WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: QUARTERFINALS 2 - USA VS VENEZUELA

March 17, 2023

Mark DeRosa

LoanDepot Park

Team USA

Workout Day Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: First question for Mark?

Q. First of all, your thoughts on Team Venezuela, if you were shocked at all that they won 4-0 knocking out the DR and the other three teams?

MARK DEROSA: No, no, not shocked at all. That was a bear of a pool. So for them to go undefeated was pretty impressive. But, no, not shocked at all with the amount of talent that they have on that club. We're fired up for the opportunity and happy to get on that plane to come here.

Q. Also wanted to ask you about your experience down there in Venezuela, more than 20 years ago I think it was.

MARK DEROSA: 1999, I played for Caracas and spent two months there and loved every second of it, all those guys I played with. I can remember the hotel, the Grand Meliá, and traveling to all those places and I thought it helped me immensely, not only get ready to, you know, keep going and progressing towards the Big Leagues, but also understand the Latin American ballplayers' journey over to the U.S.

It kind of changed my -- opened my eyes to that. So I was understanding of them coming over and the struggles that they dealt with at a young age because I know I dealt with it over there, kind of communication, eating. And those guys took care of me, Bobby Abreus of the world, really took me under their wing, and Álex González, and made me feel welcome over there. So I was appreciative.

Q. The passion that you saw there at the ballparks --

MARK DEROSA: Crazy.

Q. Knowing that maybe tomorrow's going to be similar?

MARK DEROSA: Oh, I know it's going to be -- it's going to be like Caracas-Magallanes on steroids, yeah, no question about it. So I'm fired up for it.

Q. Some of the managers that have been here in Miami have talked about just kind of the difficulty of just sort of juggling pitching decisions with restrictions with clubs. Not just restrictions with pitches, but making sure they get their pitches and stay on schedule. I know you talked about this briefly earlier in the tournament, but I want know what your experience has been just from a big picture perspective just baking that into just the obvious difficulty of managing in a tournament like this and trying to win.

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, I think certainly there are handcuffs on what you're able to do game to game. But that was the commitment we made to the players on the roster, that was the commitment we made to the parent clubs. So, yes, it's much more difficult.

But I'm not going to jeopardize anybody's career or Tony Reagins' relationships with these GMs, my relationships with the managers and coaches too. I just won't do it. So it just takes a lot of thought and I have great coaches to lean on and we've kind of hammered it out. You almost got to lightly script what you're going to do.

Q. Two-part question: I'm wondering if you think that in any way it just sort of like dilutes what is a really cool tournament? And do you have any hope of it changing in the future or does the time of year just make that impossible?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, I don't know if it can change it, to be honest with you. These guys are just not ramped up. Even if they did get ramped up, at the end of the day, they're just not in position to be able to go back-to-back days, to be able to clean up a dirty inning and continue on, to be able to go three out of four or two out of three. It's just not there yet.

I think maybe some changes with regard to roster could help it. But you're trying to create a team, so it's like you don't want these line shifts of relievers coming in and out of here and starting pitchers. That's the difficult journey, right? You want everyone who starts, the 30 guys who start with you, to end with you, and sometimes that's almost impossible for that to happen.

Q. The other day you said when you took the flight to Miami you were going to get some more things answered. Were you able to, as far as pitching and restrictions, things like that?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, certainly you got to win the game that's in front of you. My firm focus is on Venezuela, but aware of -- I don't want to say how many bullpen guys, but if we use a ton of bullpen guys how that impacts us for the next day.

So you just -- a lot of these guys won't be able to go back-to-back days. So there will be a method to the madness on how we get through it.

Q. Do you have any answers as far as who can go back-to-back days, that sort of thing?

MARK DEROSA: I don't think we're a hundred percent there yet, but we're getting close.

Q. Any different vibe coming here compared to Game 1 in Phoenix?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, I definitely felt like there was a little relaxation on the plane, having their families around, just kind of getting here. I do feel like with regards to Great Britain and with regards to Colombia, there was some unknown with the pitching, facing the pitching. Just listening to the hitters trying to formulate a game plan and what's this guy got and watching him warm up. I think that changes with a guy like Martín Pérez on the mound for Venezuela. There's a lot of guys that have seen him in the Big Leagues.

