One of the key causes of his team’s humiliating loss against Team Mexico on March 12th, according to De Rosa, was the difficult balancing act needed to maintain rational pitching.
Pro clubs are apprehensive of the risks involved with letting their players partake in the World Baseball Classic while the MLB regular season is just around the corner. The problem is only amplified when it comes to pitchers.
De Rosa trotted out no fewer than eight pitchers as Team USA was humiliated by Team Mexico 11-5. Their opponents from Mexico managed 15 hits despite none of them pitching further than three innings.
He was eager to point the finger at pitching as the cause of his team’s problems after the defeat at Chase Field in Arizona. De Rosa discussed how he must respect the reality that overexertion poses a serious risk to players and, consequently, their parent clubs in a post-game interview with ESPN.
He described how he had to urge players to make up for limitations on pitch counts by citing the current rules. A strict cap of 65 pitches per arm has been imposed by MLB teams.
However, some athletes have trouble getting insurance approval to compete in the World Baseball Classic, such as pitcher Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After giving up a 2-run home run to Joey Meneses in the first inning for the San Diego Padres, starter Nick Martinez was removed. Brady Singer, a standout pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, gave up another two-run home run to Meneses in the fourth, however, the game truly started to unravel. He threw 59 pitches in just two innings while giving up four earned runs.
Joey Meneses, a player for the Washington Nationals, was essential as Team Mexico scored four runs in the fourth inning and four more in the eighth to complete an 11-5 triumph. It’s the second-worst defeat Team USA has ever suffered in a World Baseball Classic game.
Team USA still possess some of the World Baseball Classic’s best pitchers despite pitching slump
De Rosa knows that his club features some of the top pitchers in the world, although he cited the pitch-count limitations as a significant challenge. Now all that has to be done is to ensure that the closers, setup men, and starters work together in a way that will lead to success as the tournament progresses.