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Building for a Future in the MLB – There’s No Rest in Professional Baseball – Part 3 of an Exclusive with Pitcher Michele Vassalotti

Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Baseball European Championship, Minor League Baseball, WBC on February 10, 2024

Several of my followers have asked for an update on my friend and pitcher Michele Vassalotti. What better time to write one than on the one-year anniversary from when Team Italy announced the World Baseball Classic roster. Despite his young age of 22 and only having accomplished A ball in the minors, Vassa had been invited by Team Italy to pitch on the world stage just a few weeks later.

Thanks to an online company out of Ireland, I was able to watch Team Italy’s games in Taiwan. The downside was keeping up with the day and time change! I found myself sipping hot, green tea at 3AM while I watched MLB Hall of Famer Mike Piazza manage the Team Italy lineup to a successful run for a trip to the second round of the WBC in Japan. Vassalotti did not disappoint! In his four innings, he held Team Panama to just one run and a hit. One of his three strikeouts was Tampa Bay Rays Christian Bethancourt who also threw his bat in frustration against the dugout wall after Vassalotti pitched him into a double play out his next at bat. The one hit he gave up was a homerun by LA Dodgers prospect Jose Ramos, but Vassa came right back at Ramos again two innings later with a strikeout.

There was no rest after the almost two weeks in Taiwan and Japan as well as the travel back to the US. Because the WBC was held during spring training, Vassa immediately reported to the final two weeks of Brewers spring training in Arizona. Then it was on to Appleton, Wisconsin for a summer of High A ball. In my years of watching baseball, I would describe High A as the most challenging of all levels of minor league baseball. It is the level where most players are too good for A ball, but not developed enough for AA. An injury to the shortstop in July stifled the team with much less experienced players being rotated to the position. I felt like I was re-living my brother’s Little League games watching terrible batting and horrible fielding that led to longer innings by the pitchers. A silver lining in the dark cloud was June 16 when Vassa was awarded Pitcher of the Day for Brewers Farm System when he faced 9 batters in 3 perfect innings of relief. When the season ended, Vassalotti became a free agent.

He headed back to Venezuela just to unpack and repack for his next assignment for Team Italy in the 2023 Baseball European Championship. Training games were held in Trieste, Northern Italy near the Slovenia border and then it was on to Třebíč in the Czech Republic for the tournament with fifteen other teams. In the media for the tournament, Team Italy described the Italian-Venezuelan pitcher as the “Player with the greatest perspective and future.” The most memorable highlight of that stint was not on the field, but meeting up with his sister, Fefi, who he had not seen for six years.

After the two weeks in Europe, he again was not idle long. It was time to try out for the Cardenales de Lara of Venezuelan Professional Baseball League in winter ball. His hard work throughout the year and a velocity in the 90s landed him a spot on the roster. It was a season of being mentored by several major league coaches and pitchers. He made the most of each outing. He regained confidence in his nasty slider – a pitch that left many of the batters he faced including MLB’s Yasiel Puig, befuddled. The Cardenales made it to the championship but ran into a hot Tiburones de La Guaira team out of Caracas. Vassa pitched no-hit ball in middle relief and obtained the only Cardenales win in the championship. The Tiburones went on to Miami and got the MLB exposure in the Caribbean Series.

What happens now for Vassalotti remains an unknown. As a couple of agents explained to me, it’s a bad year to be a minor league free agent, especially one in Venezuela. Shohei Ohtani’s delayed-signing created a log jam of other MLB and MiLB free agents waiting to see what team and salary he signed for. The political climate between the US and Venezuela coupled with the State Department’s Level 4 – Do Not Travel Advisory, prevents American scouts from traveling to Venezuela where they could observe players in action. Vassalotti has an Italian passport and ESTA so getting to the US is not a problem. However, you can’t just walk into spring training and ask for a tryout like they do with football. For now, Michele is weighing all options out there like playing in Mexico, Japan, Independent League in the US or Venezuelan summer ball but his goal remains to be back in Major League Baseball someday as he should be.

