Manager Gianluca Marenghi’s adventure in the Serie B 2021 of Piacenza begins with a double defeat on the difficult field of Reggio Emilia. Two narrow defeats in two diametrically opposed games 2-1 in Game 1, a challenge of pitchers with a very solid mountain for both and 15-14 in the evening match with continuous reversals, with Piacenza going three outs from victory but had to also give up the second match. A tough group for a team built to do well.
“Our prerogative will be to acquire a winning mentality, we are a team of people who want to grow and get involved. – explains the manager from Piacenza – We need to make that leap in quality, move the bar upwards. In addition to the boys from Piacenza, other valid ones from the C of Bergamo were added, with which a good mix is formed between young and well-established athletes. We are in a challenging group where we could be the Rays or the Orioles of the situation making the comparison with MLB’s AL East. With my staff we analyzed the situation and two particular components jumped to our eyes, the first obviously at this historical moment is the Covid problem with suspended preparation matches, at the corporate level there are those who behaved in a different way on the other hand and the first releases will be a bit the thermometer of the situation, then on the other the investments on the roster, there are those who have chosen a philosophy such as the Junior Parma who have also invested in under 23 non AFI and have taken expense charges such as quarantines, tampons. Besides the Junior and Reggio Emilia, even teams like Poviglio and Codogno are accredited rivals for the high areas, without forgetting outsiders like Fossano ”.
A work aimed not only at acquiring that winning mentality essential to stay at the top also at an increase on various tactical issues.
“In recent years I have always been close to the Piacenza reality, I know it well, I was here as soon as I had time. One of our strengths is the group and its great cohesion, talking about the game we are working a lot on running on the bases, in my opinion an Achilles heel, and on the concept of obsessiveness regarding the search for validity, typical of the category. . I’m betting a lot on playing more with the bat, drug bunt, hitting and running, moving the runners, less big inning every now and then but more uniform work on the nines. As numbers we have a dangerous lineup with quality people, I expect a consolidation from the mound, we took Dall’Agnese a guy who had amazed me in my experience with the Under 18 national team, we have an excellent bullpen depth with 8 pitchers and with the increase of the quality effect in the bar I hope it will be a winning equation ”.
In closing with Marenghi, fresh from the experience with Parma, we could not fail to touch the theme of the championship reforms.
“From the Parma experience I noticed how the leap in category between A2 and A1 was already feeling. In such a difficult period this diversity reduces the quality of the 18 innings. Better many games that after the fifth risk having little history or 10-20 quality for all 9 innings? I was one of those skeptical about 7 innings but in categories like Serie B I would like, for example last year with Parma on 7 innings he lost to Macerata, in B there is less strategy on which pitchers to keep based on course of game 1 and instead of playing 6-7 true innings, 14 would be played. Everything goes back to competitiveness and goals. What is to let 20 teams play like that? I studied baseball in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, there are 6-8 top teams and we work a lot on parallel leagues where the quality is high, so much so that for many years we have taken players from there. If you want to bring back many new and historic squares to the top flight, to advertise baseball in more countries, it can be a correct interpretation because hearing so many friends and colleagues I feel so much enthusiasm, but we will have to see then when there will be several manifestos, I really hope it is the right choice, in the months we will understand more ”.
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