NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
U.S. World Baseball Classic team manager Mark DeRosa explained why Robert J. O’Neill, the U.S. Navy SEAL credited with killing terrorist Osama bin Laden, was invited to speak to the team last week.
O’Neill addressed the team before the United States beat Canada in the quarterfinals. This decision sparked a crisis on social networks.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
United States manager Mark DeRosa talks in the dugout before a World Baseball Classic semifinal game against the Dominican Republic, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
But before the game against the Dominican Republic, DeRosa was asked about O’Neill’s presence in the locker room.
“It was my decision to bring him in,” DeRosa said via Defector. “Actually, he was brought to Houston for a few days. It wasn’t before the Canada game. I think for me there has to be… you never want it to be lost on the reason why you’re doing this. Whatever that reason is, a lot of people, like Paul Skenes, said to me when he signed up for this, ‘I want to do this for every service man and woman who protects our freedom. That’s why we carry the United States on our chest.”
2026 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC ODDS: THE UNITED STATES ARE THE BIG FAVORITE TO WIN EVERYTHING
Robert O’Neill speaks on stage during a book signing and lecture at the Richard Nixon Library on July 26, 2017 in Yorba Linda, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
“I just thought it would be a time to reorient ourselves and make these guys understand that even though it’s an incredible event and you get to share a locker room with the greats of the game, there’s a reason why you do it and a reason why people protect our freedom at night. I just wanted to honor that.”
O’Neill wasn’t the only one promoting Team USA before the game.
DeRosa revealed that American hockey hero Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada at the Olympics, contacted American baseball players before Friday’s game.
USA manager Mark DeRosa adjusts his baseball cap before an exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
The United States beat Canada, then beat the Dominican Republic to reach the World Baseball Classic final.
