Alex Liddi: Italy to MLB and Beyond

In this conversation, Alex Liddi shares his journey from growing up in Sanremo, Italy, to making it to the Major Leagues with the Seattle Mariners. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of his baseball career, including the decline of baseball in Italy, his experiences in the U.S. leagues, and his time playing in Mexico and other international leagues. Liddi reflects on his retirement from professional baseball and his plans for the future, including a focus on community involvement and helping other athletes navigate their post-career lives.

Alex Liddi made history as the first Italian-born and developed player to reach Major League Baseball. His story transcends personal success; it embodies the cultural significance of representing Italy on the global baseball stage. Born in Sanremo, Italy, Liddi's passion for baseball sparked in his early years. Growing up in a family that cherished the sport, he caught the attention of scouts with his talent and ambition. By the age of 17, he signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2005. 

Liddi impressed the team all the way to the top of the professional ladder. He made his Major League debut on September t, 2011, with the Seattle Mariners against the Los Angeles Angels.  Although he faced a learning curve during his debut, it was a glimpse into his potential as a player and a representative of Italian baseball. Throughout his professional career, Liddi primarily played as a third baseman. He spent most of his time with the Mariners, where he became known for his robust hitting and sharp defensive skills.

Liddi's contributions extended beyond MLB. He represented Italy's national team in international competitions, including the World Baseball Classic. His participation not only elevated Italy's visibility, it inspired a fresh wave of talent for future competitions. For instance, during the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Italy reached the second round for the first time, a feat that undoubtedly energized the baseball community at home.

After parting ways with the Mariners, he became a fan with various minor league teams and international leagues, including stints in Taiwan, Mexico, and even the United Arab Emirates . His ability to adapt and his relentless desire to hone his skills demonstrated a remarkable resilience. 

Throughout his travels, his work ethic remained evident. He frequently spent hours in training and maintained a fierce competitive spirit, often pushing himself to improve. Today, Alex Liddi is celebrated not just for his on-field achievements but also for his cultural influence. As the first Italian-born player in modern MLB history, he has cleared the way for countless young athletes across Europe. Liddi's story continues to inspire, as he remains a respected figure in the baseball community worldwide. 

Transcript

Jeff Perro (00:35)
Hello everybody. Our guest on the show today is Mr. Alex.

Liddi He is recently retired. We are here to celebrate his long professional baseball career and being the first Italian born and developed player in the history of Major League Baseball. Mr. Liddi welcome to the show.

Alex Liddi (00:54)
Thank you. Thank you for having me, Jeff.

Jeff Perro (00:56)
So you were first born and developed Italian player. I know you were involved in international teams as a youth and that's kind of how you got scouted and developed and signed from there. But Sanremo Italy, what was it like growing up and how did you get into baseball and was it easy to find a baseball field and baseball team in San Remo, Italy?

Alex Liddi (01:18)
So yeah, like you said, baseball is not that popular in Italy and especially where I'm from, Sanremo is a small town on north west, of Italy. And I got lucky that I came from a family where my dad used to play baseball, my mom used to play softball, my brother is older than me, used to play baseball. So I kind of grew up in an environment of baseball and all we did was baseball. All we watched at home was baseball.

I had this passion since I was a kid and it was easy for me to go into baseball since the beginning of my life.

Jeff Perro (01:55)
Have you seen it grow over there? Like, would it be easier if you were born in Sanremo Italy, to play baseball now over the last 20-some odd years? Has it grown?

Alex Liddi (02:07)
No, honestly

it's going down. Baseball was really popular in Italy in the 80s and the 90s. was actually, my dad used to tell me that people used to on the street and it was really popular. I see pictures of stadium with like 10,000 people and now it's like no more fans, there's less money involved in the sport so it's kind of going on a downtrend.

But hopefully with the new president, it's gonna kick back up again.

Jeff Perro (02:40)
I want to fix that. wouldn't do whatever I can to help you guys over there. I grew up reading Baseball America and they had that back page, had international stuff on there. It would have Japan, Korea, Netherlands, occasionally some stuff about Italy. I was just so intrigued by the international game. I've always wanted to get out the United States and experience baseball. ⁓ So yeah, I'd love to get over there for a game still. So you were signed at, by my math, were signed at 17 years old by the Mariners. ⁓

Alex Liddi (03:08)
Yes, correct.

