Salvatore Varriale, Technical Director of the Parma Baseball Team, Former Italian player, Coach, and Sports Manager, was recently selected as Top International Sports Legend of the Year 2023 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership dedication and commitment to the sports industry.
While inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities. All honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP's annual award gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.
With over 50 years of professional experience in the sports industry, Mr. Varriale has certainly proven himself as an extraordinary professional and expert in the field of baseball. As a player, coach, and manager at the Parma Baseball Team , he won ten Italian titles, fifteen European championships, and six European championships with Italian National Team. Salvatore has competed in four Olympic Games; Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), and Athens (2004). Sal was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1948 and relocated to Parma, Italy. He played for the Parma Baseball team from 1972 and 1984. Varriale played for Parma for many years after arriving as a foreign player in 1972. In 1972, he debuted as a right fielder and batted .476/.569/1.017 with ten homers and 37 RBI in 15 games. The following year, he batted .339/.435/.612 with 13 home runs, 42 runs, and 63 RBI in 41 contests. He set a new Serie A1 record for RBI in a season, breaking Giorgio Castelli's mark. He hit .370/.469/.704 with nine runs and 8 RBI in 9 games for the Italian national team that won Silver Medal from the Italian Olympic Committee after winning the 1975 European Championships in Barcelona, their first Gold ever in a European Championship in which the Netherlands also competed. He also played in the 1973 Intercontinental Cup, hitting 2 important home runs.
Varriale became a coach and manager after retiring as a player. In 1985, he managed Parma to the Italian Championship with 51 wins 12 losses. He held the same role in '86, winning the European Cup. From 1988-2008, he coached for Parma, a period in which they won 9 titles. Varriale also coached for the Italian National Team several times, most notably in the 1992 Olympics , 1996 Olympics, 2000 Olympics, and 2004 Olympics.
In 2009, Parma retired Varriale's number 27 (https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/27). As of 2012, he was the Italy scout for the Cincinnati Reds (https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Cincinnati_Reds). In 2017, he was named a Knight of the Italian Republic, Italy's highest-ranking honor. He was inducted into the Italian Baseball Hall of Fame (https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Italian_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame) in 2019.
Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Varriale has received numerous awards and accolades and has been recognized worldwide for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the industry. For 2023 he is being considered to be featured in TIP (Top Industry Professional Magazine) and considered for IAOTP's Lifetime Achievement Award. Sal Varriale will be honored as Top International Sports Legend of the Year 2023 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) this December at IAOTP's Annual Award Gala at the Iconic Plaza Hotel in NYC.
Sal Varriale's impressive achievements include but are not limited to: Championships Won with Parma and Italian National Team 10 National years 76, 77, /81, 82, 85, 91, 94, 95, 97, 2010 15 European 77, 78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 86, 87, 88, 92, 95, 98, 99, 2021, 22, four Italian Cup, 1 CEB Cup(CONFEDERATION OF EUROPEAN BASEBALL), 1 Super Cup,3 Mediterranean Cup, 6 European Italian National Seniors,1 European Italian National Cadets,1 European Italian National Juniors; Four Olympic Qualifiers 46 total; Four Olympic Participations: 1992 Barcelona,1996 Atlanta,2000 Sydney 2004 Athens. In 1975 he was awarded Siver Medal by the Italianh Olympic Commission for the European win in Barcelona. In 2012 he received The Merit Award from the American Coach Association in Los Angeles, along with Mike Scioscia and Dave Winfield. In 2017 he was Knighted of the Italian Republic for Sporting Merit by President Mattarella. In 2020 Elected to the Hall of Fame by the Italian Baseball Federation, and in 2022, he was named Palme d'Or Technicians by CONI Italian Olympic Committee.
Stephanie Cirami, President of IAOTP, stated, "Choosing Mr. Varriale for this honor was an easy decision for our panel to make. Mr. Varriale's numerous accomplishments, awards, and accolades are inspiring. We are truly honored to have him as part of our IAOTP family."
Looking back, Mr. Varriale attributes his success to his family's support, the mentors he has had along the way, and staying passionate in all his endeavors. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.
For more information on Sal please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-varriale-italy-228834175/
Watch his video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddH_QAyXWOg
About IAOTP
The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that handpicks the world's finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers, and help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.
IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals worldwide the recognition and credibility they deserve and have helped build their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one of a kind boutique networking organization that handpicks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals together.
For more information on IAOTP, please visit www.iaotp.com.
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