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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL C

March 9, 2017

Tony Pena

Miami, Florida

Q. First of all, I want to greet you and to be the first line for us Latin Americans. We were undefeated as a team in 2013. Now in 2017, how do you see this year? How do you see our perspectives and then where do you think that the Dominican Republic team could have a better performance this year?
TONY PEÃ‘A: First of all, I want to greet you all. I want to say hi to everybody. Welcome again.

Look, on paper, this team looks better than the team in 2013. We have good chemistry, every player that is here is here because he wants to be here. One of the things we have is that when we wear this uniform that says "Dominican Republic", we're going to be play the game.

Q. (No microphone.)
TONY PEÃ‘A: Well, we started today with Carlos Martinez, and in the second game Volquez will go. In the third game against Colombia we will have Wily Peralta at that.

It is good to emphasize that the strong point of this team is the bullpen. We have a great bullpen. And I will not be afraid to use any of those guys in any situation.

Q. What is your strategy with Nelson Cruz? You'll have him batting either fifth or sixth?
TONY PEÃ‘A: In the exhibition games, what I wanted to do was to move everybody. To move everybody to try to give them more turns at-bat, and Nelson Cruz is one of the players that I think that he's going to bat there. So I don't want to be moving him around, as I did with Machado and Robinson Cano.

So the team offensively the Dominican Republic team looks very good. We are not going to be overconfident. Baseball can surprise you. One thing I told each of my boys, let's start this Classic, but I don't want any of you to believe that we are the best team. We are the worst team. Why? Because we have to show that we are good. On paper we are good, but we have to show that we are good.

Q. How are you going to use Fernando Rodney and the closers? (No microphone.) How do you see him?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Okay, we have four closers in the bullpen. So only one of them can close. So, I'm going to close the game, since when I'm ready to close the game, I can close it with any of the boys. Maybe we will close it with Familia. So I'm sharing this with you before I'm sharing it with my players, but I don't want you to be surprised when you see him.

Q. (No microphone).
TONY PEÃ‘A: Beltre is in the lineup. Is he going to play? If he's in the lineup, he's going to play.

Q. What does this event mean for the Dominican Republic? And this time around is it even bigger because nobody beat your team last time?
TONY PEÃ‘A: It's big, very, very big for our country. Everybody in the Dominican Republic is a baseball player. I believe that everybody from Dominican, they know the game better than a lot of people think. We are starting to play the game since we are like five years old. If you ask any Dominican male if he had ever played baseball, they would tell you yes, we did.

It means a lot, our culture, it's totally different than what people think, and one thing that whenever we put a uniform on that says "Dominicana" in front, it means a lot to us, because we are not only representing ourself, but we have a country that we need to represent. And everybody is counting on us.

Q. Many people are asking for Carlos Martinez (indiscernible), but after we saw with Israel in Asia, we can see that there is no small rival here?
TONY PEÃ‘A: I have always said that in baseball there is no small enemy. Everybody's equal in baseball and when you start an event or any playoff, with the playoff you cannot think of tomorrow, you have to think day to day. We are thinking of today and then we plan for the next game. In baseball you can many surprises and I don't want to be the first to be surprised.

Q. We have seen that you have made some changes now, Adrian Beltre is in the lineup, Manny Machado at third base?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Yes.

Q. Nelson Cruz?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Nelson Cruz will DH.

Q. First of all, welcome to Miami. I have a question that has nothing to do with the game, but what does it represent to you to play here in Miami where there is complete fury the game on Saturday is totally sold out, the U.S. versus Dominican Republic? So talking about baseball, maybe because the fury among Cuba and the Cuban team here in Miami?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Look, I'm not the person who organizes the event. These are things that I leave up to you and for them to have an opinion. I reserve my own opinion.

Of course it is a pleasure to be here in Miami. Why? Because we're going to see so many fans that many people are not ready to see. Our feelings, we already expressed them in the previous Classic, where the Dominican Republic, the Dominican fans are coming on a fleet from the Dominican Republic to see their players who are representing them. So, really, for us, I am very happy that I'm here, not in Puerto Rico? Why, because it gives an opportunity for many Dominicans that can't travel too far but now they can see it because they are close.

Q. At the end of the game yesterday, Starling Marte was limping. What is his condition?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Look, Starling reached second base yesterday and he felt his ankle a bit bad, but not starting everything. Expecting to meet the boys to go over the lineup and see how Starling is doing. But the Pirates' doctor saw him yesterday and he said that it was nothing serious.

Q. We have talked of several players in your lineup, could you give us the complete lineup for today's game?
TONY PEÃ‘A: I cannot give you the lineup now. I can give you the five or six first hitters, but I cannot -- Reyes at shortstop as the first hitter, Machado second at third, Cano third, Bautista fourth, Santana fifth, and Nelson Cruz sixth and Beltre seventh.

Q. What's the difference in the process of preparing for 2013 compared to the process of preparing for 2017?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Many of the boys who showed up, they were already getting ready. Unfortunately, all the boys are not 100% yet because the Spring Training started only two weeks ago. So some boys are not in optimal condition 100%, but they are good enough to do the job.

Q. We know more or less how the atmosphere is here in Miami. We would like to know how are the fans in the Dominican Republic, how are they experiencing this Classic, because they're defending their title in this 2017 series.
TONY PEÃ‘A: Look, from what I've been told in the Dominican Republic when the game starts, it's like a curfew; everybody's home watching the game, and seeing what's going to happen.

Q. For you to see the fans that come from all over the world to support you, the way that the Dominican press is here to watch this team, to support them, coming from winning in 2013, is that more of a reason to be happy?
TONY PEÃ‘A: The responsibility is always there. But we're going to play. There have been a lot of comments that the Dominican Republic is the best team, is the team to beat. No, I don't think that. The team to beat is every team. We have to be ready and not to be surprised by anything.

I tell the boys, what happened in 2013, it's in the past. That's history. We are starting now. Nobody's going to give us anything, we have to go get it and we are ready to go get it.

Q. Two questions: Beltre is designated today, we don't know that the condition he had before he got here. He cannot play defense in the Classic or what is the status of Beltre to play defense? And in this game the starter, are they able to see the video stuff?
TONY PEÃ‘A: Beltre is ready to play. Unfortunately, I cannot tell -- give you everything for one game. I'll try to do everything possible to have all my boys play, so they can participate. That's why they're here.

Dempster, everybody knows that he's a great competitor. He was a great. He was great with Boston, then with the Cubs. We have watched a few videos, but they are videos from two years ago. So we have to get ready because lately we don't know really what we're going to see.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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