Alfredo Lauri on the day of his induction into the Italian Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2012
© Il Granchio (www.ilgranchio.it)
The year 2023leaving permanently, on his last day he deprived Neptune of one of its great champions. Not the flashy or over the top kind, but the kind that stole the eye and the heart at the same time. Alfredo Lauri he was one of those players who, in every way, embodied the Neptune spirit par excellence.
Life sheets are known to summarize a career, and they do it very well. Born in 1935he played with Nettuno for 24 consecutive seasons. Debut in 1954last appearance in 1978with a personal palmares of otto Italian titles: 1954, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1971 (that of the Gold Star) and 1973. Then for the age-old question of the Golden Tournament of 1958 they would also become nine. European champion in 1965 and 1972, he also won the 1970 Italian Cup. He also made 18 appearances for the national team, and entered the 2012 in the Hall of Fame of Italian baseball.
But what a life sheet fails to convey is that Alfredo Lauri was, without a doubt, the greatest left-handed pitcher of the “middle era” in Nettuno. And probably the greatest left-handed player ever on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Because when old fans are asked about Alfredo, their eyes light up. Technique, speed and even cunning coexisted in a deadly mixture. He was feared by his opponents, not so much for his fast ball but for the variety of pitches and the precision of the locations that he knew how to “seize”.
In times when the relief role didn’t exist and the pitcher had to spend nine innings on the plate, Alfredo Lauri was also famous for representing a real nightmare for runners on the bases. Left-handed, he had his eyes directly on those in first gear, but even those who were stationed in third gear couldn’t have them soundly. On more than a few occasions an underhand throw, absolutely regular, caught them outside the bag.
The writer would have had time to see him play but does not have vivid memories, for purely personal reasons. But many and very pleasant in the following years. We always met him at the camp, a discreet but active presence in Nettuno of the 90s. At over 60 years old, almost at the threshold of 70got on the platform and he pitched for the entire team’s batting practice without literally batting an eyelid. She was always seen at his side Giampiero Faraone, friends for a lifetime and beyond. Two words between them and rest assured everything became clearer.
And obviously very pleasant, too, were the wonderful chats that he granted us when it happened, despite the exact 40 year age difference. The memories of the “Neptunes” that we were unable to see lived on from his stories. As the match went on, and as always he anticipated what would happen soon. Because the champion always knows everything a little before the others.
When passing the baton, it is as if he had divided it between two other lefties. One was Claudio Taglienti, the other Massimiliano Masin. And in both of them there is something of Alfredo Lauri which then came to life on the pitch,
Not a flashy champion, we told you. Together with his brother Enzo, another pitcher and another Neptune champion of those years, built houses. Among the most renowned bricklayers in the area, highly sought after and considered authentic artists. During the day we worked, as always, then we went to train, or play, or left to do so. No worries, and God only knows how many players should have taken example, or should do so today, from Alfredo Lauri. In a Nettuno that today is struggling to put together a minimally competitive team (not two, one…).
No “phenomenal” attitudes, especially when you are not. Alone “legacy“, sense of belonging to the colors of Neptune. He once told us: “Anyway, if you are strong you have to prove it there”, pointing to the field. Words are of little use, and Alfredo actually said few. But those few, damn if they mattered…
2024-01-02 15:26:39
#left #hand #great #Neptune #Baseball.it
