'WBC semifinal' Italy Tuco, it turned out it was 'Former Hanwha' Maestri! Team ERA 3.50 → A 'mound' that was stronger than that of South Korea

*This content was translated by AI.

A very welcome face was spotted by Korean baseball fans in the dugout of the Italian national team, which made a sensation in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Aleksandro Maestri (41), a former Hanwha Eagles player, led Italy's mound as a pitching coach. Italy's challenge stopped in the semifinals, but the team's ERA was 3.80, which was lower than that of South Korea, which recorded 5.91.

The Italian national team lost 2-4 after a close game against Venezuela in the semifinals of the 2026 WBC at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida on the 17th (Korea time). He almost led 2-1 until the seventh inning to produce an upset, but he took two outs in the seventh inning, but gave up the game by allowing three runs. With this defeat, Italy failed to advance to the finals after reaching the semifinals for the first time in history.

In particular, Italy's "salty water pitching" drew attention. The Italian mound showed off its stability throughout the tournament, recording a remarkable 3.50 team ERA. This is much lower than the team's 5.91 ERA recorded by the South Korean national team this tournament, showing how efficiently the Italian pitching staff coached by Maestri suppressed the opponent's lineup.

Coach Maestri was an active player on the KBO stage in 2016 wearing Hanwha Eagles uniforms. At that time, he was the first Italian baseball player to step on Korean soil and draw attention.

The performance was somewhat disappointing. He was finally released in June 2016 after suffering 2 wins, 2 losses and a 9.42 ERA in 9 games. Fabio Castillo was newly recruited instead of Maestri.

Maestri, who turned leader after retiring from active duty in May 2021, took over as a pitching coach for the Italian national team at the tournament. He is said to have built a solid Italian pitching staff based on his know-how accumulated by experiencing various baseball games, including the Major League, the KBO League, and the Orix Buffaloes of the NPB (Japan Professional Baseball).

Maestri, who remained a "failed foreign pitcher" in Korea, returned splendidly 10 years later as a strong supporter of the head coach on the world's best stage. "Our pitchers were good," Italian coach Francisco Cervelli (40) said after the game. Venezuela is a team full of major league stars. One real pitch can lead to a hit. "Venezuela hitters well," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.