Joshua Robinson, “In Italy’s Dugout, Piazza Embraces a New Role” (2009)

“Piazza is one of four American coaches on the staff with varying levels of the Italian language at their disposal. As they sat in the dugout before the game, they spoke to one another in English, with one even floating a ‘Godfather’ reference in the spring breeze. Once the game started, they showed some genuine command of the language of Dante, Calvino and Boccaccio, particularly when they made references to pitches they nicknamed il cambi (the changeup) and il slider (well, the slider).” [. . .]    —The New York Times (February 27, 2009)