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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: FINALSMarch 21, 2017Hiroki KokuboLos Angeles, California THE MODERATOR: We thank manager Hiroki Kokubo for joining us. Questions for manager Kokubo? Q. You said you weren't nervous at the press conference yesterday. Today, how do you feel frankly today? Well, you said you were not nervous yesterday. HIROKI KOKUBO: Yesterday I was able to sleep very well, very restful. You know, we've come this far, so it's do or die, so the only thing we can do is do it. Q. The folks here in Major League Baseball talk a lot about how important this tournament is in countries that do not have big baseball-playing kids, in the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, places like that. I wonder with how big the J.League has got in your country and football has gotten, how important is it to make sure the best athletes in Japan keep playing baseball? HIROKI KOKUBO: The WBC, are you asking if WBC, how important WBC has become? Is that your question? Q. How important the tournament is in Japan so kids can see there is a big platform worldwide. They don't have to go to the J.League to play football. HIROKI KOKUBO: This WBC, so this is the first second time, because Japan won the first second time. Recognition is very high in Japan. Not only the baseball fans, but the Japanese people's interest has increased, and in Japan it's a big tournament, and the players also want to play because it may trigger children's interest in playing baseball in the future as well. WBC is such a tournament in Japan, I believe. Q. Did you see the game between Puerto Rico and Netherlands last night? What was your impression? HIROKI KOKUBO: It was amazing, incredible. They won't let go of any opportunities to get away. I was surprised at their assuredness of catching all the opportunities, any and all of them. Then in Japan, the video judgment is not in Japan. So when it was really a close play, the video replay was used aggressively. That was my impression. In the end, because it's another country, I was excited while watching it. Q. Yesterday at the lineup you were wondering still about the starting lineup. Did you make up your mind about how to use lefties? HIROKI KOKUBO: I already decided on the starting lineup. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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