WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL D - NICARAGUA VS PUERTO RICO

March 10, 2023

Jonathan Loaisiga

Erasmo Ramirez

Chester Cuthbert

LoanDepot Park

Team Nicaragua

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Good morning, Jonathan, Erasmo and Chester. I would like to know your feelings. You're coming from the two games, and I would like to know about the pitch count limits. You had two great games as preparation. And now are you facing the challenge versus Puerto Rico. And Erasmo, I thought that Erasmo was the starting pitcher, and now I was surprised because the starting pitcher will be Carlos Rodriguez, a great option for Nicaragua.

CHESTER CUTHBERT: We been working hard. We have a very good team, especially with Erasmo. We are much better, and we been working hard for this.

Q. Erasmo.

ERASMO RAMIREZ: Regarding about the starting pitcher, no, I told my manager, whatever you want. If you need me as the starting pitcher, I can start. If you want me as a reliever, I will relieve.

The rotation is set. I have chances to go to pitch in the third inning, but it depends on the restrictions. As a starting pitcher, you know that you are throwing very well, and suddenly you have to leave the mound. But today the most important thing is that we are going to do our best, no matter the role we are performing.

We are here, and the team is looking very, very good.

JONATHAN LOÁISIGA: And about the feelings about the game for tomorrow, we are very excited to start tomorrow in the Classic.

And regarding the restrictions, I talked to the pitching coach yesterday before traveling, and he told me that I could pitch one inning. If I was feeling okay, I could also pitch in the second inning.

So I expect to throw my 25 pitches and to be able to pitch the second inning.

Q. Good morning, Erasmo. One of the rivals will be Venezuela, and this is the country where you started your professional career. I would like to ask you, is that something special for you to face Venezuela? And what do you know about the Venezuelan team considering your experience there?

ERASMO RAMIREZ: Yeah, we have this chance, I played there in 2008. I played there for four years in a row. I know many players there. I have seen them even retiring. Like any other team in the Classic, they are very well-prepared, and they have the very best players.

No matter the category they've played, they're going to do their best on the field, and I respect them all, no matter their nationality. We have to respect each other and to play baseball, to be competitive, aggressive 100 percent.

Q. Jonathan, first of all, congrats because you made it to the Nicaraguan team. What do you think about the mindset of these young players. And Chester, the Baseball Classic is very important stage for you to present yourself again.

JONATHAN LOÁISIGA: Well, the young players are very happy. I arrived today, and they have a great attitude. Those two games that they played against the Mets and the Cardinals. For them it's been a great experience, and they are very optimistic now.

I hope that they continue with this mindset to win and to do their best.

CHESTER CUTHBERT: It is my dream to come back to the Majors. I have been working hard. Anything could happen here. I want to do the right thing to help my team.

Q. Erasmo Ramirez, it's been 11 years for you to come back to the national team. My question is, how was the process this time? How would you describe the process to say yes to Nicaragua and their fans?

ERASMO RAMIREZ: Well, 2012 the first opportunity that I had in the pre-Classic was, Erasmo Ramirez just made it to MLB. I was very excited to represent Nicaragua. I was very well prepared.

But the point is, what are you going to do next day, next week, next month, next year? And I was dedicated. I was consistent in my training, and thank God I made it to the national team.

What I can do is to offer what I have learned in these ten years out of the Nicaraguan team. This is my mindset. I wanted to be on my national team to represent my country, and this is the opportunity that I have. That's very important. If the team didn't see me ready to pitch, I wouldn't be able to play here. So I was ready, and I am now supporting the Nicaraguan team.

Q. Erasmo, I would like to ask you, you were in the dugout, in the clubhouse yesterday. You saw the games. What's your assessment of the team after these two training games? I wanted to know your opinion, the three of you, how you feel about the difference about wearing this jersey and wearing an MLB jersey?

ERASMO RAMIREZ: Regarding the games, it was very exciting. The pitchers and the other players showed that, yes, we can pitch well. We can strike out people. The young players gave us energy throughout the game. The game versus the Cardinals, we were behind in the score, but they never gave up, and they were able to tie the game.

So we showed that we were able to fight. I'm very happy. I'm very excited because all the players are very well prepared to be here.

And how about the difference between wearing this jersey and an MLB team, we are representing Nicaragua. It's a huge difference. You are representing the country where you were born. You remember all the history, all the thoughts that you had on the fields in Nicaragua, to play in the national league in Nicaragua.

But the excitement is always the same to represent Nicaragua. It's priceless. You just have to feel it and show it.

Q. You have experience in Major League Baseball. Have you talked to your teammates in order to remove some pressure and to help them with the experience you have in the best baseball in the world? Have you spoken with your teammates in order to relieve the pressure that they might feel?

ERASMO RAMIREZ: Well, I have been told that this is a tournament such as a World Series. I have been told this, go, enjoy, and try to represent your country at the highest level.

JONATHAN LOÁISIGA: About your question and the previous question regarding the difference between wearing a Major League jersey and the Nicaraguan team jersey, I agree with him, we're representing the country where we were born. We are representing our country in this tournament. There are no words to describe that. We just have to enjoy and to do our best. All the Nicaraguan fans are going to support this. This is for them, not only for us.

About your other question, I am just arriving. I haven't talked with my teammates about that, but I'm hoping to speak with them, and Erasmo the same. We can speak about that and support them.

Q. Erasmo, what would it mean for you, a successful Classic? How would you define the success for Nicaragua in this championship to qualify and to beat, for example, PR or Dominican Republic? What would be a success for you as a team?

ERASMO RAMIREZ: What I can tell you is that this is already a success. When Nicaragua qualified to be here in this tournament, it's a major success. Now, as Jonathan said before, we're going to play for Nicaragua. We're going to play for the fans. We're not representing ourselves.

Now it is our role to do our best, like we did in the training games. The whole team, that the whole team, the whole roster showed that, yes, we can fight, and the results will be accomplished. It could be negative or positive result, but not everything is going to be positive for us.