Lotta wearing Vassalotti’s Cascabeles Jersey won in an auction

baseball, Cardenales de Lara, Free Agent, Michele Vassalotti, mlb, sports, Team Italy, WBC Team Italy

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The Boys of Summer – Return to Spring Training – Part 1

Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Spring Training, WBC on April 23, 2023

It was a return to Spring Training in March when the weather was supposed to be nicer. Minor leaguers were vying for promotions and most importantly, a celebration of our friend Michele Vassalotti’s performance in the World Baseball Classic was in the making. By taking a flight at oh-dark-thirty and thanks to gaining three hours on a time change, we were at the Brewers complex by mid-morning. Skies were very overcast and according to my weather app, rain was in the forecast. We peeked into the batting cages, then watched players at the practice fields stretching. We finally spotted a familiar frame briskly walking towards us. It was Vassalotti. “I’m pitching in the big field this morning! Come see me!” and off he sauntered. I looked at my watch. We were good for an hour and a half before we needed to head to Goodyear Park for the afternoon game. Within minutes, we were seated with scouts and some family members watching a closed scrimmage of the Brewers. After Michele’s successful inning, we left.

Our next stop was at the general offices of the Cleveland Guardians which was located on the road to the practice fields. We were to meet up with Fletcher who was a friend of our boss at the Mudcats. While waiting on “Fletch,” Rick, who was raised west of Cleveland, stood in awe as he viewed a historical wall mural of Indians baseball. For him, as well as the other die-hards, it is still the Indians and the “G” word is not allowed! We then headed across to Goodyear Stadium to watch the visiting Dodgers vs. Cleveland. Sprinkles began and normally I would have said, “Not today.” However, when I saw the LA line-up, I quickly got to my seat which was on the fourth row adjacent to the Dodgers dugout and donned my Red Sox poncho.

Clayton Kershaw was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers. The North Texas native still had his “stuff” throwing in the persistent drizzle. After witnessing his work, I no longer looked at him as an adversary; I appreciated even more what a master he was at his craft. Midway through the game, the rain picked up and the fans in front of us got their umbrellas out which are allowed at Goodyear Park. For the most part, I could position myself and view the game between two of their umbrellas. I couldn’t complain as their umbrellas kept my legs and feet dry. However, when the rain let up, one of the guys positioned his umbrella back to fold it and you can guess where all the rainwater went! All over me!! It was a good time to leave, but not before meeting Bruce Kessman, GM of the Goodyear Ballpark and Player Development Complex. The former flight attendant manager came out in me and I complimented him on the personnel of all levels at the ballpark. What a great springtime gig that would be I thought to myself.

After a brief nap, it was time to finalize plans for dinner. Since we would be celebrating Vassalotti’s World Baseball Classic appearance, we chose an Italian restaurant north of Glendale. Michele brought his Team Italia jersey. The jersey had a soft feel to the material and it was so exciting knowing that I was holding a jersey that had been worn in the World Baseball Classic! During dinner, Vass discussed his experience playing in Taiwan and Japan for Team Italy. He agreed with me that the hardest game was Game 2 when they played against Chinese Taipei. It was definitely a home game for the Chinese Taipei with 37,000 spectators, cheerleaders on the dugouts and a guy banging a drum. All the noise happened while Team Italy batted and of course, quieted when the “home” team was at bat.

We then talked about Game 3 – Italy and Panama. I remembered that one so well. I had gotten a text from Michele that he had been named the starter for Team Italy. He had not pitched in the starting role since 2021 for the Carolina Mudcats. Last season, he was very successful in long-relief and as a closer. Ironically, his number with Team Italy was “37” which was also his number as a starter in 2021. Against Panama, I witnessed an improved starter with great command over his pitches. His velocity had also improved from the 80s to the mid-90s. He pitched four Innings allowing only one hit – a homerun to Jose Ramos, two walks and three strikeouts. His confidence did not waiver after the longball and he struck out Ramos the second time he faced him. Unfortunately, the bats for Team Italy were quiet and bullpen gave up another run making it 2 – 0 loss. It was because of allowing only the two runs in that game and a 7 – 1 upset over favored Team Netherlands in Game 4, that Team Italy emerged a victor in a 4-way tie of the pool and moved on to the quarterfinal in Japan! Sadly, the team was no match for Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan who eventually also won the tournament. According to Michele, a positive they took away was scoring runs against both Ohtani and Yu Darvish.

Rick motioned towards the people dining at the table adjacent to us and the reminiscing ended when I burst into laughter. It was the group who were in the row in front of us at the rainy game earlier in the day. Seated right behind Michele was the umbrella culprit! We took it as a sign to end our evening!