Tuesday, August 25

Welcome to the International Beat newsletter. I'm MLB.com's Michael Clair. Thanks for being here. 

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a place of worship: There in Cooperstown, N.Y., an idyllic village perched delicately on the shores of the Otsego Lake, with a Main Street overflowing with baseball souvenirs ranging from cards to caps to even whiskey, baseball simply is.

While its called the National Baseball Hall of Fame, its collection actually spans the globe. If there’s baseball played and history being made, then the Hall of Fame is there to collect it, store it, catalog it and display it for the baseball obsessives who make the pilgrimage. 

I was lucky enough to visit the Hall earlier this summer when my book, "We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball," was featured as part of its author’s series. Today, I want to share some of the artifacts on display and in their archives that I thought were particularly impactful. 

1. Carlos Beltrán’s 2013 World Baseball Classic helmets 

One of the greatest stars of Classic history, the four-time WBC star (2006, ‘09, ‘13, ‘17) and GM for the 2026 Puerto Rican team donned these helmets during Puerto Rico’s run to the finals in 2013. (Why are there two helmets? Beltrán was a switch-hitter!) Beltrán ranks second in tourney history in hits, walks, and runs scored -- behind Cuba’s Frederich Cepeda in all three.

Carlos Beltrán's Puerto Rico batting helmets on display. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. On loan from Carlos Beltrán. 

2. Andruw Jones’ Knight’s Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Badge

The Hall’s first ever inductee from Curaçao, Jones earned his Knight’s Cross in 1997. The honor is “awarded to people for outstanding achievements in their work, surpassing others in their field.” While other players like Didi Gregorius have also earned their knighthood for their performance on the field and for the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ national team, this is the first time I had ever seen one of the badges.

Andruw Jones' Knights Cross. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. On loan from Andruw Jones. 

3. Australian team hat from 2001 Women’s World Series 

It’s a good time for women’s baseball: Last month, the USA swept its way through the Women’s World Cup group stage, with Australia and Canada joining the U.S. at next year’s World Cup finals. The Women’s Pro Baseball League is in the middle of its first season, and the World Cup group stage in Tainan is currently underway. 

It’s also the 25th anniversary of the first international women’s baseball tournament in history. Though the U.S. defeated Japan for gold, the Hall has a very cool Australia cap -- complete with a ballplaying kangaroo -- on display. 

Australian Women's Baseball cap. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

4. Edith Houghton jersey

While the 2001 Women’s World Series may have been the first women’s baseball international tourney, it’s certainly not the first time that women’s baseball has gone global. Back in 1925 – nine years before Babe Ruth’s historic 1934 tour of Japan -- the Philadelphia Bobbies became the first all-women’s baseball team to travel the country. This USA jersey was worn by the Bobbies’ star shortstop Edith Houghton, who later went on to become a scout for the Phillies.

Edith Houghton's USA jersey. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

5. Masaichi Kaneda’s 400th victory glove

It’s hard to imagine any active big league pitcher reaching 300 wins (FanGraphs’ Dan Szymborski just ran his ZiPS projections and only one pitcher -- Jacob Misiorowski -- has even a 1% chance to reach 300), but 400?! That’s what Kaneda, known as “The Emperor” did. He picked up his 400th career victory in his final appearance on Oct. 10, 1969. 

Masaichi Kaneda's glove. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

6. Sadaharu Oh’s glove

Here’s a glove for a man known much more for his bat. On Sept. 3, 1977, Oh hit his 756th home run, passing Hank Aaron for the most ever hit on the planet. While his samurai sword, which he would use to practice, is on display in Japan’s Hall of Fame, it' the glove he was wearing on this day that is on display in Cooperstown.

Sadaharu Oh's glove. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

7. Hector Espino’s Naranjeros de Hermosillo jersey

Along with Oh’s glove and Hank Aaron’s entire uniform (along with other memorabilia), there’s another home run legend who has a space in the Hall. Espino is one of Mexico’s greatest sluggers, smashing 763 home runs across a 25-year career. His Hermosillo Naranjeros (Orange Growers) uniform comes from his time coaching the team in 1995. 

Also, how perfect is that baseball-playing orange logo on the sleeve? 

Hector Espino's uniform. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

8. Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 2006 World Baseball Classic jersey

The only two-time World Baseball Classic MVP Award winner, Matsuzaka is arguably the greatest WBC player of all-time. His six wins double the second-most in tournament history, he’s third in innings (27 2/3) and first in strikeouts (23). He also has two World Baseball Classic championships.

This is also a good time to let you know that Steph Iovieno put together a new all-time records page on the World Baseball Classic website.

Daisuke Matsuzaka's jersey. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

9. Daniel Palencia’s 2026 World Baseball cleats 

When you enter San Carlos, Venezuela -- where Cubs closer Daniel Palencia is from -- a giant mango sculpture greets you. It’s a symbol of the fruit’s importance to the city. So, Palencia made sure that was depicted on his World Baseball Classic cleats. They were on his feet when Palencia closed out the USA for the nation’s first Classic title. 

Daniel Palencia's cleats. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

10. Cuban Winter League baseball stickers

If you were anything like me, you may have put together a sticker album during this summer’s World Cup. Turns out, it’s not just a soccer thing. The Hall has a sticker album for the 1945-46 season in the Cuban League. It featured future Hall of Famers Martín Dihigo, Ray Dandridge, Minnie Miñoso and Ray Brown, and future All-Star Sal Maglie.

The Cuban Serie de Baseball sticker album. Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Of course, there is one more item in the Hall's collection, but it arrived a few weeks after my visit: That would be Czech electrical technician and pitcher Ondřej Satoria's ballcap. 

