Francisco Cervelli, who spent 13 seasons behind the plate for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, and Miami Marlins, will take over as manager of Italy’s national team from Mike Piazza.
Francisco Cervelli has been selected manager of Team Italy, the Italian Federation of Baseball and Softball said on Friday.
Cervelli, 38, was born and reared in Venezuela until turning professional with the New York Yankees in 2003. His father is Italian, hence he played catcher for Team Italy in the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics.
Mike Piazza, another former big league backstop, was Italy’s previous manager, but he appears to have been replaced by Cervelli.
Cervelli made his MLB debut in 2008 and won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009. He stayed with the team until 2014, batting.278 with 10 home runs, 92 RBI, a.729 OPS, and 4.3 WAR in 250 games.
Cervelli was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 2015 season, when he was assigned to a much more steady role. Cervelli appeared in 450 games for the Pirates over the next five years, batting.264 with 26 home runs, 169 RBI, a.735 OPS, and an 8.5 WAR.
Cervelli ended 2019 with the Atlanta Braves and will finish his career with the Miami Marlins in 2020.
Cervelli hit.268 in 13 seasons in the majors, with 605 hits, 41 home runs, 102 doubles, 275 RBI, a.740 OPS, and a 13.9 WAR. He amassed approximately $40 million in career earnings.
Cervelli’s teaching expertise is restricted to one season as the San Diego Padres’ catching coach in 2022 and a year as Team Europe’s special assistant to catching in 2024.
EuroBaseball 2025 is the next major event for Team Italy, followed by the World Baseball Classic in 2026. Piazza led Italy to a fifth-place finish at the 2023 WBC.
Italy will be part of Pool B in the 2026 WBC, playing its first contests in Houston. The United States, Mexico and United Kingdom make up the rest of the group.
