The China Mail - Espressos and red wine: Italy's baseball team captivates Classic

Victories are marked with bottles of red wine while the soaring voice of opera singer Andrea Bocelli echoes through the locker room.

Welcome to baseball, Italian-style.

Written off as 80-1 underdogs before the World Baseball Classic started, Italy's fairytale tournament has carried them all the way to Monday's semi-finals in Miami against Venezuela.

On Saturday, Italy -- who scored a stunning upset of a star-studded United States lineup during the pool phase -- kept their unbeaten campaign alive with a nail-biting 8-6 quarter-final defeat of Puerto Rico.

That win -- which sent Italy into the last four for the first time in history -- was the latest stop of an improbable journey for a team put together at the last minute and composed largely of American players with Italian descent.

Of the 30 players in Italy's squad for the tournament, 24 were born in the US while only three were born in Italy.

Nevertheless, that has not stopped the team leaning heavily into their Italian heritage.

Italy's captain, Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, came up with the idea of celebrating each home run with a jolt of caffeine, installing an espresso machine in the Italy dugout.

Speaking after Saturday's triumph over a strong Puerto Rico, Pasquantino said the Azzurri's exploits in the tournament are helping to boost the profile of a sport which remains an oddity in Italy.

- 'Bringing people together' -

"Italy was able to watch our game today, and it was on television out there," Pasquantino said. "And we've been on the front page of the newspapers. And that is what this tournament is about.

"Yes, it is about winning the tournament and trying to be the best baseball team, but it's about getting eyeballs and bringing people together on the sport.

"And yeah, Italy doesn't have the greatest development in baseball, and that's what we're trying to do right now. There was baseball being played at bistros and cafes in Italy tonight over there. That doesn't happen."

Italy's manager, the Venezuela-born Francisco Cervelli, who spent 12 years in Major League Baseball as a player, was only appointed to his role in January.

Cervelli said Italy's team has evolved in just a few short weeks since coming together just before the tournament started.

"In the beginning, it was tough. This tournament, they only give you three days together," Cervelli said.

"To put the group and build chemistry, we did so many things inside the clubhouse to get to know personalities, because that's what the important part is, is in this kind of tournament."

Early group wins over Brazil and Great Britain were followed by a seismic upset over the United States, hyped as one of the most talented baseball line-ups ever assembled.

"Brazil was a little uncomfortable, and the guys didn't know exactly what was the role," Cervelli said. "Then Great Britain, and then everything started. The team were bonding together.

- 'A different team' -

"And then we beat the United States, and now it's a different team. It's a different team. They're going to miss this tournament after they go back to their teams because it's been really fun."

Cervelli has also been made aware of the team's impact from family and friends in Italy.

"I get the message from all my friends, my family there," he said on Sunday. "Just imagine in the south of Italy they don't play that much baseball. Yesterday everyone was watching the game.

"They send me pictures all the time. It's like the family reunion watching baseball. Even if they don't know that much or they don't understand that much, 'How's Italy playing?' It doesn't matter what it is.

"So there is a lot of excitement in Italy right now about baseball."

Those sentiments are shared by Italy's Andrew Fischer, the 21-year-old New Jersey-born infielder who joined the Milwaukee Brewers last year after being chosen with the 20th overall pick of the draft.

Fischer, whose maternal great-great-grandfather was born in Campania, has a tattoo of Frank Sinatra on his arm and says playing for Italy has been a chance to celebrate his roots.

"I'm happy that we're here representing them," Fischer said. "Italian culture is engraved in New Jersey. A lot of Italian food back at home. I think I eat it six days a week. I love it. So being here and representing it, it definitely has brought some light to it in my life."

E.Lau--ThChM