The Italian Baseball League club TELEMARKET RIMINI introduced Mauro Mazzotti as new manager on Thursday. Club president Rino Zangheri brings back the 49-year-old to pursue the championship title in 2009. He will lead a coaching staff, which is completed by pitching coach Chris Catanoso, third base coach Mike Romano and first base coach Paolo Siroli. The 38-year-old Venezuelan Harry Guanchez and the 58-year-old Dominican Melanio Pozo are also on the coaching team. They will especially support Catanoso with the Under-21 team.
Mazzotti was born in Cesena and raised in Milan, where he also began his playing and coaching career. He later moved on to the big clubs in Italian Baseball and became the only coach to have won four championships in Italy with three different teams: RIMINI (1999), BOLOGNA (2003, 2005) and GROSSETO (2007). Last summer during the playoffs and shortly after agreeing to a three-year extension, he was fired in GROSSETO.
Mazzotti also was a scout with the Seattle Mariners organization from 1994 to 2006. He joined the Houston Astros organization two years ago and coordinates their scouting activities in Europe since. He will head the PIRATES coaching staff for the first time in a game tonight, when the team plays against FORTITUDO BOLOGNA in another preseason meeting.
Photo by Enrico Bartolacci/FIBS