Ken Griffey Jr., Andy Pettitte Headline Team USA Coaching Staff For 2023 World Baseball Classic

Image credit: Ken Griffey Jr. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

USA Baseball announced Team USA’s coaching staff for the 2023 World Baseball Classic on Tuesday afternoon.

Former White Sox and Mets manager Jerry Manuel will be the bench coach, former Yankees and Astros lefthander Andy Pettitte will be the pitching coach, Hall of Fame slugger Ken Griffey Jr. will be the hitting coach, former Pirates infielder Lou Collier will be the first base coach, Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel will serve in the same role and former Yankees and Giants lefthander Dave Righetti will be the bullpen coach.

The staff will serve under Mark DeRosa, who was named Team USA’s manager last week.

Manuel provides nine years of managerial experience after leading the White Sox from 1998-2003 and the Mets from 2008-10. That experience should provide key support for DeRosa, who has never managed or coached at any level.

Righetti was the Giants pitching coach from 2000-17 and Ebel has coached in various roles for 31 years, including as a major league bench coach and third base coach. Collier previously served as the hitting and infield coach at Illinois Tech and currently works as a scout for the Royals.

Pettitte and Griffey will be making their professional coaching debuts. Pettitte did serve as a pitching coach at the inaugural Prospect Development Pipeline League in 2019 and Griffey previously worked as a Mariners special assistant for player development.

Griffey played for Team USA during the inaugural 2006 WBC.