Last week, Team USA named 16-year former player and current MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa as its manager for the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic. Tuesday, Team USA announced who will be filling out the rest of DeRosa's coaching staff.
DeRosa's staff is headlined by Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and three-time All-Star Andy Pettitte.
Pettitte has served as a high school pitching coach under former Houston Astros' teammate Lance Berkman at Houston Baptist Second School. Together, Berkman and Petitte led the small private high school to a 4A Texas state championship in 2016. Berkman has since taken the head coaching job at Houston Baptist University, a Division I program in the Southland Conference.
Griffey has no coaching experience, but has served as a senior adviser to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred since April 2021.
Griffey will serve as Team USA's hitting coach, while Pettitte will serve as the team's pitching coach. Joining Griffey and Pettitte will be bench coach Jerry Manuel, first base coach Lou Collier, third base coach Dino Ebel and bullpen coach Dave Righetti.
Manuel managed the Chicago White Sox (1998-2003) and New York Mets (2005-08) and served as an assistant with the Montreal Expos (1991-96), Florida Marlins (1997) and Mets (2005-08). He won a World Series with 1997 Marlins and was the 2000 American League Manager of the Year.
Since finishing his playing career, Collier has not coached at the professional level, but has served as the hitting coach at Illinois Institute of Technology. His son Cam was drafted 18th overall in the first round of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft by the Cincinnati Reds.
Ebel is currently the Los Angeles Dodgers' third base coach, a role in which he has served in since 2019. Prior to that, he was the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's third base coach for 13 years.
Righetti was the San Francisco Giants' pitching coach 2000-2017, collecting three World Series rings.
DeRosa spoke with Alanna Rizzo on MLB Network's High Heat about his excitement to coach Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
"I'm over the moon for this opportunity," DeRosa said. "I couldn't be more excited to get in the fight with this group of men. “The wealth of knowledge, experience, and character that these guys will bring to our clubhouse will be vital to our success. March can’t come fast enough.”
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