Thursday, October 30

Welcome to the International Beat newsletter. I'm MLB.com's Michael Clair and I'm glad you're here. 

He may have the most iconic catch in World Baseball Classic history, but when Adam Jones first tried out for USA Baseball as a teenager, the then-future Major League star was denied. Just 15 or 16 at the time, Jones had traveled to Houston for the youth team tryouts (where he would also meet future MLB center fielder Michael Bourn, then playing at the University of Houston). 

“I was just like, ‘One day, I’m going to represent [the USA,]'" Jones told MLB.com over Zoom from Barcelona.

That dream finally came true when USA Baseball came knocking with an offer before the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Jones had gone to his second All-Star Game and had won his first Gold Glove Award the previous offseason. At the time, close to half the players who were approached turned down the opportunity. Though it was something that Jones had been striving toward, he understood why some players didn’t feel the same. 

“It's painful [getting into playing shape that early], I’ll tell you that firsthand,” Jones said. “And I can imagine [how hard it is] for the pitchers. You can't tell me that, ‘OK, I'm throwing a Spring Training game at Ed Smith Stadium or at George Steinbrenner Field. We’ve got on our fourth alternate jersey. Cool,’ And then you throw for Team USA at Marlins Park, at Petco Park, at Dodger Stadium, there’s 40,000 fans and you’ve got [Carlos] Correa sitting on this. You’ve got [Manny] Machado on the other side. You’ve got Adrian Beltré. That's just hard.”

Adam Jones takes a swing at the 2013 World Baseball Classic. 

These days, that attitude has completely changed. Just look at the players like Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh, who have already signed up for the U.S. at next year’s World Baseball Classic.

You can thank Jones and the team’s performance at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, when USA won its first – and to this day only – World Baseball Classic championship. Of course, Jones’ remarkable leaping home run robbery of the Dominican Republic’s Manny Machado remains the most memorable moment from that tournament. 

The San Diego native remembers his feeling on the play, chasing the ball down as it seemed destined to wind up in the Petco Park stands. As he raced back to the wall on Machado’s blast, there was one voice in Jones’ head: “Keep going. Hey, keep going. Keep going.”

“It’s a play about perseverance,” Jones said. “I was a student of my craft. I knew all the center fields, I knew the rules of center field. I knew the heights of all the walls, I knew where I could jump, I knew where I wouldn’t get hurt. I knew how many steps there were on the warning track. All these things that went into playing center field.

"It’s a great catch, but it’s preparation, knowing where you’re at.” 

Adam Jones celebrates robbing Manny Machado. Click to view highlight. 

Not only does the catch play on in Jones’ memory and the memories of USA Baseball fans, but Jones’ U.S. home has a special painting of the moment made by the artist Carling Jackson, too. 

“Some things need to be captured,” Jones joked.

While the catch highlighted an incredible moment in Team USA’s history, Jones isn’t looking at himself when he watches the play. He’s watching the fans in the background – something Jackson captured in the artwork. 

“When I watch the play, I like to watch the crowd, I like to watch their reactions,” Jones said. “They’re the ones who give me the light.” 

Screenshot of Carling Jackson's Instagram post about painting Jones' catch. Click image to view on Instagram.

These days, Jones is still involved in international baseball, but not with the U.S. In addition to his work with the Baseball Assistance Team (BAT) and the Commissioner’s Ambassador Program, Jones has joined up to be the Spanish national team’s hitting coach. He was working with the team ahead of the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers this past spring, where Spain once again fell just short of reaching the main tournament, but didn't travel with the club because he didn't want to take the spot from one of the nation's long-serving coaches. 

“I'm all about baseball, having fun and promoting the game of baseball,” Jones said. “Knowing it's not big here in Europe, but here in Spain, there's a couple guys who've played in professional organizations, and we have a couple guys right now who have Spanish backgrounds, who played in professional organizations.” 

Jones, who spent his last two seasons playing in Japan, also remembered a lesson given to him by his former teammate and mentor, Mark McLemore.

“Hey, look, the back of my card is done,” McLemore told him. “The rest of this knowledge has to go out. Your job is now to pass all this that you’ve learned in this journey. I taught you, somebody taught me, you have to teach it, and you’ve got to pass it on.” 

Adam Jones on the field in Rotterdam. Photo courtesy WBSC Europe. 

Jones was most recently with the national team at the recent European Baseball Championship, where Spain finished fourth. Though it was held in Rotterdam, on one of the finest fields across Europe, Jones had to remember that this was still a long way away from the Major Leagues. 