So yeah, that's when my professional career started. Before that, I was already playing in Italy in a different city. So I kind of like move on my own. I was doing by myself when I was 16 and go to school and play in this team. They were paying me just a little bit a month just to get through it, but that was more the experience and be able to play in a better competition. And so that's why I went there.

And after that, after that year, that's when I signed my first professional contract with the Mariners.

Jeff Perro (03:40)
So was that your first time in the United States when you first played?

Alex Liddi (03:43)
No, I came

to States my first time when I was about to turn 12. We did like a Caribbean World Series with the national team and that was my first time in Mattoon, Illinois.

Jeff Perro (03:59)
So what did you think when you were 17, 18, 19 years old and you're seeing the small towns, the Midwest league and the California league by bus? What was your impression of the United States from that?

Alex Liddi (04:11)
Honestly, I was just trying to go through my career. wasn't that much worried about it. I went through some stuff, but now that I'm thinking about it, it's funny. I had to buy my first car without a license, no insurance. I was 18 playing in Wisconsin, in Appleton, Wisconsin, and it was cold. I'm kind of used to the cold, but not that cold.

and it's a small town, actually it's a great town. I enjoyed my time there. But yes, we had to buy a car. to, we sleep in air mattress for like a couple of years. We just put money together to buy grocery. It was, it was fun actually, but now I'm laughing at it. That time was fun. Yeah.

Jeff Perro (04:56)
Looking back at it, was fun. At the time it was...

You got called up to the big leagues September of 2011. How did you get that call?

Did they just call you in the office? Were you guys at home? Were you on the road? How did you get the call to the big leagues and what was that like?

Alex Liddi (05:13)
So that year I was in AAA and by the summer, was like around August, I already have more than 20 plus home runs. I had a lot of RBI. I was on the 40 man. I usually play a lot of good defense. So was playing good defense. So a lot of veterans on the team, they were telling me like, you're gonna get called up this year. And like, so I kinda had that feeling but until you don't actually like tells you, you're going up.

Because September 1st came around, that's when they expand the roster and it didn't call me up. Somebody went up, one or two guys went up and I was like, so maybe it's not that sure that I'm going up. And then the season ends I had 30 home runs, so was like, you're going up, you're going up. And I remember that day they called

Two guys in the office before me and I was like, yeah, you see, I'm not going up. So I like showering, getting ready to pack my stuff, like to go back to Italy. And then that's when they called me in the office and they told me I was gonna go to Anaheim.

Jeff Perro (06:16)
God, that's stressful, man. You think you're going for a week and then you're the third person they call into the office and you're like, ⁓ maybe I am, maybe I'm not. That's awesome. Your big debut, did your family come for that? Were they able to come?

Alex Liddi (06:17)
It is.

Yeah.

So my family was there for my home debut a couple of days after. But when I made the debut in LA, they weren't there.

Jeff Perro (06:41)
What is that like making the debut in front of your parents? Your parents are baseball people. They understood the gravity of the situation.

Alex Liddi (06:47)
yeah, was amazing. I had my mom, my dad, my brother, a couple of friends of mine from Italy, came and I feel they were even more excited than me. It was amazing to have them there. And there's actually the video of my first hit. They put the camera on my mom. She was trying to keep it cool, but I know inside she was happy.

Jeff Perro (07:13)
gotta find that video now, hopefully that's on YouTube. I gotta track that down. So your time playing in the big leagues, What's some of the good times that you had, some of your successes and such?

Alex Liddi (07:16)
Yeah.

So definitely it was at the beginning was a little bit overwhelming in the way where like you're so used to like to see these guys, you know, on TV, on cards. I'm a big baseball fan. like I'm one of the guys that liked the history of baseball. so when I got called up and we started playing teams against like Yankees or even the Angels at that time that like big time name, it was...

