WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - GREAT BRITAIN VS CANADA

March 10, 2023

Ernie Whitt

Freddie Freeman

Cal Quantrill

Tyler O'Neill

Chase Field

Team Canada

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. Freddie, we know that you're here thinking about Rosemary. And it's a great story, sad story. But I know that Rosemary was a real hockey fan. In what way she was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs; and if she was a real Maple Leafs fan, I guess she was (indiscernible) Montreal Canadians, do you remember something --

FREDDIE FREEMAN: We grew up in Southern California. So it felt like every time the Ducks played the Maple Leafs, the Angels played the Blue Jays, the Freeman family seemed to be at those games. And as a kid, you don't really know what's going on, you're just excited to go to a sporting event.

And then when you get older, you see that it was always a Canadian team that we were going to see. It never left her, never left my parents, because everyone talked about my mom. My dad was born and raised with her as well. We can't leave my dad out of this. It seems every sporting event we were at -- and the big thing for me was, I think I was 8 years old when we were at an Angels game, played the Blue Jays. The Canadian National Anthem was playing, and I was eating popcorn. I was doing what I'm doing here, sitting.

And it felt like the strongest person ever just lifted me up and felt like I was just hanging there, it was my mom and dad telling me to stand up. And just little things like that you remember as a kid. And so even when we were in Southern California, there was a bunch of Canadians in Southern California.

Q. Cal, when you were planning things out with the Guardians and planning things out with Canada, how did you guys land at opening against Britain, and how did that fit in with your schedule and perhaps planning and considering what might happen in the quarterfinals as well?

CAL QUANTRILL: I think Ernie reached out pretty early just to let me know what game he wanted me to start. The guardian staff was good about it. Carl Willis, our pitching coach, had a plan making sure I would be on five days rest for that game.

And I had lots of warning. Started the Cactus League opener so it would continue on five days. But there's no issue there.

Q. Getting to do this experience with your dad on the coaching staff, what does that mean to you?

CAL QUANTRILL: It's pretty cool. He hasn't coached me in a long time. He got to do this at the very end of his career. I feel grateful I'm getting to do it hopefully in the middle of mine.

He'll be out in the pen. I'm trying to avoid him the best I can. But it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool I get to have the whole family out here and share a baseball experience with him. And it's something that I think it's pretty cool memories.

Q. Tyler and Freddie, when you guys look at a tournament like this and you realize you can almost map out what we need to win these games and that gets us through, just from a mindset perspective, how is that different from 162 when it's just every day versus now you're sort of almost selective about when you want to take your best shots?

TYLER O'NEILL: I just want to give it my all out there, honestly. I played for Canada. I've been grateful enough to play for Canada for many years. And it's just different wearing this uniform.

These tournaments are sprints and that's how I'm looking at it out there. Don't want to take any pitch off. And honored to wear this uniform. Want to represent it the right way.

FREDDIE FREEMAN: These tournaments, like Tyler said, are sprints. It's playoff games. It really is. You don't go into a game like, oh, we might win this one. No, you go into every game expecting to win. If you don't have that mentality it's not the way to go about it.

So every single game we play we're going to try to win that game. If you think we're going to go, oh, we might be able to win this one, that one, that's not the right mindset. Doesn't matter who you're playing. If you play the game the right way, do things right, you have a good chance to win.

Q. I'm sure over the course of a Major League Baseball season you're all three used to being one of the few people in the room with a connection to Canada. When you walk in the clubhouse now is there a hallmark or first thing that tells you this is a roomful of Canadians, this is a Canadian baseball team?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: For me it's an accent. They all have a little accent to me. Obviously when I walk into here, I'm from Southern California, born and raised in the United States. It's a little different feeling for me because I know how much pride they have in being from where they're from.

But we all have one mindset and that's to win with Canada across our chest. And mine's a little bit different story. I'm playing for my parents, who are Canadian, and they're playing from where they're from.

It's a special feeling when you walk around in that clubhouse, because there's so much pride going on in there.

Q. Freddie, going through the playoff experiences you've had in your career and then being able to bring it to this format, you guys have a lot of young players on this team, a lot of exciting young talent. Do you give them pep talks?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: No, I think Ernie did a talk on our first practice. And it's more about not -- it's about the pride you have in putting this uniform on and giving it all you have because it's every four years, and four years from now you don't know if you're going to be able to put this uniform on again.

