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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL DMarch 12, 2017Edwin RodriguezZapopan, Jalisco, México Puerto Rico - 9, Italy - 4. Q. Can you tell us about your performance from your club this tournament, and also looking forward to the next round starting with the Dominican Republic on Tuesday? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Well, we all saw that on the field. I mean, every game, the offense was there, and the pitching was there, so the defense was there. So we have a very good balanced team in the defense and the offense. We have a very good combination of veteran players and young players with a lot of energy. They are very committed to what we're trying to do here, and they showed that on the field. So we are very confident moving forward. Q. Dominican Republic on Tuesday? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Yeah, we're playing Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Then again, we've faced very good teams here, very good pitching, Venezuela, México and Italy, and definitely, I mean, if we want to win the gold, we are planning to do that. We have to face the best teams, and definitely Dominican is one of them. We're ready for them, and I'm sure they also have been watching us, too, in the same way we've been watching them. It's going to be a great game. Q. Do you have a prediction for the starting pitching for the remainder of the tournament? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: No, we are analyzing the options, and obviously tomorrow we will have who it will be. But we are trying to think who pitched -- how many pitches he had, who we have in mind for this series. Tomorrow we will have a better idea. Q. The first game in this group was against Venezuela. The next one is for Puerto Rico and Dominican. Facing hard teams, is it better starting a series? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Well, this kind of tournament, we have to play with the same intensity no matter who the team is, and that has been proven already. But yeah, that Venezuela lineup in the first game that we -- our pitching got better. And now moving to San Diego there, the first lineup against a team like Dominican, of course. It is good because we will get there rested. All of our arms are rested, and you cannot lose sight of the fact that this is Spring Training for a lot of players, so those days of rest help a lot. I would like to call it an advantage that they are traveling and they are getting three hours, and we are already in the same time zone. We try to look for an advantage against Dominican, but we're ready for them. Q. I don't think you've used every pitcher, but have you considered using a new rule of pulling pitchers? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Yes, that has been thought about, Jose De Leon is on the list, but then we'll have to see if the organization allows him to come and pitch, and then he will have to be a lot of things happening for that first, which stage of his preparation is José De Leon, if he can give us three or four innings, and if he is going to be in his pitching day. We were talking about that, but yeah, a pitcher of the quality of José De Leon has been analyzed for the second round. If it was not for the second round, it would be for the third or the championship game. But obviously his game has been analyzed, and the name of José De Leon was placed on the reserve list with that in mind. Q. All the home runs and RBIs, tell me what that says about the WBC. EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Well, the quality of the game, the talent, they are young athletes with a lot of energy. Every one of them, one by one, the first, Carlos Correa, today against Italy, that three-run hit, Javier Baez the second night, and defensively, what we were expecting from them, every fan enjoyed it, definitely. I think this short three days here -- because they are fans of each other, as well. They got together, and they played together. Q. How much fun is it for you to be surrounded by these passionate young talented players in addition, of course, to the veteran core? EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Oh, I'm having a great time here. Not only being around such young players but also when you mentioned Carlos Delgado, Juan Gonzalez, Ricky Bones, and then you add those youngsters like Baez, Lindor and Correa and Edwin Rios, Joe Jimenez, I'm having a great time here. And then you add to that being on the same team as Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran. Then again, I feel very fortunate, and it's a privilege for me to be a part of the Puerto Rican team overall. Q. We have seen Puerto Rico has stolen the show in the clubhouse and the dugout, and they have treated us very nicely with their conferences. Talk about how Puerto Rico was put together and talk about the players and the confidence. EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: Thank you for your words. First of all, we're proud because of the inclusion of this youth, but even prouder because of what -- even out of the game they know how to behave and they respect people wherever they are, so we feel just as proud of that part of the personalities of these young people. When they give me -- when I was given the manager's job, the first thing is the technical stuff, and we had to choose them carefully. There is a lot of them. There is a lot of talent in Puerto Rico, very good coaches, good trainers. But Carlos Delgado and Juan Gonzalez and all the coaching staff and trainers, that's key when you're working with Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran, the stars, they need a direction where people and athletes have already triumphed in the Big Leagues, the players are going to listen. That is the leadership. So it is important, and it is the material that we have, the technical stuff, and you saw it in 2013, and you're looking at it in 2016. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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