Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza is taking his talents to the dugout as he has agreed to manage the Italian National baseball team, according to an official announcement.
Piazza made the official announcement on Wednesday, via his Twitter page, saying that he will manager the team for the 2020 European Baseball Championship as well as the 2021 World Baseball Classic.
Excited to announce I have reached an agreement to manage the Italian National Baseball team. This will include a European Tournament next year and the 2021 @WBCBaseball Classic.#MLB #Italia
— Mike Piazza (@mikepiazza31) November 13, 2019
The gig with the Italian National team will mark Piazza’s first managerial job.
Piazza played 16-years in the majors, retiring back in 2008. Piazza was a 12-time All-Star and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.
Additionally, Piazza was the majority owner of AC Reggiana, a third-tier Italian soccer team, from 2016 until it ceased operations following the 2017-2018 season.