New York Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay criticized what he saw as excessive patriotism during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, including Team USA manager Mark DeRosa's decision to bring former Navy SEAL Robert J. O'Neill into the locker room.[1]
O'Neill, who claims to have fired the shots that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, addressed the players ahead of their quarterfinal game against Venezuela on March 19, 2023, at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Team USA won 9-7 in 10 innings.[2][3]
On his ESPN New York radio show "The Michael Kay Show" the following day, Kay said: "The thing that makes me a little uneasy … I don’t like wrapping sports in the flag and preaching patriotism and bringing in SEAL Team 6 people. The only uniform that counts to me is the one that’s worn by the men and women of our military."[1]
Kay added that athletes wearing "USA" do not represent him and that military personnel, not baseball players, determine the country's greatness. He described international competitions as enjoyable but not "a referendum on my country."[1]
Show partner Mike Lupica called the SEAL visit "a little dodgy" and noted that mixing politics with sports leads down an unwanted "rabbit hole."[1]
DeRosa defended the visit in an interview, stating it was his decision to remind players of the event's purpose beyond competition—to honor those who protect freedom, including service members.[4]
Team USA players including Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge spoke publicly about the pride of representing their country during the tournament, which concluded with Japan defeating the United States 3-2 in the final on March 21, 2023, at loanDepot park in Miami.[2][3]
Sources
- Awful Announcing, "Michael Kay doesn’t like ‘wrapping sports in the flag’ or too much patriotism talk from Team USA at World Baseball Classic", March 23, 2023, https://awfulannouncing.com/radio/michael-kay-world-baseball-classic-patriotism-navy-seal.html
- MLB.com, "United States outlasts Venezuela in 10 innings", March 20, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/united-states-advances-in-wbc-with-win-vs-venezuela
- World Baseball Classic official site (MLB), "2023 World Baseball Classic Schedule and Results", accessed October 2024, https://www.mlb.com/worldbaseballclassic/schedule
- Defector, "Mark DeRosa On Team USA, Robert O’Neill And The Navy SEALs", March 22, 2023, https://defector.com/mark-derosa-on-team-usa-robert-oneill-and-the-navy-seals
