Before the Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) Gala on December 5, Matt Tallarini spoke with Dave Righetti about the state of baseball, his experience, and much more! Watch the full video at the bottom.
Q: Dave, how does it feel to be here at the 2024 IABF Gala?
“Oh, it’s great. I mean been a while since I’ve been in the Bronx other than as a player or coach, so to be able to do this and celebrate what’s going to happen tonight and all the hard work these people do every day, it’s like full circle.
Q: You worked with Mark DeRosa during the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Team USA, what was that like playing against the top competition with guys from all around the world?
“It was a great experience. I watched a lot of guys put their egos aside, wanting to do anything to help the United States win that thing. With Andy Pettitte being the pitching coach, they asked me to go down in the bullpen, and I said I’d be glad to. That was fun; it was like being in the playoffs from the first game, so you had to be ready to go. There was no easing into it, and I loved being in the action again and being a part of it.
Q: Just a few weeks ago, Mike Scioscia led Team USA to the bronze medal in the Premier12. What’s it like to see what Mike is doing now with USA baseball?
“It seems like he’s been doing it forever, right? My guess is there was an influence there [from] former Dodger catcher Mike Piazza. It must have been an easy flow for both of them to talk to each other about what’s going on with Team Italy, but seeing Mike win with the younger kids it’s just cool. Mike’s been doing it forever. I’m proud of him, and I’m sure he will groom somebody else.
Q: How do you feel about where the game is now compared to when you were drafted in 1977?
“Well, it’s not the pitcher’s fault. It’s devolving, not evolving, and it’s been forced upon them, and they had to do it. If I started a ball game and I got no decision, I didn’t get an L or a W, you just can’t live with yourself. Your job is to get the goose one way or another. If you want to beat Jack Morris, Jim Palmer, or whoever it was, you better touch the ninth or touch the eighth for sure. So you train yourself, your brain, your body, and your pitches. We had thousands of guys doing it all of a sudden, they can’t? So you know it was forced upon them. these kids can handle it but now it will take a generation to stop it. They’re not even doing it in high school, so how can you expect these guys to do it in pro ball.”