CITTÀ DEL BASEBALL: NETTUNO, ITALY

John Racanelli outside Stadio Steno Borghese. Photo by John Racanelli.

Nettuno has long been known as a hub of baseball. Joe DiMaggio even famously smashed a few home runs there. (Matt Monagan has the story).

Reader John Racanelli, a SABR member and baseball traveler, recently took in a game on the last day of the Serie A regular season and was kind enough to send in a report. You can follow him on X at @phitter72 and on Bluesky @phitter72.bsky.social. Take it away, John! 

I did not hear any English at the Nettuno BC 1945 ballgame I attended with my family on July 25, 2026 (except amongst our group), and I do not speak Italian. I discovered, however, that the language of baseball is decidedly universal.

The seaside town of Nettuno sits an hour south of Rome and boasts a population of 50,000. It was a landing spot for United States troops during World War II, and locals became fascinated with the baseball being played by the GIs. One of the earliest Italian proponents of the game was Nettuno’s Prince Steno Borghese, who had a baseball diamond constructed on his estate to provide the American soldiers with a proper place to play. Borghese thereafter “made it his mission for the rest of his life to promote the sport in his country.” The ballpark where the Nettuno club now plays is named Stadio Steno Borghese in his honor.  

We found ourselves at the final game of the regular season, an important contest in which the winner between Nettuno and Unipol Fortitudo Bologna would clinch second place in the five-team division.

A sign in town square featuring playing-days photo of legendary Nettuno player and manager Ruggero Bagialemani.

Stadio Steno Borghese is a brutalist structure, both inside and out. The grandstand was constructed entirely of concrete risers with no assigned seating. There was no team store. The scoreboard simply displayed the count and score. There was no ribbon board to show the name of the hitter at the plate. Batter’s names were announced and walk-up music was played, however, without a roster sheet or program, it was difficult to know who was who, what position they played or what kind of hitter each player might have been. Tickets were five euros, purchased at a tent near the entrance.

We arrived at approximately 8:15 pm for the 8:30 pm start and found a near-empty parking lot. Approximately 200 spectators were inside. We sat about a plot of sprawling concrete along the home-field side of the stands and stood for the Italian national anthem. We were awash with Italian being spoken around us -- conversationally, cheering for hits, and delightful shouts of disapproval directed at the umpire. I did not necessarily know what was being said, but I understood.

Nettuno's scoreboard and championship banners.

The concession stand was busy with fans purchasing espresso, beer and traditional ballpark fare like hamburgers, hotdogs (wurtzel) and peanuts. Also available were gigantic pumpkin seeds, panini and Aperol spritzes. I thoroughly enjoyed Peroni in a glass bottle and a bag of peanuts. Despite the lack of a team store, quite a few children and teenaged boys sported Nettuno ballcaps and jerseys.

Concession stand (note the playing field can be seen through an open doorway just right of the man in the blue shirt).

The quality of baseball was excellent, comparable to a Single-A MiLB team. We saw multiple home runs, spectacular defensive plays and found the crowd to be passionate and engaged. That 8:30 pm first pitch was treated more like a suggestion by the locals, however. Just like Los Angeles Dodgers fans, the Nettuno faithful was a “late-arriving crowd.” By 10:30 p.m., attendance had doubled. As we left the ballpark, the nearly empty parking lot was overflowing. The home crowd left happy, as Nettuno held on for a 7-6 victory and sole possession of second place.

I am not sure there is anywhere else on Earth I would rather be on a warm and humid Saturday night than at a baseball game with people I love. In a country where calcio (soccer) rules supreme, Italian baseball in Nettuno shone -- an immersive foreign (but seemingly familiar) baseball experience I would heartily recommend to every fan. Grazie Nettuno!

Stadio Steno Borghese featured a beautiful playing surface.

Samurai Japan's Teruaki Sato celebrates on second base. Major League teams are reportedly interested in the NPB slugger. 

• Braves reliever Didier Fuentes had to leave his home in Tolú, Colombia, when he was 15 years old to be noticed by scouts. He's now the youngest pitcher in the Majors. I got to talk with Fuentes a few weeks ago.  
• Slovakia will play in next year's European Championship for just the second time in history! It beat Poland with a 10th-inning walk-off to advance. You can see the game-winner here. 
• You're in luck, Irish baseball fans: Baseball Ireland has opened a new merch store for U.S. fans. I'll be wearing one of these lids next time I stop somewhere for a creamy pint of Guinness. 
• Some very cool news: Indian ballplayer Akshay More has signed a developmental deal with the NPB's Seibu Lions. 
• Samurai Japan slugger Teruaki Sato is having himself another great year in NPB and MLB teams are interested.
• Great piece from Zach Sweet about the Brewers' many Venezuelan ballplayers.
• I hope I wasn't the jinx: Right before he broke his wrist and wound up on the IL, I ran a story with then-new Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead and how he chose baseball over his father's wish for him to choose Aussie rules football. 
• The Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee set the record for most hits in a season for a Taiwanese player. Jason Beck spoke with the record-setting rookie. 

WATCH THIS

Kyle Schwarber goes deep, with Manish Batavia and Aayush Sharma making the call for viewers in India. Click the photo to view highlight.

Kyle Schwarber's walk-off home run to complete the Phillies' four-run comeback against the Cardinals was a pretty great moment. Want to hear it with Hindi commentary? You're in luck. Click here or on the photo above to hear Manish Batavia and Aayush Sharma on the mic. If you want to know more about the broadcast team, I spoke to the two during the 2024 postseason. 

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For tips, hints, or just to talk about international baseball, find me @michaelsclair on X/Twitter and IG or email me at Michael.Clair@MLB.com.

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