Team USA finally has its “ticket punched” to the World Baseball Classic final after a narrow win over the Dominican Republic. But the game-ending strike call quickly found itself at the center of controversy. Manager Mark DeRosa opened up on the umpiring debate while a Red Sox legend criticized DR’s postgame behavior.

“You know, watching that ball back on replay, I can understand why Dominicans are upset about it,” DeRosa said in a postgame interview. “That ball had a lot of plate, and Will does a hell of a job in framing,” DeRosa said, praising the catcher for making the pitch look more like a strike to the umpire. 

Mason Miller was pitching at 3-2 with Geraldo Perdomo on the plate and Julio Rodríguez on third base. Will Smith caught Miller’s slider, and umpire Cory Blaser called it a strike, ending the semifinal for DR at 1-2. 

The controversy stemmed from the replay, as it showed the slider to be low and outside the zone. Had it been a ball, the Dominicans would have been awarded a walk. Rodríguez would have tied the game, keeping the inning alive for them. But Perdomo and his team were visibly frustrated. He stepped toward the dugout after throwing his hands up in disappointment. And there was no way to challenge the call either.

“Yeah, I’m a fan of the ABS. You know, I think it’ll be good for the game moving forward,” DeRosa agreed when asked if he was in favor of implementing the ABS in the next WBC. 

He also praised the DR manager, Albert Pujols, for keeping his cool during the postgame. The latter took the high road, focusing on the game as a whole rather than playing the blame game.

“I don’t want to focus on the last pitch. It wasn’t meant to be,” Pujols said, garnering a great deal of respect from the baseball community, especially from the opposing manager.

“I love the class and have a ton of respect for the way Albert Pujols handled the postgame,” said Mark DeRosa.

Unfortunately, the Dominican team couldn’t reflect the same vibe as their manager. And that earned them some stinging comments. 

Jeff Frye slams the Dominican Republic’s ungracious postgame behavior

The DR players didn’t stay for the expected media interview postgame. Their exit with loud music in the background extended the controversy beyond the game. And Jeff Frye called it a missed opportunity for the team. 

“They had a chance to show the world how professionals behave, and they chose to skip their interviews and walk out blaring their music instead!” the ex-Red Sox veteran said. “Winners are gracious in victory and defeat!”

Frye is no stranger to slamming individuals when he feels that they have compromised the integrity of the game. But he found the Dominicans’ behavior a new low, given they are led by Pujols. 

“Considering their manager, Albert Pujols, is such a class act, this surprised me,” he said. “I’m betting he didn’t approve!”

The Dominican Republic hasn’t just lost the chance for a second WBC title. They might have lost some people’s respect as well. But the last pitch controversy has proven how badly we need the ABS challenge system in the game. 

While Mark DeRosa and Team USA prepare for the final showdown, the baseball community learned how professionals should NOT behave.