It was a big impact. almost felt like I didn't, I didn't know if I was there because it was like somebody say, okay, just go to the big leagues or like I deserve it. But then like going through, start playing, I find out that I got there because I deserve it. I started enjoying it even more because I started competing instead of just admire other guys. And that's when the fire started beginning, especially the year after that in 2012 when I made it team out of spring training.

It was fun. It was fun. It didn't last long for me, but I definitely enjoy it. And I made a lot of relationship and probably the biggest highlights when I hit the Grand Slam against the Rangers because they intentionally walked the guy before me to face me and I hit a Grand Slam. So, you know, that's a great feeling when like, okay, let's face him because he's not as good as the other guy. And then you end up hitting Grand Slam. So that was a big highlight for me.

Jeff Perro (08:37)
You

And I guess you could go from admiring the big leaguers to all of a sudden when they realizing, oh, I am one and feeling more comfortable and confident from there. I got you. And then, so after your time in big leagues, you spent a lot of time in Mexico. Tell me about your time in Mexico. What was the highlights? What was the baseball compared to in Mexico compared to AAA in the big leagues in the United States?

Alex Liddi (08:57)
Yeah.

So Mexico was a big part, like you said, of my career and I really appreciate the support they gave me when I was in Mexico. It's fun. Playing Mexico is really fun. They play for win, so it's all about winning and they have the Latin atmosphere with the fans, like with the really big into the game. They like to be part of the game.

it's a lot of music and fans yell at you, fans support you. You go out to dinner, fans come up to you. So it's fun, it's fun. I would tell anybody to get that experience and...

Like I said, I was there for long time and it was really, really, I really, really enjoyed being there. I also made a lot of relationship there and I have, still to this day, I have a lot of friends from Mexico.

Jeff Perro (10:02)
I've talked to a few people who have played down there and it seems like over the past 20 years that Mexico baseball has really kind of grown. You get a lot more of the ex-big leaguers down there. I think the words kind of got out that it's a great place to play, it's a great atmosphere. The money's solid compared to other places you've played. It's better than AAA, correct?

Alex Liddi (10:25)
Yes, yes, yeah, like I said, like you said, the league is growing, it's a lot of big name now they're playing down there. Also because the game has changed in the United States, so those guys are like 30 years old, they don't want them in the United States anymore. So yeah, they're making good money, they're down there, the league is good, the level is good.

Jeff Perro (10:40)
Right.

Alex Liddi (10:48)
And so I think he's growing, he's big time.

Jeff Perro (10:53)
So you must have played ball, I think I'm counting 77 different countries, I'm kidding, that you played professional baseball. You also spent time in Latin America with winter ball Where did you play then?

Alex Liddi (11:04)
Yeah,

so I played two years in Venezuela, then I played in Puerto Rico, Mexico a lot. One time I was on vacation in Dominican and they asked me to play. I played two games with the Escojitos.

Jeff Perro (11:17)
They just like hand you a glove and hand you a bat and say, you're one of us?

Alex Liddi (11:19)
Yeah, that's a, I was at

the beach with my friend and they called my friend and they're like, they want to, my friend's like, they want to talk to you. I'm like, hello? And he's like, this is Moises Alou. I'm the general manager with the Escojita. like, we know you in Dominican. Do you want to play? I was like, I don't have nothing. I'm on vacation. He's like, just come to the field tomorrow. So I was like, what? I'm just going to the field. So I went to the field. He gave me a pair of shoes from the Mets.

Jeff Perro (11:39)
I've got flip flops.

Alex Liddi (11:48)
Pedro Lopez was the shortstop. He gave me a glove. Then in the same stadium, the other team plays, Licey and Wily Mo, Peña was my teammate in Seattle. So he gave me a bat and I practiced for a week and then I played two games. only two games and I didn't think I got a hit and I wasn't in shape to play, especially that league is really tough. So I remember I called. Oh yeah, yeah. So.

Jeff Perro (12:11)
⁓ Your brain was still in vacation mode, you know? And now you got there in

phase 96 miles an hour. Tough.

Alex Liddi (12:16)
So

on the day off I called Moises and I told him, was like, listen, if you want me to come back, I come back another time when I'm ready to play baseball, but I think it's better if you leave it like that. For you and for me. He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's good, okay.

