OPINION: Team USA's Mark DeRosa Will Make a Great MLB Manager

With no prior professional coaching experience, Team USA manager Mark Derosa made a strong case in the World Baseball Classic that he could be a worthy candidate for any Major League club looking for a new manager upon the conclusion of the 2023 season. DeRosa cohosts the baseball morning show 'MLB Central' with Lauren Shehadi and Robert Flores on MLB Network every weekday throughout the MLB season.

MLB Network host Mark DeRosa may not have collected an A+ on his World Baseball Classic report card, but he still finished at the top of the class.

DeRosa, with no prior professional coaching experience, was able to get Team USA to regroup following a pair of early losses, and reach the World Baseball Classic Championship game, where the club would fall to Japan 3-2.

It was not the outcome DeRosa or his players set out for, but DeRosa demonstrated his potential to lead a group of Major League stars.

Less than two weeks ago, I was in the press box and on the field for Team USA's first exhibition match before the World Baseball Classic, at the San Francisco Giants' spring training home at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona.

A couple hours before first pitch, DeRosa faced the media for the first time. I was impressed with DeRosa's ability to answer questions and talk to the media, as were several other reporters that I spoke with.

One reporter tried to get DeRosa to reveal his plans for his pitching rotation entering the tournament. DeRosa was asked, "Have you thought about how you plan to line up your pitching staff?"

"Yeah, I've thought about it," DeRosa said with a smile, as he smartly kept himself from oversharing his strategy to the press.

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, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania, knows how to talk to the media because he is a part of the media. He cohosts the popular baseball morning show MLB Central alongside Lauren Shehadi and Robert Flores every weekday throughout a long, 162-game season. DeRosa knows how to answer questions because he knows how to ask questions. He knows the game. He knows how to make his guests feel comfortable and how he might be able to get them to open up an interview. DeRosa knows how the game is played, and because he knows how the game is played, he won't fall into the same traps that he might try to set for players he interviews.

Team USA opened with a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Giants in its first exhibition game. DeRosa remained calm as he spoke to the press in the postgame. Team USA routed the Los Angeles Angels 6-0 the next day.

Despite being blown out by Team Mexico 11-5 in Team USA's second game of group play, DeRosa's club went on to bounce back and reach the title game.

Some will look at Team USA's inability to repeat as World Baseball Classic champions as a colossal failure, considering it's unfairly talented roster. I don't.

Team USA had a collection of stars that showed up to compete just days before the event began. For many of them, the World Baseball Classic is simply a warm-up before their quest for the ultimate crown, a World Series trophy, begins later this month.

Japan brought a roster full of scrappy players, many of whom have not played in MLB. To them, this was their World Series. This was the biggest championship they could win obtain, evidenced by the unbelievable viewership numbers that Team Japan produced. Over 60 million people watched Team Japan play Team Korea earlier in the tournament.

Japan looked like it had been training for this very moment since the last World Baseball Classic in 2017.

Still, with limited time, DeRosa was able to get his guys to buy in and the WBC reached its highest level of relevancy since the event was created. Mike Trout has already verbally committed to play for Team USA in the next event in 2026.

DeRosa also pushed the correct button with White Sox infielder Tim Anderson. Wanting to get his bat in the lineup, DeRosa played Anderson out of position. Anderson played second base for the first time in his professional career, and greatly excelled. Now, some are wondering if Anderson should permanently switch to the second base position when he returns to playing for the White Sox.

DeRosa has been talked about as a potential managerial candidate over the last four years. In 2023, he got his chance to manage Team USA. Though he will return to the MLB Network studios with a silver medal, he should receive serious consideration by Major League clubs going for gold in the near future. Expect DeRosa to interview for job openings upon the conclusion of the 2023 Major League season.

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