“A ton of respect for Italy. It’s weird; we want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals…” Team USA manager Mark DeRosa was confident just before he went against Italy in the Pool B game. However, just as Team USA went down by 6-8 in the game, DeRosa backtracked.

“I was on ‘Hot Stove’ with a couple of buddies today and completely misread the calculations.” DeRosa acknowledged how his team went against Italy without knowing the importance of the game in getting into the WBC quarterfinals. Result? Insiders are not only educating DeRosa, but they are also putting pressure on Team USA’s cornerstones, Aaron Judge and Tarik Skubal.

“You think, Mark DeRosa, what are we doing here? That’s amateur, and I don’t want to hear you speaking to your friends and your colleagues on MLB Network. You had no idea what the hell was going on. I watched the game, and I saw the starting lineup. And I thought maybe there was something wrong with Bryce Harper not being in the starting lineup. I mean, come on, what are we doing here?” American commentator Adam Schein addressed Team USA’s manager directly.

Now, there is scant evidence proving Team USA was confident about their quarterfinal berth. For instance, Bryce Harper was not in the starting lineup against Italy. Yes, you heard that right. The veteran who is coming with 27 HRs from last year is missing the game. A probable reason could be his workload management, as DeRosa was not important in this game.

As per Schein, that’s “amateur.” And considering DeRosa managed Team USA in the 2023 WBC, this miscalculation surely comes as a shock. “It was a brutal realization that Mark DeRosa thought Team USA had clinched and that he managed the game with that mindset. “Chris Rose Sports agrees. While Italy’s upset of Team USA surely comes as a shock for the fans, what’s more shocking for them is how they played the entire game with the wrong mindset.

But should DeRosa be blamed only for the debacle? A few insiders don’t think so.

“He, along with the rest of his team, went into a funk yesterday after they had already thought they had clinched; they went out and partied. That’s right. The party was on the bus; the party was in the hotel. Afterwards, a couple of guys said, “Ha, we’ve already clinched.” That’s right. And the whole team goes into the tank. “WFAN Radio commentator C-Mac went heavy against Aaron Judge.

According to C-Mac, not only DeRosa but also the entire lineup, including the captain, Aaron Judge, was in a delusion that they had already secured a quarterfinal berth. As a result, in the most clutch scene, Judge failed to score a run and ended the night with only 1 SB from 4 at-bats. So, blame is coming on him as well.

Tarik Skubal is next. As speculations were rife around his probable second start in the WBC after starting against Great Britain last Saturday, Skubal took a stand and went back to the Tigers’ camp. However, Team USA missed Skubal the most as they conceded 8 runs in the first 5 innings against Italy. Critics even slammed the pitcher with the “traitor” label for deserting his country for a franchise.

Thus, one miscalculation not only put Team USA in a grave scene but also placed the entire lineup on the receiving end.

Fans are also unimpressed with Team USA

Not only insiders, but also fans are left to wonder about Team USA’s strategy. “Why’d he leave?” One fan asks about Skubal. “Then why aren’t you there, Skubal? What are the tigers going to do to you?” Another added.

Fans are surely unamused with how Team USA’s best arm has left the camp for MLB, and the team went down against Italy. However, it was after Skubal started on Saturday that Tigers manager A.J. Hinch called him back. It was predetermined that Skubal would have only one start with Team USA.

But again, just as Team USA is facing an unexpected scene, fans are raining down on Skubal.

Even Aaron Judge is not immune to fans’ wrath. “Can’t remember any time Aaron Judge didn’t stat pad in meaningless baseball,” one fan said. “Aaron Judge choking again,” another user remarked. If you remember, Aaron Judge has long been accused of being a regular-season hero. We still remember his infamous dropped ball from the 2024 World Series. And just because Aaron Judge failed to rescue Team USA against Italy, fans can’t help but call him a choker in a clutch situation.

And just as Italy smacked Mexico in the latest game, ensuring Team USA’s stay in the WBC, fans still fear DeRosa. “Let’s all make sure Mark DeRosa knows all the rules heading into the quarterfinals,” one user said.

Surely, if Team USA eventually plays the quarterfinals, let’s hope that this time they get on the field knowing all the equations and calculations.