Jeff Perro (12:32)
So thanks for being here. Here's a paycheck. See you later. toward the end you actually played some time in the Italian league.

Alex Liddi (12:38)
Yes.

So that was the, my wife she's like, you're gonna finish your career, you gotta finish in Italy.

I never played in the Major League in Italy so I decided, you know what, I'm just gonna go and experience that as well and I'm glad I did because we ended up winning last year. So it was another great experience being able to play with a lot of the guys that I know them since I was like 10 years old. So it's different. Yeah, it's a different experience and I definitely enjoy it.

Jeff Perro (13:04)
That's awesome.

Something you're glad your wife talked into.

Alex Liddi (13:11)
Yes, yes, definitely my wife talking into it. My family was there. It was pretty cool.

Jeff Perro (13:18)
talked to somebody who played in the league a long time ago, like 2005, 2006, whatever, and he said it was the greatest experience because the pay was decent, they played games like three, four days a week, they set up the foreign players with an apartment and a rental car. he said it was the greatest thing in life. Basically I had to work three days a week and then just vacation in Italy all summer. You think that's kind of what the league is still like now?

Alex Liddi (13:39)
Yeah,

Now the league is a little worse now. Back in those days when your friends went there, it was really good. Actually, it was way better. And now it just, they don't play as much and it's not as much fans they used to have before. But it's still for me, was a great opportunity to seal my career and finish from where I start. So I'm glad I did it.

Jeff Perro (14:07)
I would love to do that if I was here for sure. So the last thing you got involved in as far as international ball is the Baseball United League in the Middle East. Man, I was following that when that came out and that's just the coolest thing, the names of the owners, the names of the players that they were getting over there. And now they've

released their schedule, I think, where they're starting an actual season next November and December. I'm looking forward to following that. But how did you get involved with that? And what are your feelings on what they got going on over there? Is that going to be something that's real?

Alex Liddi (14:45)
So I got involved with that through Eddie Diaz, he used to be my manager one of the year I played in Mexico. And he reached out to me, asked me about this long vision project they have. And when they told me like the baseball and like in a different country, I signed up. I was like, I didn't even think about it twice. was...

Jeff Perro (15:04)
Is that something

that you've always enjoyed, the world travel of going places?

Alex Liddi (15:07)
Yes, yes,

definitely. So I was happy to be part of that and then took a couple of years to get organized for that. But I think it's a really cool project. the guys behind this are doing like everything in their power to make this happen and making a big thing. There's a lot of guys with passion behind this, a lot of guys that have drive to do this.

Jeff Perro (15:19)
I can see it.

Alex Liddi (15:32)
One of the main guys, Kash, is really, really passionate about it. I think something good can happen. We just need time and we have to be patient because we start, they're starting something from nothing in a country where there's a lot of, yeah, so a lot of people told me like, yeah, nothing's gonna happen. Yeah, I mean.

Jeff Perro (15:49)
Baseball's not a thing, yeah.

Alex Liddi (15:57)
They say it because it's taking, it's a slow process, but they're moving and they're taking big steps already. So I see a bright future in that. It's not gonna be easy, but I like what I see.

Jeff Perro (16:12)
You're already in the history books for Baseball United I see your hat by the way too. How are you in the baseball united history books?

Alex Liddi (16:14)
Yeah. yeah.

I hit the first home run in professional baseball in Dubai.

Jeff Perro (16:24)
That's awesome,

That's never going to go away. You hit the first home run in baseball United history. You played in the UAE series. That's hard to say. Was there one of their premier events? What was your feel from that? Were there good crowds? A lot of attention?

Alex Liddi (16:28)
I don't know. Yeah.

The crowds was

alright, but like I said, it's a slow process, it takes time. the stadium, they built the stadium just for this. It was a nice stadium outside of the city. You're going to have a lot of patience and dedication to this, the goal is to play baseball in different other countries. So we have to...

Jeff Perro (16:48)
Brand new.

Alex Liddi (17:06)
As baseball players and baseball people need to support this instead of like going against this. No matter what. Yeah.