It's different than a playoff series because sometimes putting on a country's uniform could be the greatest thing you ever do.

So I think playing at noon on Sunday is going to be a nice little just, just like get it out and just go out there and play. And the next night against the U.S., it will be fun, too.

But there's not really pep talks, because for me going through each experience, that's what it's all about. You can't, like, this is going to happen because everyone's going to feel differently in a situation.

So I think it's just best to let these guys -- I'm playing with a guy who was born in 2003. That's just crazy to me. I want them to just experience -- it's fun. And Tyler and I, we went 0-3 last time. We want to change that this time.

Q. Is there a player on the Canadian roster who maybe hasn't broken into the majors yet but that you guys think the average fan maybe watching these games should take notice and pay attention to?

CAL QUANTRILL: I think the draft capital alone speaks for all of them, but I'm excited to see Bratt pitch. He's so talented, so young. Freddie alluded to the fact that he was born after this guy, feels like some of these guys debuted.

But I think he's extremely talented. I think that will be a fun challenge for him. And I know he's looking forward to it.

Q. Freddie, when you were eating the popcorn was that at a hockey game or --

FREDDIE FREEMAN: Angles game. We were at Angels Stadium. The Blue Jays were there.

Q. I want to take you back a little bit. I'm not sure how old you were in 2013 but there was a big brawl on the field between Canada and Mexico. Want to know if you've seen video of it. I know Cal, your dad was in it. What do you guys remember about that if you've seen it?

CAL QUANTRILL: I've watched it. I saw it on YouTube. I'm not sure how many players will cross over again. I think it's inherently a competitive game. They're a solid baseball country as well.

This tournament, as these two have alluded to, it's kind of every game is vital. I'm sure there were some tensions there. And I'm sure it will be a high-energy game again this year.

Q. Cal, you mentioned Mitch Bratt. He was saying the other day how much a pregame chat with him was really helpful before he started against the Cubs. Describe a little bit some of your conversations with him and maybe some experiences that you were drawing from to share with him to maybe help him through that moment.

CAL QUANTRILL: I just think with all the younger players -- and I don't claim to have answers; I'm still figuring it out as I go -- but you don't change because the moment has changed. What you've done and what you've accomplished to get to the spot where you were invited to this team is enough.

Just go out and be yourself. I think that he's got great stuff. And I just encouraged him, don't worry about what name's on the back of their jerseys. It was the same way you were getting high school kids out last year; it's the same way as you're going to try to get these guys out.

There's lots of instances of big leaguers going down on rehab stints and not performing well against players that they should be so much better. It's go out, play the way you've always played the game and don't worry too much about who that person is.

Q. Tyler, last time out you got to be around some of the long-time members of the Canadian National Team who had been there. And there's always been sort of this culture on the team that's been passed down from generation to generation. Who were some of the veteran guys you were watching last time? What did you pick up from them that you want to maintain and pass along to this group?

TYLER O'NEILL: I think a great example of that is Freddie over here. Just such a staple mark in the big leagues. Anytime I can learn something from him I'm trying to take that opportunity. Trying to hit with him as much as I can. If he wants to talk to me, that's great, too.

I'm just trying to be a sponge out here. If you're not learning, what are you doing? So I'm just trying to do that and help this ball club whenever I can. Just play my game out there.

Q. Freddie, are there young players you played with in the infield with Toro, Lopez, Julien? Just want to know what do you know about them, about their play? And just kidding, but did you learn some French words?

FREDDIE FREEMAN: They're all speaking French on the infield so I didn't really know what was going on during one of the pitching changes. But I've seen Abraham play a little bit and Eddie and Otto, I've seen them in the last couple of days.

The Canadian team has got a lot of young players that are going to be very good in the big leagues for a long time in my opinion. I'm really excited, the last couple of games have been fun watching these guys compete.

And in a couple days that competition level is going to go up for everybody. To be able to do it with these guys, to get to know them, that's what's so cool about this for me. I've been with the Dodgers, you get to be around those people and that's pretty much it.

When you get to do something like this, you get to see all the other wonderful baseball people that are in this sport and hang out with them and potentially help them be able to achieve success in their careers and to compete with them. That's what's so cool about this for me.

