WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - MEXICO VS UNITED STATES

March 12, 2023

Mark DeRosa

Chase Field

Team United States

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Is there any different feeling in the clubhouse now compared to a day ago as far as having that first game out of the way?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, I definitely think so. There was constant pressure on the base paths last night offensively. We left 12 guys on base, and they talked about it today in the hitters meeting. So, definitely.

We don't have a ton of information on them. I think it changes a little bit. Patrick Sandoval is -- a lot of these guys are familiar with him, been in the box against him. I think they're excited to get it going.

Q. Does it make it a little easier because you do have scouting reports and most guys have seen Mexico?

MARK DEROSA: I think so. I think so. Know what their stuff does, know the off-speed, know what their tendencies are, how they like to attack them. From an offensive standpoint I think it should help.

Q. Martinez was dominant in the postseason last year. How much of his performance impacted your decision?

MARK DEROSA: Absolutely. And his want-to. He had played for the USA team before. And his desire to get back on this team was kind of palpable. We knew it. When Kershaw dropped off, it was a pretty easy call.

What he's done as kind of a bulk reliever, kind of reinventing himself, and now being pushed into the starting rotation, I'm excited for this opportunity for him.

Q. Realmuto was saying earlier this week how impressed he was when he faced him. Did you have any conversation?

MARK DEROSA: I did. I actually empowered the catchers when we were going through this process. I wanted to pick their brains on every pitcher on our staff. So, yeah, I had long talks with Realmuto and Will and Kyle. And J.T. did say in the postseason he was a monster.

I watched him throw his pen over in Tempe the other day, and he's just got a ton of weapons to go to. It seemed like he was working with 15, 16 different pitches in the pen.

Q. Regarding Mexico and USA, so deep in soccer, especially last year that USA won everything. Is it something like that in baseball, or is it just a simple opponent for the U.S.?

MARK DEROSA: I don't know that it's a simple opponent. There's a lot of respect for the guys over there. You look at the lineup from top to bottom. A lot of these guys are big league players that we're familiar with.

We know it's going to be an awesome environment in here. Staying at the team hotel, it's mixed with U.S. and Mexico fans. And it's pretty rowdy over there. So I expect tonight to be pretty awesome environment for the guys to play in.

It was funny, even last night, a lot of these guys were coming off the field. And it's crazy coming out of Spring Training, it's like, Wainwright said it, it's like pitching in a postseason game. A lot of these guys, it hits them pretty quick. So I would expect tonight to be a pretty awesome environment for these guys to perform in.

Q. What do you know about this kid, Mitch Bratt, the 19-year-old who is going to start against you guys for Canada tomorrow?

MARK DEROSA: I haven't thought past tonight, to be completely honest with you. I have not thought past tonight except to see Canada getting out of the locker room and saying high to Larry Walker and giving Freddie Freeman a hug. We'll worry about that after we get through this game.

Q. I'm sure somebody in your, around your organization is, right?

MARK DEROSA: Yes.

Q. Ahead of it.

MARK DEROSA: Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Q. Going back to last night, do you think it was helpful that you guys played in front of that crowd and not Team Mexico, game one, as far as gave them a little bit of anticipation what it may feel like tonight?

MARK DEROSA: You know what, looking back on it, yeah. I would say so. Gave them a chance to kind of get their feet wet, kind of gel as a lineup.

I think the biggest thing for me -- and I said it in one of the meetings we had -- no one in here has to impress in here. I think sometimes when you get all these great players in one room, everyone's trying to still feel out who is the alpha in the room. And I just think there's a ton of them.

So it's, like -- and in baseball it's a game of failure. Guys are going to punch out. Guys are going to pop up and just miss pitches. It happens. You just don't see those highlights on a day-to-day basis, and when you play with these guys -- like, when I played with Derek Jeter in '09 I never thought he ever made it out. To watch him occasionally go 0-for-4, it was, like, whoa, okay, that happens.

So I think tonight there will be a much more settled ABs than last night.