Blogging from Rome

Clearwater High baseball coach David Vince and a team of local and national players are currently on a trip to Italy, where they will play against the Italian junior national team. (Read more about Vince here.)

Here are some of the first-week highlights, as shared in e-mails from Vince, about their Roman holiday. Check back for more this week:

Day 1
On July 7, Tracey Paulton and Vince left Tampa with seven baseball players from Florida en route to New York City to pick up six more for a nine-day trip to Italy. The entire group left NYC at 5 p.m. and arrived in Rome at 7:25 a.m. after a nine-hour flight and six-hour time difference.

The group promptly visited Vatican City, St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica and the Castle of San Angelo. By the time everyone arrived at the Hotel Aldobrandeschi, showered then went to a city park for a brief practice, the players were struggling to stay awake but we didn’t want them to sleep so their bodies would adjust to the new time zone.

Also noticed on Day 1: the price of gasoline is $9 a gallon in Rome.

Day 2
Today the baseball team received a guided tour of Rome that included visits to the Roman Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Forums, Mussolini Office, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Arch of Constantino, the Pantheon, Tiber River, and the Seven Hills of Rome.

After a full morning of sightseeing and lunch, the team traveled to the outskirts of Rome for its first game. Our USAAI team won 21-4 in eight innings. Travis Aipel (Boca Ciega High) pitched seven innings, allowing only five hits, two earned runs, two walks and eight strikeouts. Tyler Larson (Shorecrest) pitched the eighth for a save.

Day 4
The USAAI team left the hotel in Pescia, home of the Pinocchio story, and traveled to the five hamlets of Cinque Terre, located on the west coast of the Riviera. We caught a ferry in LaSpezia and cruised the coast line on the Tyrranean Ocean, stopping in the resort towns of Portovere and Monterosso. These villages either cling to the cliff faces or are concealed in miniature inlets.

Day 5
Today players got some much needed extra sleep. Upon leaving the hotel at noon, the team traveled to the town of Pisa, where they saw the Leaning Tower. Awesome! While in Pisa the team also toured the Duomo Cathedral. In the cathedral we viewed where John the Baptist is interred, many beautiful statues, stained glass windows and mosaic paintings on the walls and ceilings.

We later traveled by bus to Tuscany Settetassi Farm and received the highlight of the day: a special Italian cooking lesson. Team members got lessons on preparing a traditional hand-tossed pizza.

Comments

[Watching From Afar]

Italian Junior National Team 6-5 over USA Team in 8 innings. A good time was had by all. Everyone is back in US tomorrow.

[Watching From Afar]

July 15, 2008 - In Game I versus the 17-U Italian Junior National Team it was the USA Team 7-4 over Italy.

[fan]

WOW, what a experience for these kids. Who picks the coaches? Congrats to them for their win.

Its not a save if you win 21-4