5 Famous Italian Baseball Players
5 Famous Italian Baseball Players
Learn about five of the most famous Italian baseball players in history. From Babe Ruth to Lou Gehrig these athletes have made a lasting impact on the game.
Mike Piazza
One of the most famous Italian baseball players is Mike Piazza Piazza was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in 1968, to Vince and Veronica, Italian immigrant parents. He attended Miami-Dade Community College before being drafted in the 62nd round of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers Piazza made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 1992 and quickly established himself as one of the best catchers in baseball. He was traded to the Florida Marlins in 1998 and then to the New York Mets in 1999, where he spent most of his career. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and won 10 Silver Slugger Awards. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez was born in 1975 in New York City to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother. He became one of the most successful baseball players of all time, spending 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers and New York Yankees He was a 14-time All-Star and won three American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards. He also led the league in home runs four times and was named AL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter is an American former professional baseball shortstop, who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the New York Yankees A five-time World Series champion, Jeter is regarded as a central figure of the Yankees’ late-1990s-’00s dynasty that won five World Series titles. He is the Yankees’ all-time leader in hits (3,465), games played (2,747), stolen bases (358), and at bats (11,195). His accolades include 14 All-Star selections, five Gold Glove Awards five Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, and a Roberto Clemente Award. Jeter was the 28th Player to Reach 3,000 hits and is one of only four players to do so as a Yankee.
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in major league baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees A thirteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, he is MLB’s career leader in saves (652) and games finished (952). His Personal Record of 652 regular season saves is also an MLB record.
David Ortiz
David Ortiz is a former professional baseball player who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1997 to 2016. Ortiz was a designated hitter (DH) and occasional first baseman who played for the Minnesota Twins from 1997 to 2002 and the Boston Red Sox from 2003 to 2016. He also served as DH for the American League (AL) in 2004 and 2005.
Ortiz was a ten-time All-Star, winning the home run Derby in 2005. He helped lead the Red Sox to three World Series championships, playing in and winning World Series MVP honors in 2004, as well as being the driving force behind the team’s championship run in 2013. In 2011, he was named one of the top 50 players of all time by ESPN. He announced his retirement on November 18, 2016.
