Baseball History

IABF Honors Tommy Lasorda’s Legacy at Long Island Baseball Facility

To further its commitment to Tommy Lasorda and what he meant to the game of baseball, the Italian American Baseball Foundation helped facilitate the placement of canvas art featuring Lasorda at the practice facility named in his honor on Long Island.

Joe Pepitone, 1940-2023

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The Italian American Baseball Foundation mourned Joe Pepitone, an Italian American great who played for the Yankees, Astros, Cubs and Braves from 1962 through 1973. A three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, Pepitone hit 219 home runs and recorded 721 RBI.

Mike Piazza and Lou Tallarini to Receive Joe DiMaggio Award

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The Columbus Citizens Foundation and Italian American Baseball Foundation will honor Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza and former CCF President Lou Tallarini with the Joe DiMaggio Award. Event proceeds will support education, scholarships, youth showcases, and international baseball and softball development programs.

IABF Mourns Loss of Sal Bando

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Italian American Sal Bando, who died at 78, played 16 Major League Baseball seasons with notable careers in Oakland and Milwaukee. A four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, he later served eight years as the Brewers’ general manager.

IABF Supports Anthony Varvaro Fund

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The Italian American Baseball Foundation donated and matched raffle proceeds from its annual golf outing to support the family of fallen police officer Anthony Varvaro. Varvaro played seven Major League Baseball seasons before joining the NY/NJ Port Authority and died in a car accident.

Celebrating 125th Anniversary of Ed Abbaticchio’s Pro Baseball Debut

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ED ABBATICCHIO DAY: On this day 125 years ago Ed Abbaticchio made his professional baseball debut. It’s believed that Ed was the first Italian American to play pro baseball when he debuted for the Phillies on September 4, 1897. He went on to play for 14 seasons and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates win a World Series in 1909.

Somerset Patriots Host Italian American Heritage Night, Honor Yogi Berra

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Somerset Patriots Baseball hosted an Italian American Heritage Night featuring IABF President Joe Quagliano and trustee Chris Vaccaro. The event honored Anthony Volpe, Dan Fiorito, Mickey Gasper and Aaron Bossi, and included a tribute to Yogi Berra with his family.

Larry Lucchino Inducted to Padres Hall of Fame

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Italian American baseball executive Larry Lucchino was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame. He served as the Padres’ president from 1995 through 2001, helped turn around the franchise and was instrumental in building Petco Park, where his plaque was added.

Phil Rizzuto Honored with Glendale Street Sign

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Glendale, New York, officially approved and named Phil Rizzuto Corner on June 26. The Italian American Yankees star helped win seven World Series titles from 1941 to 1956, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.

Baseball Amore Captures Italian American Spirit with Images, Lists and Facts

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Ralph Russo created Baseball Amore, a 700-plus-page website drawn from his collection of Italian American baseball cards. The site provides biographies, history, statistics, references and card images honoring every Italian American MLB player and preserving the community’s baseball legacy.

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