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Fortitudo Baseball Bologna

Fortitudo Baseball
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueSerie A
LocationBologna, Italy
BallparkGianni Falchi Stadium
Established1953; 71 years ago (1953)
Scudetti14 (1969, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1984, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023)
ColorsDark blue, sky blue and white
     
Uniforms
Home
Away
Gianni Falchi Stadium (2011)

Fortitudo Baseball 1953, commonly referred to as Fortitudo Bologna, also known as Longbridge 2000 Bologna or UnipolSai Bologna for sponsorship reasons, is a baseball club based in Bologna that competes in Serie A1, Italy's professional baseball league.

The team plays at Gianni Falchi Stadium and has won 13 national championships and 6 European Cups.

History

The club was founded in 1953 when the Società Ginnastica Fortitudo (Fortitudo Gimnastics Society) established its baseball section. In 1963, the team merges with ACLI Labor from the baseball Serie A and joins the top level of Italian baseball. That same year, the baseball section becomes autonomous under the presidency of Pietro Leoni and with Jimmy Strong as manager.[1]

Fortitudo Baseball has won thirteen Italian championships in 1969, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1984, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the European Championship six times (1973, 1985, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019).[2]

In 2013, Fortitudo was the first European team to be invited to participate in the Asia Series, placing sixth overall after losing to Samsung Lions (5–2) and Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (10–0).[3]

In 2019, Fortitudo hosted and won the 2019 European Champions Cup, defeating Amsterdam Pirates in the final.[4]

Sponsors

  • 1969–1975: Amaro Montenegro
  • 1975–1976: Grappa Canonier
  • 1979–1980: Biemme Giocattoli
  • 1982: Del Monte
  • 1983: Nordmende
  • 1984–1985: Be. Ca. Carni
  • 1986–1987: Biemme Giocattoli
  • 1988–1989: Caffè Meseta
  • 1990–1991: Poliedil
  • 1992: Eurobuilding
  • 1993: Gaudianello
  • 1995–2008: Italeri
  • 2009–present Unipol

Roster

Fortitudo Baseball roster - Serie A 2022
Players Coaches
Pitchers
Catchers
  •  9 Italy Alessandro Deotto
  • 30 Venezuela Ernesto Liberatore

Infielders

  • 25 Italy Filippo Agretti
  •  1 Italy Julian Dreni
  • 22 Italy Francesco Fuzzi
  • 31 Netherlands Kevin Josephina
  •  6 Italy Ricardo Paolini

Outfielders

  • 14 Italy Riccardo Bertossi
  • 39 Italy Lorenzo Dobboletta
  • 29 Italy Alessandro Grimaudo
  • 38 Netherlands Gilmer Lampe
  • 41 Venezuela Renzo Martini
Manager

Coaches

  • -- Italy Fabio Betto (pitching)


References

  1. ^ "La Storia". Fortitudo Baseball (in Italian). Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Palmares e Record". Fortitudo Baseball (in Italian). Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Asia Series 2013: Uni President Lions eliminate Fortitudo Bologna". Mister Baseball. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  4. ^ Angotti, Roberto (9 June 2019). "UnipolSai Bologna wins European Champions Cup on home turf with 8-0 shutout over L&D Amsterdam". Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball. Retrieved 2 January 2024.