Mark DeRosa Got Advice from Coach K Before Managing Team USA

As he prepared to manage Team USA in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Mark DeRosa watched the Netflix documentary 'The Redeem Team' and talked to Mike Krzyzewski, who won three Gold Medals coaching Team USA and five National Championships at Duke.

Retired Major League Baseball player, MLB Network analyst and cohost of the baseball morning show, 'MLB Central' has accepted his first role as a manager.

With no professional coaching experience, DeRosa will manage Team USA, as it begins its quest to repeat as World Baseball Classic Champions. Team USA won its first world championship, in the last WBC event, in 2017.

Looking for inspiration, DeRosa turned to Netflix, and a storied head coach.

DeRosa told reporters before Team USA's first exhibition game Wednesday night, that he recently watched 'The Redeem Team', a new Netflix documentary that tells the story of the 2008 Team USA men's basketball team that bounced back after finishing third in the 2004 Olympics, to win the Gold medal four years later.

Coached by Larry Brown and dubbed 'the Nightmare Team', the inverse of the legendary 1984 Dream Team, the 2004 team greatly underperformed expectations.

In dire need of new life, USA basketball made five-time National Champion Mike Krzyzewski the architect of its 2008 team, and Coach K did not disappoint. With a roster headlined by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, the Redeem Team won each of its games by double digits on its path to redemption.

Coach K continued his success with Team USA, winning gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games, before passing the team on to Greg Popovich.

As the leader of Team USA, Coach K had the task of getting star players from different teams to blend together to form a new team, and represent the United States. On a team with 13 All-Stars, some players would have to accept a lesser role in order for the team to meet its goal.

DeRosa says he sought advice from Coach K as he prepared for the World Baseball Classic.

"I talked to Mike Krzyzewski before I came out here," DeRosa said. "He had 'The Redeem Team' on Netflix. I watched it as I was about to get in touch with him. And he said, 'Just get them to understand that you’re not playing for the United States. You are the United States.”

I asked Team USA manager Mark DeRosa what it was like to “put the uniform back on.” He told me he spoke with Coach K before Wednesday’s exhibition game. Coach K told him to tell his players, “You’re not playing for the United States. You are the United States.” pic.twitter.com/dbUenm6XSY

— Jack Vita (@JackVitaShow) March 9, 2023

DeRosa will face a similar challenge as the one Krzyzewski once did. Team USA features a collection of star players, including Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Pete Alonso. DeRosa will have to figure out how to split playing time and keep a variety of big personalities happy.

"You don't want to offend anyone," DeRosa said with a laugh. "I mean, it's special to represent your country," DeRosa said. "I told the guys, whatever motivates you, everybody's got a different reason why they want to be here and why they want to put [the uniform] on: family, personal reasons, whatever that is, we gotta come together as a group."

DeRosa hopes to find the same success that Coach K once found as the leader of Team USA, in a different sport. DeRosa played for Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the second-ever WBC. As a player, DeRosa's team finished fourth, failing to take the gold. Now, he'll have a chance to lead Team USA to its second consecutive championship.

Team USA plays its first exhibition game Wednesday night at Scottsdale Stadium, taking on the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is at 9:05 p.m. ET.

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