DeRosa, a member of the 2009 WBC squad, will begin his coaching career in 2023.
Mark DeRosa will lead Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, according to a statement from USA Baseball (WBC). DeRosa, who was a member of Team USA’s WBC squad in 2009, will make his coaching debut as the Americans attempt to defend their world championship crown in the coming spring.
DeRosa, a 16-year MLB veteran, is currently a co-host of MLB Central, the network’s weekday morning show.
DeRosa expressed his total honour and humility at being chosen as Team USA’s manager. “One of the highlights of my baseball career was playing for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to be the team captain and represent our nation, and I can’t wait to get going.
According to General Manager Tony Reagins, Mark DeRosa “brings a lifetime of baseball knowledge to the dugout for Team USA.” “‘DeRo’ is well respected on and off the field, and his knowledge and leadership as a participant in the 2009 Classic will be an invaluable asset as we work through this process. As we work to perfect the many components of Team USA’s World Baseball Classic championship defence, his wisdom and ability to communicate clearly will come through.
Paul Seiler, executive director and CEO of USA Baseball, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Mark DeRosa back to Team USA as our manager for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Given his lengthy professional career and his experience working for MLB Network, Mark will bring a truly unique perspective to managing this team. He is one of the few people who is as knowledgeable and tuned in to what is happening in professional baseball and with the top players in the game right now. We are eager to see him lead this group as we attempt to retain our world championship crown.
After concluding the 2017 World Baseball Classic with a commanding 8-0 victory against Puerto Rico in the championship game at Dodgers Stadium, the United States is aiming to win the tournament for a second time in a row.
DeRosa, who played baseball and football for the Quakers at the University of Pennsylvania, was chosen in the seventh round of the 1996 MLB First-Year Player Draft. On September 2, 1998, he made his Major League Baseball debut for the Atlanta Braves, beginning a 16-year playing career. DeRosa participated in 1,241 games over the course of his career, appearing for the Braves (1998–2004), Texas Rangers (2005–2006), Chicago Cubs (2007–2008), Cleveland Indians (2009), St. Louis Cardinals (2009), San Francisco Giants (2010–11), Washington Nationals (2012), and Toronto Blue Jays (2013). He finished his career with a batting average of.268 and 494 RBIs in addition to 100 home runs. DeRosa played in 22 playoff games in his career, batting.358 with 10 RBIs, and helped the Giants win the 2010 World Series.
DeRosa, a Carlstadt, New Jersey, native, competed for Team USA in the 2009 World Boxing Championship and helped the team to its first-ever semifinal appearance. He played in each of the eight contests, hit.316 with a double, triple, and home run, and had nine RBIs to lead the club.
In the postseasons of 2011 and 2013, DeRosa first worked for MLB Network as a guest analyst before switching to a full-time position in November 2013 after his retirement. Along with Robert Flores and Lauren Shehadi, he co-hosts MLB Central on the MLB Network weekday morning show.
In Pool C in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 11 to 15, Squad USA will begin defending its WBC championship against Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and a yet-to-be-determined qualifying team. The winner and runner-up of Pool C will face the winner and runner-up of Pool D in the quarterfinals, which will take place in Miami, Florida, from March 17–18.
Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan; the Tokyo Dome in Japan; Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix; and loanDepot park, the home of the Miami Marlins in Florida, will all host the fifth edition of the Classic, which will be played from March 8–21, 2023. The World Baseball Classic semifinals and championship games will be played in Miami’s loanDepot park from March 19–21.
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