And on the flip side, there's probably a ton of guys in that Venezuela lineup that have seen Lance. So I do feel that familiarity breeds almost a little bit more relaxation within the team.

Q. Do you guys feel at all at a disadvantage after playing for like a week in a different ballpark and now coming over here and facing a teams that's been in this ballpark for over a week?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, no, I don't, honestly. These are the best players in the world. If we execute, we should be fine. I don't. You can't bake an excuse in, no.

Q. Just having to face Altuve, Arraez, and Acuña basically back-to-back-to-back and having that all-star lineup from 1 to 9, just talk about the challenge of having that combination of power, speed, and contact for your team.

MARK DEROSA: Well I think Mookie Betts, Mike Trout and Paul Goldschmidt are pretty good too. So they got to worry about that. Yeah, a ton of respect for those guys. Altuve's one of the most amazing hitters I've ever seen in my life. Ronald, I've lived in Atlanta for the last 25 years, he's one of the biggest superstars that has ever come through that organization. One of my kids' favorite players. Arraez is a batting champ, it's going to be his home ballpark this year. So a ton of respect for all those guys over there, honestly. A ton of respect for what Martín Perez is able to do with his career recently. So I think it's just going to be a great atmosphere, a great game for everyone.

Q. Mookie Betts and Mike Trout have been considered the two best position players in this sport for a long time, maybe even still. What's it been like watching the two of them together?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, Mookie's good at everything. I mean, I watch him take ground balls at shortstop I think, I honestly think he could play pretty much anywhere on the diamond he wanted to play and be one of the best at it. I think leading him off and having Mike behind him has certainly made him a more aggressive at the plate. Mike will go down as one of the greatest players of all time. He's just, I don't know what it is, but he's just different. Even in that room, amongst those guys, he sets himself apart. The ball comes off his bat just different than everyone else. I didn't realize he was as big and as strong. There's moments throughout the course of the game when he gets fired up where he gives you a handshake or kind of grabs you and it's like, man, he's rag dolling me around this dugout. So I'm just blown away with the size, strength, speed, explosiveness. He's got everything.

Q. That's a really tough room to stand out in. How is that possible? How does Mike Trout possibly stand out in a room with so much talent?

MARK DEROSA: I think the back of the baseball card, what he's been able to accomplish. Then, when you get eyeballs on him, there are -- I always say this, that the Major Leagues is no different than your Little League team or your travel team that you played on. There is a big dog in the room at some point. It's just woven in amongst a bunch of really great players. I just, like I said, his explosiveness, the way the ball comes off his bat, kind of the way he carries himself, the way he gets down the line. It's just not normal in comparison.

Q. Is there something about the way the other guys react toward him that let you know that he's the guy?

MARK DEROSA: No, I think there's ultimate respect. There's so many good players in that room. But I think there is an ultimate respect on what he's been able to do since he's arrived in the Big Leagues. I mean, he finishes in the top 3 in the MVP voting every single year. Ken Griffey, Jr. is arguably half this team's childhood heros. When you stack up their numbers, Mike's got him a little bit. So it's pretty crazy -- well maybe not on the, obviously not on the defensive side, but from an offensive standpoint. So you're looking at one of the game's greatest players.

Q. You're four games into your first time managing a team. What do you think of the experience and would you want to do it for a Major League ballclub?

MARK DEROSA: Yeah, well the experience has been unbelievable. Being in the locker room with these guys and clubhouse with these guys has been one of the highlights of my life. My coaching staff has been amazing. Andy Pettitte, Jerry Manuel, Brian McCann, Dino Ebel, Michael Young, the list goes on. I have leaned on them heavily throughout the course of the game. The game has started to slow down. I was more nervous in the exhibition games than I think I am now. Now that might change tomorrow, but managing within the parameters of the pitching guidelines that we're dealing with kind of, I don't want to say makes it easier, but you kind of have outs, right? You kind of have to follow a certain lightly scripted plan.

As far as managing in the future, I literally did not take this as a kind of a stepping stone to that. I kind of took this because I felt like in my heart this was a perfect opportunity. So I have no idea what the future holds.

THE MODERATOR: All right, thank you.