The USA coaching staff of the World Baseball Classic is going to feature some familiar faces, including one of the most iconic figures in MLB lore.
Ken Griffey Jr. joined the World Baseball Classic coaching staff as a hitting coach, it was announced Tuesday. The Kid was announced alongside five other coaches — including pitching coach Andy Pettitte — who will serve on the staff of coach Mark DeRosa.
The World Baseball Classic, which will be returning in March 2023 after a hiatus due to COVID, already has several big-name players featured for Team USA, including Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado, and Mike Trout.
Griffey ranks seventh in MLB history with 630 home runs, and is known to have one of the smoothest swings the game has ever seen. How that will translate to coaching is TBD.
MORE: Meet Munetaka Murakami, Japan’s young slugging phenom
Who is on the Team USA coaching staff?
Team USA’s manager will be Mark DeRosa, who played 16 seasons from 1998 to 2013 with the Braves, Rangers, Cubs, Guardians, Cardinals, Giants, Nationals, and Blue Jays. A career .268 hitter who retired with exactly 100 home runs, DeRosa has since been on MLB The Show as an announcer and served as an analyst for the MLB Network.
As for his staff, DeRosa is joined by Griffey as a hitting coach and Pettitte as a pitching coach. His bench coach will be Jerry Manuel, a fellow MLB Network analyst.
| Name | Role |
| Mark DeRosa | Manager |
| Jerry Manuel | Bench Coach |
| Ken Griffey Jr. | Hitting Coach |
| Andy Pettitte | Pitching Coach |
| Lou Collier | 1st Base Coach |
| Dino Ebel | 3rd Base Coach |
| Dave Righetti | Bullpen Coach |
They’re going to have a lot of talent to work with, but it’s hard to say how much coaching really goes on at the WBC. After all, it is essentially an all-world tournament.
What does Ken Griffey Jr. do in retirement?
Although Griffey played for several teams throughout his MLB career, his heart was always in Seattle.
The legendary slugger has an ownership stake in the Mariners since Oct. 2021, making him the first former player to have ownership of the team. As of June 2021, he’s also part of the Baseball Board of Directors.
Griffey is also the Senior Advisor to the Commissioner, another job he acquired in 2021.
His focus in this role is youth development in the game.
MORE: When will Bryce Harper return?
Who is playing in the World Baseball Classic?
Several major players have been named to the World Baseball Classic already, including captain Trout.
Arenado and Harper are some of the other notable names, alongside Trevor Story, Paul Goldschmidt, and J.T. Realmuto.
| Player | Position |
| Mike Trout (C) | OF |
| Bryce Harper | OF |
| Cedric Mullins | OF |
| Paul Goldschmidt | 1B |
| Pete Alonso | 1B |
| Trevor Story | 2B |
| Nolan Arenado | 3B |
| J.T. Realmuto | C |
Other names should emerge in the near future, and the roster is unofficial as of now.
When does the World Baseball Classic begin?
The World Baseball Classic begins March 8, 2023, but qualifiers begin in Regensburg, Germany, Sep. 16-21 and Panama City, Panama, Sep. 30-Oct. 5.
Team USA, the reigning champions, will begin in Pool C. Their tournament will start March 11 at Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks, against Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and another qualified team TBD.
Hits: 0
