Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has defended his job following criticism from fans during the World Baseball Classic (WBC), stating he has an undying passion for the team and believes in all of its players. This comes after several controversial decisions during the tournament, including claiming that his team had already clinched a quarterfinal spot, which led to an 8-6 loss to Italy, which put Team USA in danger of being knocked out of the tournament. Following these statements, DeRoso claimed he was aware of Team USA's situation in pool play and made some lineup changes ahead of the final pool play game against Italy.