Milan Has Qualified

[darkerhorse]

Milan has qualified for the Little League Softball World Series. They represent Europe in the international bracket. The winner of the international bracket plays the winner of the U.S. bracket for the world championship.

How popular is softball/baseball in Italy? Does it vary by region?

I know soccer is the most popular sport, and I don't recall seeing any baseball fields in Italy.

[JamesM]

I actually saw a sign advertising baseball for youth. I believe it was in Anzio as I was following the coastal road from Ostia to Terracina.

[darkerhorse]

My visitation has been limited to only Sicily, Rome, and the Vatican.

Sometimes these international teams are formed mainly of children of U.S. military and diplomats stationed overseas.

[PippoM]

Baseball has very few fans in Italy (and Europe). But when I was a young boy (10-12), my teacher of gymnastics used to make us play baseball. That's the only contact I had with such sport, and I think ours was a real exception.
In Latium, where I live, there are a few teams, in Roma, Anzio and Nettuno. I guess in Anzio and Nettuno it's because of the American soldiers who landed there in 1944.

https://www.museodelbaseball.it/articles/nettuno

[darkerhorse]

Baseball has very few fans in Italy (and Europe). But when I was a young boy (10-12), my teacher of gymnastics used to make us play baseball. That's the only contact I had with such sport, and I think ours was a real exception.
In Latium, where I live, there are a few teams, in Roma, Anzio and Nettuno. I guess in Anzio and Nettuno it's because of the American soldiers who landed there in 1944.

https://www.museodelbaseball.it/articles/nettuno

Makes sense. There's always several American children of military on these international teams.