TEMPE, Ariz. — Andy Pettitte was set to be Team USA’s pitching coach for the 2020 Summer Olympics, working alongside his former Yankees teammate Scott Brosius, who was to be the manager.
And then the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. The Summer Games were postponed until the following year. But in the interlude, Pettitte lost both of his in-laws to complications from the virus and felt he couldn’t leave his wife for six weeks to work the Olympics at such a tragic time.
Still, he left USA Baseball CEO Paul Seiler with these words, though: “Don’t forget me.”
Pettitte wasn’t forgotten.
When Team USA gathered for the first workout in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, which begins for the Americans on Saturday night against Great Britain, there was Pettitte. He was not wearing his familiar No. 46. That belongs to Team USA first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Still, even wearing No. 13, Pettitte, at 50, looked and sounded like his exuberant self, thrilled to be the pitching coach in this tournament.
“I always wanted to put on the Team USA uniform,” Pettitte said at the Papago Sports Complex.
The Americans are large favorites to win Pool C — which also includes Great Britain, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. In the dream scenario for MLB, the U.S., Dominican Republic, Japan and South Korea would make it to the semifinals, which will be played March 19-20 in Miami before the final on March 21.
“I want to win this pretty badly,” said Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees.
Pettitte retired after the 2013 season. He has been a high school pitching coach at Houston Second Baptist for the past eight years. His youngest child, Luke, is a senior who pitches (right-handed), plays the corner infield and has committed to be a two-way player at Dallas Baptist University.
Even with an empty nest upon him now, Pettitte said he has no ambitions to be a major league pitching coach. Nevertheless, he has thrown himself into his current position. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa picked two coaches, his pals Brian McCann and Michael Young, whom he said would “take a bullet for him.” For the other positions, he listened to recommendations. In August, Pettitte was enlisted, with Dave Righetti, the Giants’ pitching coach for eight seasons and three championships, serving as the bullpen coach.
DeRosa called Pettitte “an absolute beast” for how persistently and thoroughly he has stayed in touch with managers and pitching coaches from MLB teams to map out how those who will pitch for Team USA can be comfortably used. Pitchers ramping up in March and getting injured is the No. 1 concern for MLB clubs about this tournament.
“We want to make everybody feel comfortable with what we’re gonna do and we’re gonna take care of these guys,” Pettitte said. “We are going to be in the dugout making decisions, but we are gonna take care of these guys and do what teams want us to do with their players.”
Then Pettitte — the all-time leader in postseason starts (44), wins (19) and innings (257 ²/₃ ) — chuckled a bit and added, “And we are going to be trying to win this, of course.”
The star power among the American positional group is going to leave DeRosa with all kinds of difficult choices, such as: Will Pete Alonso or Goldschmidt play first base? And if you say, just DH one, then what about Kyle Schwarber? And if you say then just play Schwarber in the outfield, then which two sit among Mookie Betts, Cedric Mullins, Mike Trout and Kyle Tucker?
“I’ll do everything in my power to get everybody playing time and their at-bats and their innings in pool play,” DeRosa said. “And then if we get to Miami [for the single-elimination, which begins with the quarterfinals], the best players are going to play [nine innings].”
It still will be difficult to determine who those are within this group. Well, except one player in particular sticks out. That would be Kyle Higashioka — the only non-star, backup type on the club.
The two main catchers are stars J.T. Realmuto and Will Smith. Higashioka will probably be used to complete games if there are blowouts in pool play. DeRosa said he picked Higashioka, in part, because he is a player who would understand the third catcher responsibility on this kind of stacked roster.
“I know my role here. J.T. and Will are two of the best catchers in the entire game of baseball,” Higashioka said. “I know they’re going to do the majority of the work, if not all the work. As far as I’m concerned, I’m really glad to be here and in a supporting role nonetheless. Just willing to do whatever it takes to hopefully bring home a trophy.”
Jeff McNeil is the only pure second baseman on the Team USA roster, so DeRosa said Betts will get time at the position.
Betts began his minor league career as a second baseman before becoming arguably the best defensive right fielder in the sport. He has played 30 games at second in the majors and told his Dodgers bosses he would be willing to play it regularly if they wanted to make a free agent run at Aaron Judge last offseason. There are plans for Betts to play second base some this season for the Dodgers.
The Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright will start the opener for Team USA.
The WBC has not been contested since 2017 due to COVID, so the Americans are the defending champs. When he was named manager, DeRosa said his first call was to that 2017 club’s manager, Jim Leyland. And the best advice he received?
“He said, ‘Listen, don’t script it, plan it,’ ” DeRosa said. “Because if it goes sideways you don’t want to be not knowing where to go. So that’s what I’ve tried to do. In a perfect world. I know how every pool play game goes, but I know that’s not going to be the case.”
The Dominican Republic, which has a lineup that might be better than Team USA’s and a 1-2 starter punch of Sandy Alcantara and Cristian Javier, are the betting favorites to win the tournament.
“These guys know that we’re not picked to be the last one standing and I think it motivates them,” DeRosa said.
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