Concerning a past post mentioning the Marlins to play in Rome in 2005 vs Boston http://www.marlinbaseball.com/forums/index...=0entry260337 I thought it was just a joke made by the Italian Baseball Federation but now it seems true!!

Mlb.com confirmed the rumours and Marlins could play a game in Rome Italy in summer 2005!!

I am so excited!!

Ciao

Luca

 

http://marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/fla/news...4news&fext=.jsp

 

Marlins part of global outreach

Fish to face Astros for two exhibition games in Mexico

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com Ticket information

 

 

Owner Jeffrey Loria wants his club to play a role in the globalization of the game. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

 

Major League Baseball is branching out again this weekend when the defending World Series champion Florida Marlins face the Houston Astros in two preseason games, today and Sunday in Mexico City.

 

"Expanding the game is very important to baseball," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said. "We want to be part of it. I am an advocate for international play."

 

With a growing number of players from Latin America and Asia filling Major League rosters, Loria sees great growth potential for the game worldwide.

 

As the Marlins are eager to visit Mexico this weekend, Loria is hopeful his team will get a chance to play in Europe next preseason. There have been discussions to have exhibition games in Rome, Italy, in 2005, and Marlins management has made it known they would like to participate.

 

"There is global appeal for the game, and we've got to give it to the people around the world who want to see it," Loria said. "The commissioner [bud Selig] is determined to see it happen and a number of people in ownership want to see it happen."

 

In recent years, the league has opened the regular-season schedule in Japan. And MLB is doing it again. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays are gearing for their opening series in Japan.

 

"It's a global game now and we need to export the product everywhere," Loria said.

 

If it means going to great heights to showcase baseball, Loria is willing to do so. In fact, the Marlins and Astros literally are going above and beyond what they are normally accustomed to.

 

Estadio Foro Sol in Mexico City is a stadium located 7,200 feet above sea level, creating a hitters' delight and pitchers' nightmare.

 

When the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers visited Mexico City last year, they posted scores that could have been from a football game. In two games, the teams combined for 57 runs, with 14 home runs, on 74 hits.

 

Selling the game in other countries is attractive to the organizations, the league and the players. The downside is grueling travel in the middle of an already busy Spring Training.

 

The greater good, however, has Marlins veteran Mike Mordecai endorsing the games.

 

"We say this is our national pastime," said Mordecai, the 36-year-old reserve infielder. "We need to do whatever we can to spread the game around. With finances and the way the game is going, you really need to look to tap into other revenue sources and play games here, there and anywhere.

 

"More players are from foreign countries. So why not take the game to them? The hard part is the travel. Obviously, you've got to get there and play the games. I think the players would enjoy going there [more], if not the travel. It wears you down. That can take its toll. But I think it's good for baseball, playing in Japan, playing in Mexico and playing in Canada. There are two teams [in Canada] that a lot of people don't think much about. They are just across the border. There are other places we should be going to play games."

 

Like Hawaii.

 

Mordecai suggests the league should play one regular-season series a year in Hawaii. His idea is that, as a perk, the winner of the World Series opens there. If done right, there would be an off day the day before and an off day after the series, and players families could attend.

 

"I'd like to see games in Hawaii," he said. "If we did that, you wouldn't hear players complain."

 

Teams have long been scouring other countries for talent that the natural progression is to play games abroad.

 

And Major League players are currently playing Winter League ball in places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

 

In 2002, Marlins reserve outfielder Brian Banks won a championship on the Culiacan Mexican team. As a reward, the team visited Mexican president Vincente Fox in Mexico City.

 

Banks recalls the Winter League games having a soccer-like feel to them as fans beat drums and played music in the stands.

 

"They are very passionate over there," Banks said.

 

When Marlins manager Jack McKeon was general manager of San Diego in the early 1980s, he recalls the Padres playing exhibition games in Mexico City against a local college team.

 

"Expanding Major League Baseball and interest in the game in Mexico is good," McKeon said.

 

The exposure the game gets in as many places as possible invariably expands the talent pool to find players.

 

Over the past few years, Loria has dispatched Marlins director of international operations Fred Ferreira to Europe, Asia and Latin America in search of prospects.

 

"You have to consider players from everywhere," Loria said. "Korea, Japan ... I've had Fred in Europe for several years now. We're developing players in Belgium.

 

"If it works in the NBA, and it works for other sports, why wouldn't it work for baseball? If there is great talent, whether it is here or Australia, you have to go find it."

 

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

well lets just hope none of the players backrounds have ties to the mob :shifty

Wow, that will be different for them.

Very nice!!

Is there really a market for baseball in Italy? If they can sel the tickets, why not.

:thumbdown

 

let's worry about getting a stadium here before we start playing games in Europe...

Nothing at all has been confirmed. MLB hasnt even decided if they will play in Europe, and the Marlins are just one of a group of teams who could be going.

Damn if this happens I want to go.