Don’t blame Mark DeRosa.
Blame his coworker.
MLB Network analyst Matt Vasgersian took the blame after his colleague turned Team USA skipper landed in hot water last week for saying on “Hot Stove” that the U.S. had already “punched their ticket” to the WBC quarterfinal ahead of their game with Italy — which was certainly not the case.
DeRosa’s gaffe came under fire after the Americans, wheeling out a suboptimal lineup, landed on the wrong side of a stunning 8-6 upset against the Italians, putting the country’s eventual run to the championship game at serious risk of getting zapped in pool play.
While DeRosa explained it away by stating he “misspoke” and “completely misread the calculations,” Vasgersian shouldered responsibility by explaining how he and his network colleagues may have steered the USA manager into humiliating himself during the interview.
“The heat that he took, first of all, I and some of my colleagues take full responsibility for bringing him down a bad path in that interview,” Vasgersian said during a Monday appearance on “MartyTime TV.”
The alternative play-by-play voice for the Angels recalled that he may have steered the conversation in the wrong direction by telling DeRosa that the Americans had already “kicked through to the quarterfinals.”
“And unfortunately, he went with a little and it just spiraled out of control,” Vasgersian continued. “But that was at 10 o’clock ET on a gameday. If anybody thinks he was unaware of the circumstance after that interview, they are mistaken. By the way, he knew what was going on the whole time, and he was clarified on that as soon as the interview ended. So, there was this narrative that a lot of hacky people built about how he rested key players and didn’t manage it with any urgency, that’s nonsense.”
Vasgersian, 58, also questioned the outrage toward what many considered to be a “punt lineup” from DeRosa and the U.S. juggernaut against Italy — underscoring its All-Star acumen from top-to-bottom, even with Bryce Harper and Alex Bregman watching from the dugout.
“It’s really a ridiculous narrative,” Vasgersian continued. “And in the Dominican game, he managed his bullpen perfectly. Perfectly. So the haters are out there and they want to get you in a ‘gotcha’ moment. We know that’s what the social media channels are all about. Everybody loved it. There were a lot of people taking cheap shots, but those same people should be tipping their cap to him.”
Fortunately for the United States, Italy downed Mexico in the final group stage game to preserve the Americans a spot in the playoffs.
Wins over Canada and the Dominican Republic have lifted Team USA to the WBC finale, taking on Venezuela Tuesday night in Miami.
While the support of his colleagues is certainly appreciated, DeRosa will hope to drown out the critics with a championship celebration.
