR, but he was born in Queens. This whole classic is a waste of time and someone will get hurt (not rooting for that to happen). It proves nothing. A ton of players are holding out. This is like "The Replacements".

[isleseeya]

unfortunately Piazza not good enough at this stage of his career to play for Team USA as he was not invited or asked to join roster

 

he wants to be part of a big baseball event ..plus he likes the food better that Team Italy serves in the pre game / post game meals

[Guest Cherni]

Either way, he went 0-4 with 3 K's. LOL.

[Dr. Sacrebleu]

It makes no sense to me either. Especially after Piazza was so vocal after 9/11.

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God that's a dumb thing to say.

[Guest Cherni]

God that's a dumb thing to say.

 

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He visited all the fire stations around town, visited classrooms where students and their families were affected. The events of 9/11 brought this country closer together and there was a great sense of patriotism for the first time in a long time. If you don't agree that's fine. Enjoy Holland, you should hit up The Greenhouse. HIGHLY recommended.

 

EDIT: And would you mind telling me why the comment was, in your opinion a dumb thing to say? I'm curious. I'm not fishing here, just want to know.

Edited March 11, 2006 by Cherni

[Voltaire]

Unfortunatly Joe and Vince have passed on, but they could probably coax Dom DiMaggio out of retirement.

[Dr. Sacrebleu]

He visited all the fire stations around town, visited classrooms where students and their families were affected. The events of 9/11 brought this country closer together and there was a great sense of patriotism for the first time in a long time. If you don't agree that's fine. Enjoy Holland, you should hit up The Greenhouse. HIGHLY recommended.

 

EDIT: And would you mind telling me why the comment was, in your opinion a dumb thing to say? I'm curious. I'm not fishing here, just want to know.

 

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You are equating playing sports for another country to turning your back on, and disrespecting victims and heros of a national tragedy.

 

That is stupid.

It still would be stupid comment if he had actually taken Italian nationality, or if he was trying to get around the rules to because of the alure of a gold medal. But this is essentially a good will move to spread baseball, a feel good moment for Piazza to do something for his land of origin, and have a good time for a country that has zero chance of advancing. For you to view this as treasonous shows that sort of shallow "love it or leave it" faux patriotism that seems to be so in vogue w chicken hawks, 7-11 burning mobs, and SUV flag flying dolts.

 

I am a dual citizen, when I fly to Amsterdam, I will be using my french passport because it's easier to fly to a EU country with a EU passport, does that mean I am turning my back on the victims of 9-11?

[Guest Cherni]

You are equating playing sports for another country to turning your back on, and disrespecting victims and heros of a national tragedy.

 

That is stupid.

It still would be stupid comment if he had actually taken Italian nationality, or if he was trying to get around the rules to because of the alure of a gold medal.  But this is essentially a good will move to spread baseball, a feel good moment for Piazza to do something for his land of origin, and have a good time for a country that has zero chance of advancing.  For you to view this as treasonous shows that sort of shallow "love it or leave it" faux patriotism that seems to be so in vogue w chicken hawks, 7-11 burning mobs, and SUV flag flying dolts.

 

I am a dual citizen, when I fly to Amsterdam, I will be using my french passport because it's easier to fly to a EU country with a EU passport, does that mean I am turning my back on the victims of 9-11?

 

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That's your take on what I said. That's just looking at it in a negative manner. Conversly I think Mike would have wanted to HONOR and RESPECT to the victims and heroes of 9/11 by playing for THE COUNTRY HE WAS BORN IN, and to the people that he personally helped. Mike Piazza is a class act and I don't think less of him for it just because he couldn't make the USA team (which he would have rather played for).

 

I never said Mike was disrespecting anyone, I never called him a traitor? I don't know where you're getting it from, but you're putting wods into my mouth. This is what I said, "Especially after Piazza was so vocal after 9/11". You went ahead and twisted that innocent comment into me calling him Benedict Arnold or something. You're way off here Dr.

[Dr. Sacrebleu]

That's your take on what I said. That's just looking at it in a negative manner. Conversly I think Mike would have wanted to HONOR and RESPECT to the victims and heroes of 9/11 by playing for THE COUNTRY HE WAS BORN IN, and to the people that he personally helped. Mike Piazza is a class act and I don't think less of him for it just because he couldn't make the USA team (which he would have rather played for).

 

I never said Mike was disrespecting anyone, I never called him a traitor? I don't know where you're getting it from, but you're putting wods into my mouth. This is what I said, "Especially after Piazza was so vocal after 9/11". You went ahead and twisted that innocent comment into me calling him Benedict Arnold or something. You're way off here Dr.

 

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I'll respect your sentiment, and instead have to take issue with your syntax and debating style.

You put "playing for Italy" as a concept in opposition to "being vocal [in a positive community building way]after 9/11"

so you should not be surprised that people make assumptions.

Put another way, saying "how could sacrebleu do A after having done such a great thing B" would by logic lead the reader to beleive that Sacrebleu's A was a bad bad thing.

 

No biggie

[Guest Cherni]

I'll respect your sentiment, and instead have to take issue with your syntax and debating style.

You put "playing for Italy" as a concept in opposition to "being vocal [in a positive community building way]after 9/11"

so you should not be surprised that people make assumptions.

Put another way, saying "how could sacrebleu do A after having done such a great thing B" would by logic lead the reader to beleive that Sacrebleu's A was a bad bad thing.

 

No biggie

 

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LOL, fair enough. It's all good over here. I like Piazza, I just thought (wished) he would have played for USA. The USA team could use all the help they can get.