New York Yankees play-by-play broadcaster Michael Kay expressed discomfort with patriotic displays during the 2023 World Baseball Classic on his radio show this week.[1]
On Wednesday's "Michael Kay Show" on 98.7 ESPN New York, Kay referenced Team USA manager Mark DeRosa inviting Robert J. O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden in 2011, to address players before the quarterfinal against Venezuela.[1][2]
The United States defeated Venezuela 9-7 in that quarterfinal on March 19, 2023, at loanDepot park in Miami. Team USA advanced to the final but lost 3-2 to Japan on March 21.[3][4]
Kay said such gestures made him uneasy, stating, "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]
Co-host Mike Lupica described bringing in a SEAL Team 6 member as "a little dodgy" and noted that introducing politics into sports opens a "rabbit hole we don’t want to head down."[1]
DeRosa explained the visit was to refocus players on the purpose of representing the United States and honoring military service members, saying it occurred during preparations in Houston earlier in the tournament.[5]
Kay added that military personnel represent the country, not athletes in international competition, and rejected the idea that sports outcomes are a referendum on national superiority.[1]
Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees were among Team USA players who spoke about the meaning of wearing the USA uniform during the tournament.[6]
Sources
- Awful Announcing, "Michael Kay doesn’t like ‘wrapping sports in the flag,’ preaching patriotism and SEAL Team 6," September 5, 2024, https://awfulannouncing.com/radio/michael-kay-wrapping-sports-flag-preaching-patriotism-seal-team-6.html
- The Athletic, "Mark DeRosa brought Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill into Team USA’s clubhouse before Venezuela win," March 20, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4260118/2023/03/20/wbc-mark-derosa-navy-seal-team-usa/
- MLB.com, "United States vs Venezuela - March 19, 2023," March 19, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/gameday/venezuela-vs-usa/2023/03/19/728845/final/box
- MLB.com World Baseball Classic, "2023 World Baseball Classic Final: Japan 3, USA 2," March 21, 2023, https://www.mlb.com/news/japan-wins-2023-world-baseball-classic
- Defector, "Mark DeRosa On Why He Invited The Bin Laden Shooter Into The Team USA Locker Room," September 2024 (accessed September 6, 2024), https://defector.com/mark-derosa-navy-seal-world-baseball-classic
- ESPN.com, "Team USA players embrace patriotism ahead of WBC quarterfinals," March 18, 2023, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/36012345/team-usa-players-proud-wbc
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