GROSSETO. The blank pages of his new biography debuted on November 16, 2024. Since that day Marco Mazzieri he is the new president of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS), and will be for the entire four-year period 2025-2028.
The investiture was signed by the 37th ordinary national elective assembly from 56.04 percent of voters.
An extraordinary starting point for a extraordinary person.
The following day Mazzieri took possession of the office in via Tiziano 74 in Rome (Parioli) from where he speaks in a brief pause, given that the amount of work leaves very little space.
«The moment I sat down in front of this desk – states the new president – I felt positive vibrations. I am felt at easeor rather at home.” Question of DNA, of a past that rolls like an avalanche from the sides of life.
«Il perfect circle has closed – he continues – I started as a club picker in 1972. We played in front of the schools elementary of Roselle, in the middle of the gravel, endless games, intense, full of joy, with old friends. In the world of bat and run I have played all roles, player, coach, advisor, all I’m missing is the role of referee.” He smiles.
A journey, or rather a race, between three cushions, a home base, the red clay set in the grass, home runs, dugouts near, far, far away.
The Roberto Jannella stadium acts as a lighthouse to illuminate the road, understand the path, assimilate concepts and put them into practice. With the glove and the bat, Marco conceives the future, conquers it by writing indelible, timeless pages.
All this fails in the slightest to model another Mazzieri, who remains perfectly himself in sporting glory as in burning disappointments. His character is stainless at the time, he is not scratched in the depths of his ego, humility and extraneousness are his tools to avoid falling into the easy, mediocre, territories of pride.
«No promises to anyone»
«I didn’t aspire to this position at all – he continues – let’s say that everything came about by chance, I personally didn’t have it never thought. When it was proposed to me I immediately informed everyone that in my world there is no compromise but I agree with it merit”.
«If I had to put my face to it, I wanted to Surround myself with people like me. So it was, I accepted and we started touring Italy to make ourselves known by looking at a thousand eyes, talking to a thousand people and companies. We had a concrete program in hand, which faithfully reflects my way of being and considering baseball. I made no promises to nothing or anyone because I don’t want to appear to be something I’m not.”
«I care about the development of youth sectors»
«I am very interested in the development of the youth sectors, making it clear that this is not a question of a costbut rather an investment, a fundamental wealth, training trained managerswho look to the future with a smile not based only on the result and overturning the arid theme of the result now seen as life or death».
«Two companies in A cannot coexist»
Mazzieri ends by looking at the Maremma: «Two Serie A clubs cannot coexist in a territory like ours, this is only how the resources are divided. This is one of the topics that are particularly close to my heart. I want to thank Elena Nappimayor of Castiglione della Pescaia e Giancarlo Farnetanithe former mayor, for theirs Well done. I will return to Grosseto in the first days of December, after picking up personally a prize a New York».
A long career in baseball
Marco Mazzieri, 62 years old in a few days, it’s creborn in the Grosseto formation of Rosellein 1980 he had his first appearance with the BBC Grossetowith whom he played until 2000, with the exception of three seasons spent between Calze Verdi Casalecchio and Fortitudo Bologna.
He disputed over 1000 games of the top baseball leaguewearing the number 5 for years, retired in 2011 by the company.
In the national team, as a player, he was part of the Italian selection from the 1985 European Championship to the 1990 World Cup, for a total of 73 appearances.
After retiring he became manager of the Maremma team.
From 2005 to 2007 he was thecoach of the junior national teambut was promoted to manage the senior national team following the resignation of Giampiero Faraone. He left the technical guide of the Azzurri at the end of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
With the Italian national team he made his debut at the World Cup in Taiwan, inflicting the only e historic defeat to the United States who will then win the title.
European champion in 2010 in Stuttgart, but above all in 2012 in Rotterdam in the year of the centenary of the Dutch federation, he also won bronze in the latest edition of the Intercontinental Cup (Taiwan 2010).
The most prestigious parenthesis, which consecrates him in stage of world professional baseballis the one linked to participation in the World Baseball Classic in 2009 (Toronto), 2013 (Phoenix and Miami) and 2017 in Guadalajara (Mexico).
From November 16th it is president of the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS).