Jeff Perro (17:11)
Absolutely, man. It could be a gold mine for the game over there. It

be a gold mine for players instead of, you know, guys who say top out at AA, get another opportunity someplace to go. Guys who have spent a little bit of time in big leagues, it's another option besides Mexico or Korea. I think it's freaking fantastic, you know? You retired after the UAE series.

Alex Liddi (17:20)
Yeah, for sure.

Yeah.

Jeff Perro (17:32)
back in February, I What is your decision of retiring and retiring then?

Alex Liddi (17:38)
last summer, I was going through some struggle in baseball. I wasn't hitting good. And my wife told me, you gotta stop looking. I was looking video of me hitting, trying to figure out what was wrong. It's like, you're not gonna find the answer there. You gotta look inside of you. it seems like you've been playing baseball for money lately and not for...

for the passion I used to have. And that thing kind of hit me and I started realizing that it wasn't the same like it was before. I have a family, I had to take care of my family. And also I just, I wasn't producing like I used to produce before. So I put two and two together and I made the decision that after Dubai I was gonna hang it up and I'm happy with them. I'm happy to be home with the family. So.

Probably the family was the biggest thing and also my production that went down.

Jeff Perro (18:29)
⁓

I think you timed it great that you played that series in Dubai and then hung em up from there. It added another country to your 77,418 countries you played professional baseball when you planned to retire, you started planning your next move after your playing career?

Alex Liddi (18:38)
Yeah. Yeah.

I don't think it's easy and it's a clear path after baseball. I think when you play, when you do something for so long, like you're so used to get up, workout, like it's so used to one thing that when you get out, no matter what, you're gonna feel like, you have an identity anymore. You're not gonna feel like you know yourself

Who are you besides baseball? You don't know. So that's what I'm going through right now. I've been working on that a lot. I've been working on myself a lot, find out what I really want to do. There is a big project that me and my wife are putting together. And I start to find purpose in that. And I love that. But I still want to be part of baseball in some different way. I just want to give it back, maybe not on the field.

Jeff Perro (19:34)
Good.

Alex Liddi (19:44)
but there is other area of baseball, athletes, baseball player needs help. I'm gonna try to focus on that. I'm going through right now. So probably I wanna be part of a community like that can help players during their career or after their career.

Jeff Perro (20:00)
That's something I kind of want to build with this project, I talked to guys about the decision to hang it up and what they're doing next. And you can form a community in that. You hear other people's that, I've talked to a couple guys who like, yeah, I put up my baseball gear, packed it up, I haven't touched it since, I'm cool. And other guys that, know, I really struggle with it.

it's interesting for me and for, think other people watching to, hear other people's stories, kind of form a fellowship you're involved with the group. I see it on your shirt, that Pro Athlete Community. I've seen an Instagram post recently about kind of being involved with them. Is that something that's kind of steering you in a good direction?

Alex Liddi (20:35)
So I got invited to this event. It's a great community. It's a great event that I was got invited in Miami.

They're more focusing on football player just because they have a better way to... They set up that... Yeah, they got to set up in a good way. But there is guys on the baseball side like Matt Joyce and Manny Del Campo. They're on the baseball side and they're trying to make the culture of baseball in there too.

Jeff Perro (20:50)
Recruit.

Alex Liddi (21:07)
So I'm not part of this, I got invited and I definitely enjoy it. There's something they're doing ⁓ that I admire, that I'm looking forward to do it myself, helping players. So yeah, I'm glad I went and they're doing good stuff, helping athletes after retirement, you know, different aspect of life. could be...

helping them with their traumas, their limiting beliefs, helping them with real estate, helping them with their career, just helping them networking with other people and anything that can help them grow after a sport.

Jeff Perro (21:45)
I want to get involved in something like like continuing education so you can get back to college. If you're 33 or 39 years old, go back to college, get a degree. I know it's hard the transition time. I've transitioned into and out of careers a few times in that stuff, but.

your career is something that you've worked your whole entire life for. And that's all you've known. And that's a completely different thing. But yeah, I always admire you guys and the way you were able to pivot from baseball to something else. You want to let us in on the little project you and your wife are working on? If not, that's cool.

