|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL DMarch 10, 2017Omar VizquelZapopan, Jalisco, México Q. We know that it's Felix the opening of the first game. Can you tell us the opening pitchers for 2 and 3 and why? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, the No. 2 is going to be Martin Perez, the lefty from the Texas Rangers, and No. 3 we're thinking about Yusmeiro Petit, but it is a question still. We haven't confirmed it yet. It depends on what happens in the first two games. Q. (No microphone)? OMAR VIZQUEL: Simply, we don't have a lot of starting pitchers because of the limitation, and when they stopped a lot of starters and we are counting on the experience of those two pitchers as starters, and then we have to fill in with relievers. Q. What's your impression of being in the World Baseball Classic where Venezuela is one of the favorite teams, and also the probability to be eligible to the Hall of Fame? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, really all teams are favorites from here. Every team is very well rounded. Everybody has seen things that are sure for winning. From our side of course we have had a couple of good Spring Training games. We have been working very well in the last three weeks. In spite of the fact that there were some previous meetings about the Venezuelan team, and I think we have a good team, and we feel that we are really well-geared in order to follow the record, there is a very big responsibility for our country, which is living some difficult times. But we have players that feel that energy to bring Venezuela a triumph and bring a lot of smiles. About next year, really I am really happy that I am going to have that -- to be taken into account for the Hall of Fame. I cannot, of course, do anything else about that, only wait for the voters to choose, and I believe I have good numbers to be there. Obviously compared with other shortstops, I am very happy about it, and I am proud that I am going to have that opportunity. Q. I would like to know how you feel about México versus Italy, and if you made some notations, something about Italy and México that you may not have noticed before. OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, yeah, I was surprised because when we were looking at the game on the plane, we had left from where we were, and I saw the score, and it favored México. Then I went to sleep. When we got up after, we saw the final score, and I was surprised because I saw that the Italian team came from behind. We don't know, the quality of México, and we understand that there is no underdog. Anybody can win as long as they have a chance. That's how we're working it, and every team we're going to play strong, the same way. Q. Is it true that MLB -- you can overcome (indiscernible) from any Major League team? OMAR VIZQUEL: Any player at home at-bat and any pitcher on the mound has the opportunity to go to a different level. It doesn't mean that because you're in MLB you're going to play better than the other ones. I think the other ones have a bigger challenge to elevate their game to be at the level of everybody else, and it helps them a lot. I think those are the most dangerous players because we don't know them and we don't pay much attention to them. They can be the cause of damage in a game like what happened with Italy. Q. Venezuela was one of the few teams that trained before the established time for the World Baseball Classic and some of the other selections were complaining about that. What's your opinion about the complaints? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, first and foremost, I don't think it was something organized by management. The players were able to train in the same place. The guys went around, and several people from the team decided to come over to do training, and something was created like a mini-camp, what they called mini-camp, and we invited -- they were invited from -- by word of mouth. It was really cool because there were opportunities before -- there was not that kind of unity among themselves, and even a lot of coaches went over there to talk to them, and it was something beautiful, which was their own initiative. I don't know, I don't know why other selections have been complaining if they were doing the same thing one way or the other. There's no problem, it's part of the Spring Training which players have to get ready. Q. Yesterday in the México game, the ball really flew. How is it going to favor you? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, very well. I think we have a lot of people that can hit the ball out of the park at any time from the first to the ninth hitter. That is going to be the strategy when they pitch, so we cannot make mistakes, and if we do, that could very well affect the final result. You have to pitch carefully. Q. As a player you could represent Venezuela. What do you think about representing your country in a WBC, especially as a manager? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, I did in the first Classic, and we had a nice -- beautiful. In spite of the names, we couldn't hit the way we thought, and that's why it was so difficult for us to advance on the other rounds. At this time I'm doing it as a manager, and I have passed around the voice, how difficult the physical preparation is for tournaments of this size, and everybody is conscious and has been getting ready for this challenge, and I think the experiences from past years is going to help us to overcome those difficulties from the past. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|