|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 1ST ROUND POOL DMarch 13, 2017Deolis GuerraOmar VizquelZapopan, Jalisco, México Venezuela 4, Italy 3 Q. Omar, this was quite a week. Mercy rule, first game last night, you weren't sure if you were going to advance; what's this experience been like for you guys, and what are the expectations going forward into the next round? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, I remember when I played in Game 7 of the World Series in 1997. That night before the game it was really stressful, and I hadn't felt that way until last night. It's been a really hard road. It has been difficult. Yesterday's game wasn't illegal. We didn't know if we were going to play or not. We finally got the word. Today we showed up at the ballpark. We've been getting shouted at the first six innings. It's just a weird feeling. You know, I've had butterflies all over my body every day, and we finally came up with a win. And wow, we keep coming back from behind. The team never dies. We keep fighting until the end, and they're telling us what a great opposition team. They've been fighting the whole time, and it was a great ballgame. These guys did a great job pitching the game, and everybody stayed together, so I'm really proud how the team played today. Moving forward, I don't want to say much. I want to enjoy tonight and have a nice evening and maybe think about it tomorrow. Q. After everything that happened in the game, tell us how you left the ninth inning. There was a lot of emotions at the top of the ninth and then the home run. OMAR VIZQUEL: No doubt it was a very emotional moment. We hadn't connected a lot. I think the homer by Miguel woke everybody up in the dugout. It was like losing 150 kilos off the back. My worry was the pitchers because I only had two pitchers in the bullpen for today, and they came and faced in the same way Alvarado, and then to tell you the truth, just imagine that he's our savior, and all of them did their job like they should in order to be able to win today's game. Q. Omar, could you talk a little bit about the experience of this group in general and your satisfaction as a manager? Did you ever get that stressed as a player? OMAR VIZQUEL: It has been a beautiful experience to be with the biggest players from Venezuela. I have been satisfied, proud. It gives me a lot of pleasure to share with them, with everything they were successful at, and obviously we can play a lot better than we have so far. The pitching hasn't been all the way up yet. We have been hurt, and the game is present here, and we're going to the second round. I'm very proud. Q. When were you certain that you were going to play? How did you leave at the last minute when you found out? DEOLIS GUERRA: It was a long wait. It was short, but for us it was long. We wanted this opportunity. We wanted to make it up to ourselves and our nation, and thank God, due to some very little difference, we had a chance today, and I believe we got all the energy out and we could get the victory. Q. Deolis, you ended up with one pitcher left over with one starter and four relievers, the suicide squeeze and everything played out okay. DEOLIS GUERRA: Today we had a very difficult position for a lot of people. As many pitchers as we had available, we had to stay in the moment and focus on how big this game would be for us. I believe all the guys outside today, that was the key. We were focused all the time, and we could do the work to win today. OMAR VIZQUEL: Oh, that was something that we mounted in the dugout before -- it was used for them, that when everybody knew what they were going to do, and it worked to perfection. Q. Omar, now that you have been able to go through, it looks like all of a sudden a favorite team stayed outside. What message can you give that Venezuela is still along amongst all the suffering? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, it's sad, and it's never easy to get where you want to get. Destiny makes it more complicated, and that's what happened to us. I hope it gives us courage and extra strength to get to the second round. Obviously all the teams were -- is not conscious of them. Like other teams we have seen in other pools, they have had a couple of incredible competitors, and everybody is established, and there is better competition ahead just like in today's game. Q. Could you talk to us about how much the fans here have inspired you and what role they've played in your advancing to the second round? OMAR VIZQUEL: The fans? Well, it's always exciting every time that you go away and play in a different city. Sometimes you don't expect the fans like we have here today or during the series. I think the Mexican people are really excited about baseball. They've got a great team, and obviously they couldn't advance, but you can tell in the last five years how México has developed into a baseball -- a school of players. There is a lot of good players coming out of there right now, and I think that only soccer can be seen as one of the best sports in the city. We felt that the Mexicans are playing some great baseball, too. Q. And your fans, the Venezuelan fans? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, yeah, we have a lot of Venezuelan fans here coming from all over. I'm glad that we have that kind of support. I think this is the first time that we played on the west side away from Miami or that pool that is in the east side where a lot more fans are there, and it's always nice to have people that is rooting for you and it gives you an extra incentive to play better. Q. (Indiscernible)? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, it has been incredible. It is very difficult for somebody to be on the bench not playing and to have those questions on the team. It's just difficult. Obviously Alvarado has been dynamic in these last two games. It would be difficult to get (indiscernible) not only in the Big Leagues, but wherever you do sports, and if you make difference, we're going to have to make it. Q. You've talked about (indiscernible)? OMAR VIZQUEL: They denied the permit because there were problems with -- there were other possibilities that had not been -- I was in a meeting with the management to see which (indiscernible) who we're going to name in the next five days, and I'm satisfied with his work. I gave him the hand, and he did a tremendous job. But we're going to ask him if he wants to stay. Q. How did the night go in the hotel for Venezuela with this uncertainty when the decision came down at 3:00 in the morning and México appealed. How did you spend the night in the hotel, the whole Venezuelan team? OMAR VIZQUEL: Well, we had a good time because even though it was 3:00 in the morning, we had already been confirmed by that time. We were told the difference was one out, and it was incredible how that out marked the difference for us. We had already met with them, and they had calculated and they had confirmed that Venezuela was going to play this game. Q. Who's going to open the first game, and what is your opinion from Jalisco? OMAR VIZQUEL: Very well. Jalisco to tell you the truth is beautiful. I didn't have a chance to go a lot of places or around. I went to the penthouse of the hotel where we were staying, and I took some pictures, and they are already all over the place. That is the national pine tree. I'm sorry I couldn't visit some other things, but we are very happy that the Mexican people came, and I wanted to congratulate your transportation people are very good. I want to thank you for that. And the group, the complicated Dominican, we have that experience. Puerto Rico, we had a bad moment. And Dominican is a big team, and they are champions from the last Classic, and of course the United States has some chips on their shoulders that they want to start. 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
|