WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - MEXICO VS UNITED STATES

March 12, 2023

Lance Lynn

Chase Field

Team United States

Pregame Press Conference

Q. At what point did you know that you wanted to do this after last season, whether they contacted you or did you reach out to them?

LANCE LYNN: I think I reached out at the end of the year, seeing if there was any interest on their side. And then I called DeRo from hunting camp in mid-November and told him I was in if he needed me. He goes all right. That's where it kicked off and kind of went from there.

Q. What made you want to do it so bad, just because of what you saw from '17?

LANCE LYNN: Yeah. I had an opportunity or was asked to do it younger in my career and just didn't work out with the team I was on then. So I'm in a spot in my career where I wanted to have that opportunity. I feel good. And just wanted to do it again.

I did it in college when I was 20. And when you represent your country at 20, it's a little different than when you're 35. You get a little different understanding of what you're here to do and what you're trying to accomplish.

Q. What's it like for you to be with Waino on this team?

LANCE LYNN: It's fun. We've had our good times so far this week. We go back a long time. I've been telling him for the last couple of years he needs to hang it up so I can play past him, because he keeps coming back, so he makes me keep coming back.

But we had a great relationship. He was like a big brother to me in St. Louis. And he was one of the many guys that I have to thank for the things that I've accomplished in my career.

Q. Since you brought it up, what do you remember about that 20-year-old's experience?

LANCE LYNN: That I wasn't smart enough to understand what I was there for. You have the opportunity to do that in college and it's an exciting time. You know what it means to represent your country, to put that uniform on.

But you just have a different feeling for things the older you get. You, one, become wiser. Young men are not as smart as they need to be. And I wasn't one of those. And the older I got the more I understood a lot of things.

Q. So there's hope for me?

LANCE LYNN: I don't know, once you get 35 you're pretty much locked in, I think. (Laughter).

Q. Talking to Tim Anderson last week and we were talking about the big home run he hit in the corn field, and certain guys seem to be made for big stages, big moments. From what you've seen, does he fit that description?

LANCE LYNN: Yeah, I mean, over the course of your career you see guys that aren't scared of moments. Tim Anderson isn't scared of anything. He's been through a lot in his lifetime to be where he's at. And I don't think anyone on the mound scares him at any time.

So he shows that every day in the clubhouse. He's here to accomplish certain things. And he's got his mind set on it. And when Tim has his mind set on things it's probably going to happen. He's that talented of a player and he works his butt off every day.

Q. I'm assuming you're starting tomorrow against Canada. What's your take on it? And how do you feel about making that start?

LANCE LYNN: I'm looking forward to it. Normal routine coming into it. So everything feels good. I'm looking forward to the atmosphere. It should be fun. And I haven't thrown a night game since last year. So I'm looking forward to pitching after 1:00.

Q. Does that kind of endorse the fact that you decided that you wanted to play on this team? Here you are, every one of these games is so big, you have to win every one of them really to get on to the next round.

LANCE LYNN: Yeah, but that's why you play every game, to win it. Obviously here it's a little bit more intense earlier in the year, because Spring Training games don't bring that. But preparing for this that that's going to happen. So you have to put in a little extra time before camp and early on in camp to be ready for it.