Interview with Italian pitcher Sam Aldegheri 🇮🇹 ⚾️

Michael mark cenini back here on the ironbirds broadcast network Jersey Shore blue claws left-hander Sam aligar joining me on the pregame show Sam thank you for doing this how's everything going this season everything's going good thanks God thank you for your time thank you for the interview we was telling you uh before we hit record here that I was really looking forward to meeting you because you're from Italy I'm Italian on both sides of my family uh so first off I mean you know it's been a whirlwind couple years for you coming over from Italy to play in the states uh how has it been you know LifeWise baseballwise everything uh it's been really exciting um I'm I'm lucky to be in a really good organization with a really good staff um so yeah just excited I'm leaving the dream and that's it you're throwing the ball really well for the blue claws here in the South Atlantic League how is your time with Jersey Shin I'm off a good start the team is off a good start too um just I'm just going out every day compete for the boys and try to win some games you're over 4,000 miles away from home here in the United States from Verona Italy how's your family doing and how often do you talk to them I talk with them every day uh even if they are 6 hours ahead but I always find the time I have a girlfriend that she lives there too so I I'm always trying to find times for them um they're doing good what is life like in Verona for people who may not know it's totally different than American cool think um it just soccer around and my life is pretty different than the other guys I'm not trying to go out parties I'm just trying to stay home spend time with my families especially when I can and find time time for workouts I read the article in the athletic by Matt Gelb a few months ago about your journey and how you were signed in all that and in the article it talked about how your brother has been such a big influence in your life and he helped you with your pitching mechanics playing baseball growing up so tell me a little bit about your brother and how he's helped you uh yeah I still talk with him even these days he's still watching my my games watching my videos try to help me um I actually talk with him this morning he was trying to help me with uh my slider against lefties I grew up with him uh hamir because he did a lot for me it just it's another coach for me it's not a coach for baseball but it's a coach in the life too yeah that's awesome that he's still helping you working on that slider and it's looked really good this year so what does it mean to you to represent your country playing baseball in the United States a lot of Pride um I mean I'm one of the few Italians here in the US right now uh we didn't have a lot um in the past especially in The Bigs I think the last one was Alex lady in 2012 I think um just a lot of proud I know that when I'm doing is special um baseball is not big in Italy so have you talked to a lot of the Italian players that have made it to the major leagues or or in the minor leagues no never unfortunately never I know lady but never met him never talk with him maybe maybe soon so the next World Baseball Classic is in 2026 Italy has played really well in that the last few tournaments is it a goal of yours to be on the team Italy roster in 2026 absolutely yes but for now Amir um we still two years to go so I just want to think about the present think about the Phillies my career and that's what is going to happen is going to happen you know that's a great mindset to have how did the Phillies help you adjust to life in the states not just on the baseball field but off of it I think I change a lot my girlfriend she always tell me that as a personality I change a lot too uh I'm around the great guys and great staff as I say and I think they they are changing my mindset in a good way um yeah well your English is fantastic did you grow up speaking a little English or how did you learn English no uh I started learning English when I came here but it was really bad it started getting better last year when I started to hang out with the guys more and more and now I'm a little bit I'm I still have a little bit trouble sometimes but it's pretty fluent what are the biggest things that have helped you learn to speak English and get comfortable with it just hang out with the with the boys talk with them a lot watch a lot of movies and serious TV in English maybe with subtitles and just take a lot of time but it's it's always I always wanted to learn English so now that I'm pretty fluent and I can talk with everybody it's even better that's awesome man well Sam I can't end this interview without talking about Italian food the food back home first off who's the best cook in your family my mom and my brother they're really good um I'm a really good Chef too I make some some really good food for them too um actually I make food for for the boys too sometimes during the week our day off um but probably I will go with my mom okay what do you usually cook for the boys here uh I'm made some carbonara and some pasta al Forno that is pasta in the oven that's awesome so what are your favorite foods to eat carbonara okay yeah yeah how about since you've come to the United States how about some uh United States Cuisine uh I don't know about that I don't like it that much but you're sticking to your Italian Roots yeah absolutely yes Jersey Shore blue claws left-hander Sam algary joining me on the iron Birds pregame show Sam thank you so much for doing this thank you thank you so much