Joe DiMaggio. Yogi Berra. Phil Rizzuto. Names instantly recognized for being extraordinary baseball players, but not only, also Italian-American. Famous Italian-Americans who were all each inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Back in the late 1910s and early 1920s, children born first generation American to Italian immigrants learned to play baseball as kids and excelled exceptionally well at the sport. Perhaps in part because of the discrimination Italian-American professional baseball players faced they had to prove their worth more than their fellow American counterparts. Sharing a strong work ethic, Italian-American players worked hard proving their mettle with significant results.
Fonte: L'italo-Americano