Alex Liddi (22:18)
No, yes, it's a lot of has to do with these we're trying to bring wellness and Business finance together. So we're trying to create an environment a place where people can come and take care of body their body their mind their soul

and that's gonna help them achieve bigger goals in their business. we're just trying to create awareness of do you have to take care of yourself first before, if you wanna grow your business. A lot of people I feel like, in the United States especially, there is this hustle mentality, which is good, but then that's when the burnout comes in and like they stop taking care of their body, then they have health issues.

Jeff Perro (22:55)
.

Alex Liddi (23:03)
the stuff taken on their families, stuff like this, just to achieve goals that, yeah, you get money, but then what? What are you gonna do with the money if you don't have health? If you don't have a family, somebody to enjoy the money with? So that's...

Jeff Perro (23:17)
If you don't have

time to enjoy your money with your family

Alex Liddi (23:20)
Correct. So that's what we're trying to create. We're trying to make this awareness to people, help the people and like see that you can make money and still be healthy and still be able to have good relationship with your family. So that's what we're trying to create.

Jeff Perro (23:35)
Your wife, when did you meet her and how long have you guys been together? Is she somebody from the United States, from Mexico or from the internet?

Alex Liddi (23:46)
So I met my wife in 2012. We were playing in Colorado. My wife, she's originally from Brazil and that's when I met her and we started hang out and then after a couple of years we got married and then we got two kids, two daughters. She was one of my biggest support.

And she's always there to advise me, even sometimes when like the advice is something I don't want to hear. So I definitely appreciate her for like stepping up and like don't just go with just to make me feel good. But she tell me what's up for real.

Since I retired, I feel like we even got closer because these projects we're having together, I think it just makes us even closer.

Jeff Perro (24:35)
I've studied up on this and you hear kind of the opposite more often where a baseball player retires and he's been on the road for 10 months a year for years and now all of sudden he's home and it kind of creates a little shock to the system there where relationships struggle after a... and at same time that guy's going through the identity crisis as well.

creates a pretty tough atmosphere at home after a player retires. I'm glad you guys are doing well. It sounds like you guys are working as a good team.

Alex Liddi (25:05)
Yes, yes, like I said, that's one of the other things that, you said, it's a big problem in baseball and any other sports. And that is why we're trying to create awareness to people and the way it helps athletes and people in general, entrepreneurs in general, so they can have tools to go through these struggles and make it faster and adjust faster.

Jeff Perro (25:12)
for it.

Alex Liddi (25:34)
and make just a better life for them.

Jeff Perro (25:36)
And when you guys get this thing off the ground, whenever, reach out to me. I'll spread it, help you spread it around and you can come back and talk about it some more if you want.

Alex Liddi (25:44)
I appreciate it, I appreciate it for sure.

Jeff Perro (25:46)
Mr. Liddi that's all I have written down for you, Congratulations on the things you've accomplished on a baseball field, man. It's something that really, you know, less than 1 % get to touch the big leagues and then have a career as long as you had and see the world like you did and meet the people that you have, man. That's an incredible career that you should be proud of. And I'm happy for you. It's been fun for me to follow your career since you were on the back pages of Baseball America.

Alex Liddi (25:58)
and

Thank you, I appreciate it.

I appreciate it.

Jeff Perro (26:15)
So do you see where I messed up there? I left out the man's whole entire international career. I had my notes, I had the page folded over, but I couldn't see it. My brain wasn't working. So I just skimmed over the guy's international career.

He played in tons of international tournaments with Team Italy as an amateur. He played in three World Baseball Classics and other international tournaments. He was part of the Italian team in 2009 to beat Canada, part of the 2013 team that beat Mexico and Canada, two big upset victories in part of the 2013

World Baseball Classic, he was a part of it. I just kinda glazed over that. So my apologies for that. The man also played in three of the All-Stars Futures games, which is, was the eighth player to play in three of them. So the guy, I left out a good bit. Like I said, the guy, his international career with Team Italy, legendary.

So I apologize for that. We're here to celebrate Mr. Liddy's career and I left out three of his big distinctions there. So hope you guys enjoyed the show. Mr. Liddi thank you very much for your time and congratulations again, man.