Miracle on Grass: The Untold True Story of the Only Olympic Gold Medal-winning USA Baseball Team in History and Their Manager To

"In Miracle on Grass, Fanucchi has captured the emotion that our entire team shared in Sydney, and has given readers an inspirational portrayal of our gold medal victory. It was a pleasure to work with him during the Olympics and again on this book. With this incredible story, you won't be disappointed." - 2000 USA Baseball Olympic Team Manager Tommy Lasorda This is the story of how an unknown squad of American minor leaguers stunned the international baseball powerhouse from Cuba. They were the 2000 USA Baseball Olympic Team, a ragtag group of minor-league players that were hand-chosen on paper, and had never played together as a team. Led by a Hall-of-Fame manager that had come out of retirement to lead the charge for his country, they pulled off the greatest upset in Olympic baseball history. Their triumph was remarkable, but the story of their coming together is even harder to imagine. Team USA Press Officer Dave Fanucchi gives readers a behind the scenes look at how the Major League Baseball executives in charge of this operation for the United States went about selecting the players, how Tommy Lasorda persuaded management into giving him the opportunity to coach the team, how the Americans narrowly qualified for the Olympics during a gut-wrenching game, and how capturing the gold medal in Sydney changed the lives of every player, coach and administrator involved. Told with warmth and an uncanny eye for detail, Miracle on Grass is an intimate, perceptive portrayal of three incredible weeks in Australia and a story that appeals to American pride. It features the wisdom and determination of one older man, and the heart and guts of several young baseball players on their attempt to win an Olympic gold medal, as they harness their passion for family and country.

David Fanucchi was born in Burlingame, CA, and was raised in the small Silicon Valley suburb of Cupertino. A 1988 graduate of Monta Vista High School, Fanucchi attended California State University, Chico, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1993. Fanucchi has spent the past 20 years working in various public relations and communications capacities for both amateur and professional sports teams and organizations. Most notably, Fanucchi was Director of Communications for USA Baseball from 1999 to 2006, during which time he served as the official Press Officer for the 2000 USA Olympic Baseball Team that captured the gold medal under Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda. Fanucchi held a leadership role for the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) public relations efforts during the 2009 U.S. Open, and most recently has directed press coverage of the Champions Series Tennis Tour, starring John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras and Jim Courier, among other legendary players. Fanucchi was inducted into the Chico State Public Relations Department Hall of Fame in 2009. He serves as President of his sports-business consulting firm, Gold Medal PR, and currently resides in Houston, TX, with his wife, Jessica, and daughters Emma and Grace. This is his first published book.