New York – For the first time in his professional career, Aaron Judge wore a baseball cap that represented something other than New York Yankis.
“Found the right shape,” the judge said he smiled and placed a fit team USA cap on his head.
Of course, this was the right size, because Mark Derosa was dreaming of a judge representing the United States from that moment to become the manager of the team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
He does not need to dream anymore. Judge and Derosa formally announced at the Yanki Stadium on Monday afternoon that he would work as a captain for Team USA in next year’s much awaited global tournament. This will participate in WBC for the first time of the judge, and he is the first player to be nominated in the Team USA roster for 2026.
The judge said, “There is a chance to represent the country, just thinking about all the brave men and women who have fought for this country and kept their lives down for us so that it can get a chance to go there and play the game, it is a very humble experience.” “Happy to represent America and I am happy to be your captain.”
For Derosa, the judge, who led the team on the field, grabbed the American flag, made a lot of understanding. But first, he had to clean it with the boy who took the flag in the 2023 WBC final before taking the team in Japan to America. Angels outfielder Mike Trout was the captain of the team USA at Trout 2023, and is happy to pass that responsibility to do justice.
“I arrived for trout yesterday,” said Derosa. “Told him where we were going. He said,” He is one. ” I can be removed more for Aaron Judge to be a captain for team USA. ,
USA vs Japan Highlights | 2023 World Baseball Classic Championship
The judge said that he did not talk with Yankise before his decision to play in 2026 WBC.
“I think he is the perfect face to become the captain of the team USA,” said Aaron Boon, manager of Yankis. “I know he is really excited about it. I think it will be a great thing.”
This is Derosa’s second time asking the judge to play for the team USA. The judge was admitted to join the Star-Staded US Roster in the 2022 winter, but was a little busy navigating his own free agency at that time. In addition, he had abolished a piece of 2022 campaign; Scoring 62 domestic runs with media and fan frenzy, which can take toll on anyone with a historical record breaking.
When the two -time MVP Award winner eventually signed a nine -year agreement with Yenkis and was named captain in December of that year, his main priority was spending time with his comrades. The judge did not feel that it was the right time to give up the spring training of Yankis.
But the judge, who would be 33 years old on 26 April, said that he always wanted to play for the team USA. He will now follow the footsteps of former Yankis captain Derek Jetter, who represented Team USA at World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009.
He said, “Before I get very old and Mark I got a chance to get out of there now.”
Derosa played the team as a member of the USA at the 2009 WBC with a jetter. He appeared in all eight matches, hits .316, and in this event led the USA’s first semi -final appearance with nine RBI to lead red, white and blue.
“This is different when you have a USA across your chest. I can’t talk about it enough,” Derosa said. “Something happens when you put the USA across your chest and you walk in the club house and you see all those people. It just means something different. You are playing more than yourself. You are playing for your great-grandfather. You are playing for your grandparents, what you represent, what they represent, your values, your values, your values, everything.”
WBC has increased popularity as the USA defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship game in 2017. But there was nothing like the Pandmonium surrounding the 2023 international program, when Derosa operated the most star-stad roster in WBC history.
Team USA’s 30-man roster consisted of 21 all-stars and four MVPs, including Trout, Muki Bates, Paul Goldsmidt and Clayton Korshw. Although he came close two years ago when Shohi Ohtani and Samurai Japan stood on the way, the team was the last and only WBC Championships of the USA at the WBC Championship 2017. The first three installments of the tournament, which began in 2006, were won by Japan (twice) and Dominican Republic.
The judge team is hungry to reconstruct the title for the USA. Although he will leave the responsibility of recruiting the player to his captain, it will be interesting to see if there is a wave effect around baseball that one of the largest faces of the game has now announced that he will play. Can the National League Ruki of the Year Paul scans be next? What about All-Star Shortstop Bobby Wit Junior?
“I think this team is going to be on a mission,” said the judge. “A lot of hungry people of the previous WBC team who want to be in it. I am going to leave it for the mark and let it talk. Get the team that he got the last time and adds some more faces.”
Derosa said, from the point of view of a situation, he “may probably fill five lineups with those who want to do it.” But it is a pitching staff that will be more difficult to lock. Pickers (and their manager) are usually apprehensive about playing with their ramp-ups with their offsen trimmed, if it leads to injury. Since WBC occurs during spring training, it may be difficult for the pitchers to agree to jump into the environment of that competitive playoff, while keeping in mind that they are still building their timings for the Major League baseball season.
“This is the most difficult task for these people,” said Derosa. “They are coming out of 10 days in spring training and they are smacking in the mouth with a playoff at-bat. But it is also that it does not want to say that they shades their ego, because it makes them successful-but plays as a team, and plays as a team.
“I think we are all under a flag, a nation,” said the judge. “I think this is a very good concept that you get a group of people who compete against each other throughout the year, and now you can bring us all together and fight under a mission. It is going to be something special. The enthusiasm to get a chance to represent our country. Are.”
The full WBC roster will be finalized by next February. The team will play in the USA Pool B, which will include Brazil, Great Britain, Italy and Mexico. Pool B is scheduled to be held on 6-11 March at Astro’s house at Dikin Park in Houston. The semi -finals and finals will be held at Miami at Landepot Park, home to Miami Marlins, starting on March 15.
Till then, the judge is on a separate mission. He focused on bringing Yankiz back to the world series and winning his first championship. Quite simple.
“I am expecting a long, long season this year,” said the judge. “Very little offsen. And we just keep rolling it in WBC.”
Desha Thosar Fox is an MLB reporter and columnist for sports. He covered Mets as a beat reporter for the first four years. New york Daily news. Follow it on Twitter @Deeshathosar,
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