Minasian: This guy is just different when it comes to baseball. Seiler: So many guys wanted to be a part of it because of Mike’s commitment. And if he wanted to play, then we were all for it. Perry Minasian, current Angels GM: asked about playing, and I'm a big believer in this event. Seiler: You couldn’t ask for a better table-setter. So I’ve kind of seen both sides of it - from a GM’s perspective with a club and now, on this side, putting the team together. Reagins: I was familiar with the process and had been involved in one shape or form with the World Baseball Classic for a long time. When this was the next iteration of our national team on the pro level, it made sense to have a former GM and a guy who would be very close to USA Baseball and Team USA to lead the 2023 World Baseball Classic team. So I worked with Tony very closely over the last couple years in putting teams together. Then, when that was delayed because of COVID, it rolled into 2021. Seiler: Tony, through his role in the Commissioner’s Office, was very hands-on when we were putting together our Olympic qualifying team back in 2020. In the summer of 2022, Tony Reagins, former Angels general manager and current chief baseball development officer for MLB, was tasked with the role of GM for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Here, in their own words, is the story of how baseball’s Dream Team came together. We talked to many of those involved to get the answers. So how and why did so many big names come to be involved with Team USA and the ’23 Classic? And what will it take for the U.S., which opens play Saturday in Phoenix in a pool featuring Mexico, Colombia, Canada and Great Britain, to repeat? Watch the World Baseball Classic live on FOX, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes and Tubi.While other countries - most notably the Dominican Republic, which again will be fielding a jaw-dropping roster of its own in this tournament - always put their best foot forward from a roster perspective, many of the best American players had been accused of treating this tournament like an afterthought or a nuisance, instead of the awesome opportunity it is. Complete World Baseball Classic coverage.It certainly features more star power than the 2017 unit that captured the crown and ended the country’s ignominious history in this World Cup-like showcase that began in 2006. The American entry for the 2023 World Baseball Classic is arguably the top-to-bottom best squad Team USA has ever fielded in an international competition. Even the coaching staff has eye-popping names from baseball past. It is USA Baseball’s answer to the “Dream Team” - a 30-man roster packed with future Hall of Famers, perennial All-Stars, MVPs and rising studs.
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