Fortitudo Baseball 1953, commonly referred to as Fortitudo Bologna, also known as Longbridge 2000 Bologna or Unipol Bologna for sponsorship reasons, is a baseball club based in Bologna that competes in Serie A1, Italy's professional baseball league.
The team plays at Gianni Falchi Stadium and has won 14 national championships and 6 European Cups.
History The club was founded in 1953 when the Società Ginnastica Fortitudo (Fortitudo Gimnastics Society) established its baseball section. In 1963, the team merges with ACLI Labor from the baseball Serie A and joins the top level of Italian baseball. That same year, the baseball section becomes autonomous under the presidency of Pietro Leoni and with Jimmy Strong as manager.
Fortitudo Baseball has won thirteen Italian championships in 1969, 1972, 1974, 1978, 1984, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020, and the European Championship six times (1973, 1985, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019).
In 2013, Fortitudo was the first European team to be invited to participate in the Asia Series, placing sixth overall after losing to Samsung Lions (5–2) and Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions (10–0).
In 2019, Fortitudo hosted and won the 2019 European Champions Cup, defeating Amsterdam Pirates in the final.
Sponsors 1969–1975: Amaro Montenegro 1975–1976: Grappa Canonier 1979–1980: Biemme Giocattoli 1982: Del Monte 1983: Nordmende 1984–1985: Be. Ca. Carni 1986–1987: Biemme Giocattoli 1988–1989: Caffè Meseta 1990–1991: Poliedil 1992: Eurobuilding 1993: Gaudianello 1995–2008: Italeri 2009–present Unipol
Roster
References
External links Official site