) is an Australian Baseball League

Australian Baseball League

The Australian Baseball League was a baseball league, established in 1987 and disbanded in 1999.-Formation:Before the formation of the Australian Baseball League, the Claxton Shield, established in , was Australia's premier baseball tournament...

 pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 for the Brisbane Bandits

Brisbane Bandits

The Brisbane Bandits were a foundation team in the Australian Baseball League which was bought by a private owner and shut down in 1999. The Bandits have now been resurrected as a team in the new Australian Baseball League which is due to start in November 2010...

 who signed with the Cubs as a non-drafted free agent on Jan. 6, . The 5'11", 180 lb. right-hander is the first Italian-born pitcher to be signed by a Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 team.

Chicago Cubs organization

Early in the season, Maestri's second season of professional ball with the Class A Peoria Chiefs

Peoria Chiefs

The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria, Illinois. They play in the Midwest League....

, Maestri gave up seven runs in two inning

Inning

Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....

s against the Cedar Rapids Kernels

Cedar Rapids Kernels

The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Class A minor league baseball team based in Iowa. It is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and plays in the Midwest League.-Franchise history:...

. From that point on, he did not give up more than two runs in an appearance for the rest of the season, and converted his first seven save opportunities to earn himself a Midwest League

Midwest League

The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...

 All-Star

All-star

All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

 nod.

His success in 2007 prompted the Cubs to try to convert Maestri into a starter. Thus, he began the season in the starting rotation of the Florida State League

Florida State League

The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...

 Class A advanced Daytona Cubs

Daytona Cubs

The Daytona Cubs are a minor league baseball team based in Daytona Beach, Florida. The team plays in the Florida State League , and is the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs major league club. The Cubs play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark; opened in 1914, the park seats 5,100 fans.The...

. In this role, he went 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA to again earn himself an All Star nod. Following the all star game, Maestri was promoted to the double A Southern League

Southern League (baseball)

The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...

 Tennessee Smokies

Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...

. With the Smokies, Maestri made two starts in which he pitched 11 innings and gave up eight earned runs before shoulder soreness forced the Cubs to shut him down for the remainder of the season, and ended the Cubs' experiment with Maestri as a starter.

The Cubs released Maestri in April 2011. He signed with the Lincoln Saltdogs

Lincoln Saltdogs

The Lincoln Saltdogs are a professional baseball team based in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the United States. The Saltdogs are a member of the North Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...

 of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.

Brisbane Bandits

On the 5th of November, 2011, he made his ABL debut for the Brisbane Bandits

Brisbane Bandits

The Brisbane Bandits were a foundation team in the Australian Baseball League which was bought by a private owner and shut down in 1999. The Bandits have now been resurrected as a team in the new Australian Baseball League which is due to start in November 2010...

 starting against the Canberra Cavalry

Canberra Cavalry

The Canberra UberGlobal Cavalry is a professional baseball team in the Australian Baseball League. The team is based in the city of Canberra, Australia...

, going five innings for two hits, picking up the first Bandits win for the 2011-12 season.

Italy national team

Maestri was signed by Cubs scout Bill Holmberg, who also serves as pitching coach for the Italy national baseball team

Italy national baseball team

The Italy national baseball team is the team that represents Italy in international baseball competition. The Italian national team is currently ranked 12th in the world.-World Baseball Classic:...

 for whom Maestri pitched in both the 2006

2006 World Baseball Classic

---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...

 and 2009 World Baseball Classic

2009 World Baseball Classic

The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...

. Maestri gave up one earned run in two appearances out of the bullpen

Bullpen

In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...

 in the 2006 WBC. In , Maestri pitched 2.2 innings without giving up a run.

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