Italy's dugout espresso machine tradition fuels hot start in World Baseball Classic

Every squad successful the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has its ain unsocial celebrations for location runs, whether it’s a peculiar overgarment from the Dominican Republic oregon coordinated handshakes with Team USA. 

But Team Italy mightiness person the champion 1 of each – the players instrumentality an espresso shot, which is made from a instrumentality that sits close successful the dugout. 

It’s astir arsenic Italian arsenic it gets. 

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Dante Nori of the Italy celebrates successful the dugout aft hitting a location tally successful the seventh inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled betwixt Brazil and Italy astatine Daikin Park connected March 7, 2026 successful Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

The instrumentality sits toward the extremity of the dugout, but players and coaches tin get their speedy caffeine fix. And it isn’t thing caller from this group. 

During the 2023 WBC, determination was a Nespresso instrumentality successful the dugout, and it worked retired for the team. They made it retired of their radical signifier for conscionable the 2nd clip ever successful the tournament. 

So, wherefore not bring it back? 

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who stars for the Kansas City Royals, seems to beryllium the ringing person with the instrumentality erstwhile a subordinate goes yard, too. After making the subordinate who deed the location tally an espresso shot, helium gives them a buss connected some cheeks – a accepted motion of affection by Italians. 

"In Italy, we portion java astir 20 times a day," manager Francisco Cervelli, who utilized to drawback successful the large leagues, said, via MLB.com. "It’s a tradition. You’re walking down the road. You spot a java spot, get immoderate coffee. Then you chitchat, and past support walking and bash the aforesaid happening each implicit and implicit again. That’s however Italy is."

Vinnie Pasquantino of Team Italy holds up an espresso changeable during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled presented by Capital One betwixt Team Brazil and Team Italy astatine Daikin Park connected Saturday, March 7, 2026, successful Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB)

Cervelli, who became Italy’s manager successful January 2025, said that the espresso instrumentality "goes everyplace with us," and helium learned that with the European Baseball Championship past twelvemonth arsenic well. 

"It’s thing normal. We got it connected the bus. We’ve had it successful the dugout, everywhere."

Whether superstition oregon not, Italy has seen aboriginal occurrence successful Houston’s Pool B, which besides features Team USA. They are 2-0 successful the tourney frankincense far, defeating Brazil, 8-0, and taking down Great Britain, 7-4, connected Sunday. 

Dante Nori of Team Italy drinks an espresso changeable successful the dugout aft hitting a location tally successful the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B crippled presented by Capital One betwixt Team Brazil and Team Italy astatine Daikin Park connected Saturday, March 7, 2026, successful Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB )

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Italy’s adjacent contention volition beryllium against Team USA connected Tuesday nighttime astatine 8 p.m. ET. 

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