Get Up, Stand Up

I'm sure that this article brought a smile to many a face today, with one possible exception. Imagine looking forward to representing your country in the World Baseball Classic, only to discover that Mike Piazza might have a shot at your starting spot, albeit for reasons that don't seem very clear:

"The union told us they determined that Mike could play for the Italian team," said Piazza's agent, Dan Lozano. He was unsure of the specific reason why Piazza, who was born in Norristown, Pa., was eligible.

I'm all for making the World Baseball Classic as appealing an event as possible, but I do feel a little sorry that Marcello now seems to have this unexpected competition, so I've decided to use the powerful media platform that is The Baseball Desert to launch a new unofficial campaign:

All letters of support will be forwarded to the Federazione...