The Italian American Baseball Foundation will honor Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred at its annual gala in December. On December 5, at Marina Del Rey in the Bronx, Manfred will receive the IABF Excellence Award for his service to the game in recognition of his heritage. 

Commissioner Manfred is of Italian descent. On his mother’s side, both of his great-grandfathers hailed from Italy. Giampolo Carnevale came from Campobasso in 1900. Antonio Aquino was also born in Cosenza, Calabria, in 1900 and arrived at Ellis Island at 17. 

Commissioner Manfred said: “I am honored by this recognition from the Italian American Baseball Foundation. Baseball holds a special place in our culture in large part because of its impact on families, including my own. My family is proud of our Italian heritage and grateful that baseball is a significant part of our lives. It is an honor to serve our National Pastime and continue the game’s growth for the generations to come.”      

IABF has presented its highest honor to several unique baseball people, including Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, Terry Francona, Joe Girardi, John Franco, Bobby Valentine, and others.

“It’s our distinct privilege to have Commissioner Manfred as an IABF honoree this year,” said Joe Quagliano, IABF President and Co-Founder. “His leadership and insight have led the game to resurgent attendance and progressive measures to evolve the pace of play. His contributions are tremendous, and we are proud that he represents Italian Americans at the highest level of baseball.”

Tickets to the 2024 IABF Gala are on sale now: https://bit.ly/IABFManfred

About IABF: The Italian American Baseball Foundation was founded in 2016 and works to bridge the gap between Italy and the United States through baseball and softball. IABF’s mission is to grow the game and provide opportunities for youth development through education. The core functions of the foundation are to build a pipeline of baseball and softball players from Italy to the United States through college scholarships and showcases, support the Italian National Teams as American partners, and promote heritage and pride for Italian Americans in baseball from high school to the Major League levels. Learn more at IABF.Foundation.