Mark DeRosa Clears Air About Team USA WBC Loss, But Misspeaks Again

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa tried to clear up his World Baseball Classic controversy -- but in doing so, he accidentally added another mix-up to the pile.

The skipper was already under fire after suggesting the U.S. clinched a quarterfinal spot before its matchup with Italy -- a comment that looked even worse after the Americans were stunned 8–6.

When DeRosa addressed the situation publicly on Thursday, he owned the original comment he made during a TV appearance on MLB Network after a big win over Mexico in the game prior.

But while explaining the situation, DeRosa misspoke again -- saying both teams entered the matchup 2–0, when in reality the U.S. was actually 3–0 heading into the game.

“Yeah, it’s just an overly confident statement on 'Hot Stove,' period, the end, and it’s my fault,” DeRosa said. “I felt good about where we were after Mexico.”

The former MLBer also pushed back against the narrative that the Americans overlooked Italy … insisting the lengthy clubhouse celebration after beating Mexico didn’t mean the team lost sight of the stakes.

“I looked around the room and it was super special to me,” DeRosa said. “But we did not lose sight of the fact that we had to go out and play well against Italy.”

Italy was clearly ready … jumping on Team USA early and never looking back.

DeRosa insisted the coaching staff and players fully understood the complicated tiebreaker scenarios heading into the matchup -- even if his public comments suggested otherwise.

He also defended the lineup and pitching decisions that drew scrutiny after the loss, explaining the team was navigating strict WBC pitching restrictions that limit how many pitches relievers can throw and when they can return to the mound.

“You’re just trying to piece it together in real time,” DeRosa said.