“I also had to understand that my lens is different than everyone else's lens, and I have to also understand what I'm looking at, understand who I'm talking to. This is not a Major League ballpark. These are not Major League umpires. These are not Major League baseballs. It's not Major League dirt or grass.” 

Jones understands the criticism that the national team sometimes gets, that too many of its players originally hail from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Cuba. But he argues that the team allows its players to connect to a heritage that spans generations. 

“There are 350 million Americans. It’s pretty easy [to put together a team of Americans],” Jones said. “But for the Latin guys, to be able to represent their grandparents’ heritage or their parents’ heritage, that’s pretty special. You see it with Team Israel. You see it with Team Italy. You see it with Lars Nootbaar being able to do it with Team Japan. Tommy Edman, who played with Team Korea.”

For another, the success of the national team can be used to inspire the next generation of Spanish-born stars, players who will have grown up in Spain with dreams of donning the jersey. 

“These guys are on a national stage and I think more and more people who have Spanish backgrounds might want to play for Team Spain,” Jones said. “Obviously, every team gets older, and you need to replenish your older guys with some 23-, 24-year-olds. You never know what Spanish baseball has coming in, but ultimately, it's about growing [the game] here in Spain, and that's first and foremost. Again, it comes from the notoriety at the top level. That's how it has to start.” 

Jones has some ideas of how to build from the ground up, but he knows none of them are quick fixes. They require serious investment and dedication to seeing the project through. 

“It starts with getting some camps here, getting some big Latin names – you don’t necessarily need American guys – and trying to find guys who have some lineage back here,” Jones said. “Salvador Perez has been back many times and he is so beloved by the kids. … And then funding leads to new, better ballparks. It’s all those little things that take time, take money, take manpower. But it also takes a dream and it takes some people who want to do it.” 

Fortunately for Spain, Adam Jones is one of those people. 

Jones wasn't the only Orioles player at EuroBaseball: His former teammate, pitcher Asher Wojciechowski, was there with the Croatian national team. A few months ago, I had spoken with Wojciechowski, manager Luke Salas, and infield coach Chase d’Arnaud about their new roles with Croatia. After spending a few weeks with the team to help them prepare for the tournament, Wojciechowski didn’t just coach the pitchers, he also stepped on to a mound for the first time since 2022 to help the nation finish eighth. 

I spoke with Wojciechowski about his work with the team. Interview has been condensed and edited.

Asher Wojciechowski closes out the victory. Click image to view highlight on X. 

MLB: What was the EuroBaseball experience like for you and the rest of the guys? 

Asher Wojciechowski: Overall, it was a great experience. First, going to Antwerp and playing there and getting a feel for the field. It was a smaller field with no hitter’s eye and the backdrop was an airport. So planes are just flying right in. The fact that we played so well there, and swept our group and beat Belgium on a walk-off home run, that was just a really exciting time. And then we had to go and play the game against Sweden, and we played in the big stadium [Neptunus Familiestadion], so our guys got to get a taste of that. 

Then the fight we had against the Netherlands. They’re the best team and we came out and frankly, threw a hell of a game. We scored in the first and then they were up 2-1 in the eighth and put on another run. The fight that we had against them, I was just really proud of that game. 

I think after that game, our guys were pretty gassed and we ran out of steam towards the end. But all in all, everybody gave everything they had and I think we played really well up until our last game against Israel, when we were completely out of pitching. That was the only game we gave up more than three runs. 

MLB: You also came back to pitch and close out the game against Austria. How did that come about? Were you planning on pitching? 

AW: During camp, we had one starter that we were planning on being there and eating up a lot of innings not be able to make it. And then we had another starter/long man show up injured and not be able to be on the team. So that put me in the position where I had to get my arm moving. 

It was the first time I was throwing in almost three and a half years and it was exciting. I think my thought process was a lot different. I was a lot calmer, a lot more strategic in the pitches, just because I know I didn't have my fastball, but I still do have a really good cutter and a really good slider. 

We're up 4-2 against Austria, and I hit the first guy with the slider and then strike the next guy out. Then I get a fly ball to left that I think we misplayed a little bit. I thought it was an out the whole way, but our left fielder slipped on the surface in Antwerp – the outfield was pretty dicey. So, Austria had runners on second and third, one out, 4-2, my first live competition in three-and-a-half years. Then I strike the next guy out and I get a popup to first base to get my first European save. It was a fun experience. I definitely was really sore for the next five days and then I had to go back to coaching.

