Westerners In The World Baseball Classic
March 6, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Danbury Westerners News Release
Four Westerners are on the rosters of countries in the World Baseball Classic that begins Tuesday, March 7. They join four Westerners who participated in previous Classics.
2004 Westerner Adam Ottavino is on the USA roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The USA begins play on Saturday in Phoenix. They are in a group that includes Columbia, Mexico, Great Britain and Canada.
Ottavino is a 12 year major league veteran who will be paid 7.5 million dollars to pitch for the Mets in 2023. He grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Northeastern University.
2014 Westerner Vimael Machin is on Puerto Rico's roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Puerto Rico begins play Saturday in Miami in a group that includes Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Israel and Nicaragua.
Machin has represented Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Series four times including this year when he went 8 for 26 with 4 walks, a double and 4 RBIs for the series, playing first base in all seven games.
Vimael is signed to a minor league contract with the Phillies. He played 112 MLB games with Oakland over the last three seasons.
The Netherlands begins play Tuesday in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and 2016 Westerner Josh Palacios is on the Dutch roster.
Palacios is signed to a minor league contract with the Pirates. He has played 42 MLB games with the Blue Jays and Nationals over the last two seasons.
The Netherlands are in a group with Panama, Italy, Cuba and the host country, Taiwan. Two teams will advance to the quarter finals. The Dutch team has reached the semi-finals of the last two WBCs.
2014 Westerner Alex Katz is a member of Israel's World Baseball Classic team for the second time in 2023. Israel begins play Sunday in Miami in a group that includes Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
Katz was a member of the Israel's team in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In 4 relief appearances he pitched 3.1 innings, giving up no runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 hit by pitch while striking out 2.
Katz is a St. John's University graduate who has pitched professionally since 2015 and reached the Double A level before moving to independent ball in the Atlantic League. He pitched for Israel in the most recent Olympics.
Katz is also the founder of Stadium Custom Kicks, makers of customized spikes for many major leaguers including Aaron Judge and Pete Alonzo.
2008 Westerner Jonathan Balentina pitched for the Netherlands in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The University of Maine grad was the only player on the Netherlands roster who had not played professionally in either the USA or The Netherlands. He was expected to be used as a "loogy," a left-handed one out guy.
In the Classic Balentina made three appearances against Australia and Japan. He was credited with one inning pitched, allowing no hits, one walk and one batter hit. He also picked off a baserunner.
1996 Westerner Chris Rojas (middle of the back row) pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning and struck out one in an 8 to 3 win over The Netherlands in the first round of pool play.
The former walk on at New York Institute of Technology spent nine years in the minor leagues, reaching the Triple A level. He is now the pitching coach at Hofstra.
1995 Westerner Todd Incantalupo played for Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
In 1997 Todd was drafted in the 8th round by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Providence College. He played three years in the Brewers system before spending six years with Fortitudo Bologna in the Italian Baseball League. He won an Italian championship with Fortitudo in 2005, but Italy lost 2 of 3 games in the 2006 WBC first round and was eliminated.
Incantalupo still holds the Westerners single season records for innings pitched (76.2) and complete games (7).
1996 Westerner Pete Zoccolillo (center) played for Italy in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. As the Designated Hitter against Australia he drew two walks and scored two runs in Italy's 10-0 win.
Pete was an All-American at Rutgers. He spent seven years playing pro ball and reached MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003. He is currently the Head Coach at Mount Olive (NJ) High School.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from March 6, 2023
- Westerners In The World Baseball Classic - Danbury Westerners
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