Bill Madden: From thrilling final to Italy’s run, WBC was a huge hit
NEW YORK — Well, let’s face it. The World Baseball Classic was a smashing success, everything MLB had hoped for, except for Team USA. But like it or not, as long as the finals are held in Miami’s domed LoanDepot Park, where the drumbeats, horns and cowbells from the huge contingent of Latinos who live in the Miami area turn the place into a din, the U.
S. is always going to feel like the visiting team. That said, I believe they should keep the championship games in Miami, which is a melting pot of baseball ebullience (that somehow the Marlins have never been able to tap into), and the WBC is a world event, designed to grow the game internationally — and in that regard there was no better or more heartwarming example of what baseball can be than the out-of-nowhere rise of Team Italy to the final rounds.
We’ll get back to them in a minute, but first some observations about Team USA and in particular their manager Mark DeRosa, who took an unmerciful flogging on social media — some deserved and lot of it not so — and where he goes from here. Granted, not realizing the U. S.
had NOT punched their ticket to the knockout round was a bad look for him, but where were the U. S. officials to step in and correct him?
From that point on it was all downhill on social media for DeRosa, who wasn’t helped by the fact his team of superstars didn’t hit a lick throughout the championship rounds. Before the tournament DeRosa was given universal praise for his recruiting, getting buy-ins from the game’s biggest stars — Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Bobby Witt Jr. , Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes, et al.
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