Croatia lines up before its game against Sweden. Photo by @honkbalsoftbalnl and courtesy WBSC Europe. 

MLB: Was it hard to balance coaching and playing? Any thoughts to a comeback? 

AW: When you're a coach, you have to be selfless, and when you're a player, you need to be pretty selfish about your routine and about what you're doing. So, doing those two things is definitely a tough balancing act, but I was able to do it. I thought it was a great experience, but I will not be making a comeback.

MLB: You previously had some experience playing in Europe when you were in Little League in Romania. How did this compare? 

AW: I was definitely getting some flashbacks being in Europe, and you show up and there's a baseball complex, and you're like, ‘Well, I'm not used to seeing a baseball complex in Europe.’ For me, I remember, showing up to to Kutno, Poland, and that was the biggest stadium I ever played in at the time, and just being in the awe.

What I noticed this time was it was really cool to see the Croatian players who had never been in a big stadium like that. When we walked in and saw the stadium in Rotterdam, it was a really cool experience, just to just watch their reaction and watch them take it in. Because I've played in big league stadiums, and had the moment where I pull up my phone and I record everything, and have that ‘wow’ moment. This time, it was more just reflecting on my journey, but then also helping guys with their journey in baseball. 

MLB: It wasn’t just you on the team. There was Chase D’Arnaud on the coaching staff, former big leaguer Joey Terdoslavich on the roster, Triple-A veteran Jantzen Witte on the team. What was that balance like? 

AW: I think it went great. I think both Joey and Jantzen are just both great team guys and just great clubhouse guys, so they blended in extremely well. It was also like having two more coaches on staff, because they were at the field early. They were working with hitters early, they were talking approach with guys. It's just like having two really good veterans on your Major League team that younger guys can go to. It was really cool to see the guys take advantage of that, and take advantage of working with us, having guys come in and be like, ‘Hey, can I come in early in the morning?’ I think we’ve laid some good foundation moving forward on some systems and processes that guys can then build upon.

ROUNDING THE GLOBE

Pat Borders looks back on his gold medal run for Team USA in 2000. 

• Jones and Wojciechowski weren't the only big league stars to take the field in Rotterdam. Didi Gregorius was named MVP and Jonathan Schoop went off with a couple homers. Here are the standout stars from the tournament. 
• One of Japan's biggest sluggers, Munetaka Murakami, is expected to be posted this winter. Mark Feinsand took a look at what the market for the homer-hitting Samurai Japan third baseman might be.
• Last month was the 25th anniversary of Team USA's gold medal run at the 2000 Summer Olympics. I spoke with Pat Borders, the veteran star catcher, who returned from what seemed to be a tournament-ending injury to help the team win gold. 
• The draft pool for the Women's Professional Baseball League is out and it's a true global affair. You'll find players from the USA, Canada, Japan, Mexico, UK, France, Korea, and Puerto Rico.
• Winter League action has begun! You can stream LIDOM and the Mexican Pacific League with a subscription to MLB.TV. With this being a World Baseball Classic year, star players like Juan Soto and José Ramírez are rumored to have interest in playing. 

BEFORE POCKET PANCAKES, THERE WERE POCKET POFFERTJES? 

Long before Pat Murphy was the manager of the Brewers, he was actually the manager for the Netherlands. Murphy led the Dutch to victory at the 1987 European Championship, earning the team a spot at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Though he was unable to join the team for the Olympics as he was then managing Notre Dame, he returned to guide the ballclub at the 2000 Olympics in Australia.

Check out this photo of Murphy from that first stint leading the Netherlands in '87: 

Pat Murphy speaks to a player on the Netherlands national team in 1987. Photo courtesy Eric de Vries' personal archive.

Juan Marichal takes the field for the start of the opening ceremony.

Now this is how you start a season: When the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) began its 2025 campaign, they made sure to honor the legendary Juan Marichal the right way. The Tigres de Licey's opening ceremony -- Ceremonia de apertura --  didn't just include players paying respect to Marichal. There were dominoes played on the field, fruit vendors, and -- befitting the pitcher's love of motorcycles -- a special motorcycle parade around the field. Click on the photo above to watch the ceremony in full. 

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For tips, hints, or just to talk about international baseball, find me @michaelsclair on X/Twitter and IG or email me at Michael.Clair@MLB.com.

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