Reds manager Dusty Baker couldn’t believe it when his son, Darren, told him the United States had yet to get out of the second round through the first three World Baseball Classic tournaments.

And on Saturday, just before a split-squad game against the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium, Baker said he’d be open to the idea of helping his country improve on that pedestrian record at some point in the future.

Not now, mind you, but when retirement comes calling.

“Maybe when I get through. I don’t want to do it now. But maybe (eventually),” he said. “I mean Davey Johnson did it, Joe Torre did it. Tony LaRussa’s probably next in line in front of me.”

Baker will be happy to get the services of second baseman Brandon Phillips back. After the American contingent was eliminated from the WBC, Phillips was set to report back to Goodyear on Saturday. He is not, however, expected to be in the lineup when the Reds meet the Indians on Sunday (4:05 p.m., Fox Sports Ohio). Baker planned on giving Phillips Sunday off.

“Brandon played every day, nine innings every day, and he had to travel cross-country twice,” Baker said.

And as for watching the Americans go down yet again, Baker said he wasn’t unhappy with the results, although he’s not thrilled with the lack of emotion the event stirs in the U.S. baseball community.

“It hurts me to see, not the elimination part, but the fact that most of our best players didn’t play. Not to take anything away from the guys here, but a lot of players canceled out for whatever reason,” Baker said. “You look at the other countries, and very few players canceled. That shows that I don’t know if this is as much of an American game as we like to think. There’s a lot of countries that really care.”

Baker said he’d like to see a renewed enthusiasm that could match that of other countries, but within reason.

“Some of it’s over-emotion,” he said. “Some of it’s close to clownin’.”

More on the move: The Reds continued to whittle their numbers, optioning four players to Triple-A Louisville and another to Double-A Pensacola.

Right-handed pitchers Curtis Partch and Pedro Villarreal and infielders Henry Rodriguez and Neftali Soto were sent to Louisville, while Donald Lutz — who Baker refers to as “Big Lutz” — will start the season in Pensacola.

As for Rodriguez, the problem wasn’t offense. He finished the spring hitting .370 in 14 games. But Rodriguez’s glove work didn’t do him any favors; he had five of the team’s 20 errors this spring.

“It’s not only defensively, it’s judgement in certain things. In order to improve your judgement, you either need to be very instinctive or play more and hone in those instincts,” Baker said. “That’s the sad thing about the game today: everybody wants to you to win, but they only see hitting. You win games hitting, but you lose games in other areas. Throwing, defense, base running, everything.”

Hamilton back: After taking a few days off to rest a sore hamstring, Billy Hamilton was back in the lineup on Saturday, leading off in Scottsdale against the Giants with a triple to right and later scoring the game’s first run.

Baker said he didn’t think the time off was a benefit to Hamilton, even though the speedster came into the contest with just two hits in 18 at-bats.

“I don’t see the time helping him. It’s hard in spring training to get your timing, then you take four, five, six, seven days off and you might be looser or not pressing, but it depends how your performance is,” Baker said. “You might be tighter. Then you see your friends being sent out. And you know it’s a matter of time until you get sent out.”

Hamilton, who’s being groomed to eventually take over as the team’s center fielder and leadoff hitter, has struggled to make contact at times.

“He wasn’t pressing. I don’t see him pressing. He was a bit overmatched sometimes,” Baker said. “And that can happen, especially when you’re young. But I’m glad he’s healthy. And I want to give him an opportunity to play.”

Extra bases: The perfect sunny Saturday brought plenty of fans out to Scottsdale Stadium; all 11,738 tickets were sold. … Mike Leake didn’t do much to help his cause, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs in less than four innings of work against the Brewers. Leake allowed one run in his first two outings. … Meanwhile, Aroldis Chapman went four innings, allowing two hits and a run against the Giants. … After Devin Mesoraco scored on a passed ball in the eighth inning, Giants manager Bruce Bochy worked up his vocal chords with some heated words for home plate umpire Corey Blaser. The close play gave the Reds a 3-2 lead. … Mat Latos and Jonathan Broxton are due to see work against the Indians on Sunday.