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Team USA manager Mark DeRosa is speaking out to address the criticism aimed at him during the current World Baseball Classic.
In a candid in-game interview during Team USA’s 5-3 quarterfinal triumph over Canada on Friday, DeRosa was questioned about the negative feedback he’s received from fans concerning his decisions throughout the tournament. His response was straightforward.
“I have an unwavering passion for this and a deep belief in every player on this roster,” DeRosa stated during the Fox broadcast, explaining his dedication to leading the U.S. team.
“I don’t see them as A and B players; they’re all A’s,” he emphasized.
DeRosa’s remarks come in the wake of some missteps he made during this year’s WBC, notably when he prematurely declared that his team had secured a spot in the quarterfinals, which was not yet true at the time.
“Ton of respect for Italy. It’s weird, we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals because Mexico plays Italy actually (Wednesday),” DeRosa said during an appearance on MLB Network on Tuesday. “So, the way the schedule lines up, this is an important game for us.”
DeRosa then made some lineup changes ahead of Team USA’s final pool play game against Italy, saying in that same interview that he wanted to get some players “off their feet.”
His team then took an 8-6 loss to the Italians, putting Team USA in jeopardy of getting knocked out of the tournament.
Following that game, DeRosa claimed that he misspoke and was aware of Team USA’s situation in pool play.
“I misspoke,” he said. “I was on ‘Hot Stove’ with a couple of buddies today and completely misread the calculations. We knew Mexico was going to play Italy and running all the numbers with if we lost tonight with the runs allowed and runs scored and outs.
“So, I just misspoke.”
Team USA will now play the Dominican Republic in the semifinal round.