And unfortunately as I get older into this game, you just want to help the next generation have so much success, like I've been able to have in my career. So it's going to be fun.

And getting to know these guys, they get to answer that question but I know Bo got a couple of games, Bo Naylor got a couple of games in the big leagues last year. But he's really impressed me the last couple of days. I think he's going to be a good one for a long time.

Q. Any further thoughts on how you guys are lining up? Are those conversations for later today, bullpen perspective and batting order?

ERNIE WHITT: That's going to be discussed later on today. So I mean I thought we were able to see a lot the last two games. And the practice that we had. And so I think we'll evaluate everything this afternoon after this practice, and we'll be set to go come Sunday.

Q. Did you play the hockey game?

ERNIE WHITT: No, we went to a hockey game instead. We didn't. We stayed off of the rink.

Q. After '17, lost a lot of veteran players who had been through so many different tournaments for you guys. As you look at this group, who were some of the players you were counting on to maintain and pass along the culture that you guys have built up for so many years?

ERNIE WHITT: Well, Freddie, who was just sitting here, of course, he's one of them. But then we've got some of the pitchers that we have with Aumont and Albers and Adam Loewen. Those guys, Scotty Mathieson, those guys have been through the trenches with us. They know what it's like.

So from the pitching side, I think a lot of those guys are going to be that. And from the position players, I'd say Freddie would be the one, with Tyler, who is dedicated to this country and wanting to play and represent it. So those are the good ones.

But it's a process. And the more days that we spend together, I think, is better.

Q. Is there a Stubby Clapp or Pete Ward or Adam Stern glue type guy who you see pulling everybody together?

ERNIE WHITT: I don't see that yet. But I am hoping to see that here coming out soon. Again, it's a culture that myself and the staff were trying to create and trying to get them all on board with it.

And some of these kids are still very young. And I think sometimes they're afraid to step out and take that leadership or take -- that person that's going to be in charge. Right now I'm counting on Freddie in the infield and counting on Tyler in the outfield to be that person to lead. And as we go forward, hopefully it will help.

Q. Do you know the starting pitcher for Sunday, and why he is starting pitcher?

ERNIE WHITT: Yeah, Cal Quantrill will start for us, and the reason why we is we think the first game is very important for us. We want to win. He's our most experienced pitcher that we have as far as the starter is concerned.

Q. You talked earlier about this new wave of players and talent that you've had. But how valuable do you think it is to have guys that have played for the team before on your coaching staff to kind of bring some of that wisdom down to them?

ERNIE WHITT: I love my coaching staff. They bring a lot of experience to the game. They understand how we want to play the game and now it's up to us to get it across to the younger players that this is not acceptable or this is acceptable. And so, I mean, there's times we're going like that.

I mean, I sit and I watch ball games and I see some of our players spectating. Well, anytime the ball is in play, you're not a spectator. There's got to be some type of movement, whether it's backing up bases, being in the right place where you have to be.

And those are the things that are extremely important for me because the one time that you take just that one play off, something happens. And it's, like, why isn't that guy there?

Whether it's a catcher backing up first base on a ground ball, you do it 100 times and maybe an overthrow happens once. But if you're not doing it that one time, then you look like a total fool. Okay.

So, again, it's our job as a coaching staff to make sure every player is engaged on every play. And they're anticipating before it even happens. And if they do that, then we're ahead of the game.

Q. So this stadium, this field 10 years ago, pretty big incident on the field. I know it has no bearing whatsoever going forward, but what do you remember, what do you recall about that moment, that time on the field where everything was just wild out there?

ERNIE WHITT: It was a bad moment. I try not to think about it. But sometimes things happen. And the emotions take over. When you have two countries playing against each other, we know that we were knocked out of the tournament once for not scoring runs. And that's why I tell my players, we play every inning as it's a 0-0 inning. And unfortunately the other team didn't understand that.

And during the course of the season, of 162 games, you wouldn't bunt for a base hit in that situation. But, again, if you're approaching every inning as a 0-0 game and you want to add on runs, you do what it takes to get on base.

So again, we try to forget the bad incidents, look forward to something positive. And that's the way I think that my team understands and hopefully other teams will understand that too.