WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL B - KOREA VS CHINA

March 13, 2023

Dean Treanor

Yun Lu

Tokyo Dome

Team China

Pregame Press Conference

Q. First of all, can you express who the two kids are on the stage?

DEAN TREANOR: This is Cannon and Colby. In the back is my son, Brian, and his wife, Brook. I think they have been the loudest in the stands, by the way, these two right here. In fact, I know it; I can hear them in the dugout, holy smokes.

Q. What's in your mind in this game against Korea?

DEAN TREANOR: Well, really, what's on my mind is, you know, this is going to be the last day for us, obviously. But we are looking forward to the game tonight and the challenge of playing Korea. The only thing on my mind right now is to finish strong and for our team to make another statement about who we are, and so the only thing on our mind tonight is to win.

YUN LU: Me personally, we have an 0-3 record. However, the WBC 2023 we are still in the tournament, and this is the last game for us of this team, so we give 100 percent on the field.

Q. So first question, I'm not sure of the math but it's possible that you can knock Czech or Korea into last place depending on the score. Is that something you're considering at all or is it that you're just focused on getting the W?

DEAN TREANOR: Actually both. I think both of those in our mind tonight. We know the math and we want to make sure the math windup on our side, and it is about coming and winning, and like I said, finishing strong in this tournament. This has been a very, very tough pool.

But as I have said and will keep saying, that I think the people now know globally all over the world what Team China is about. And every day I keep getting messages and stuff from the media, from social media, people have stopped me and my family on the street and have expressed how they feel about Team China and the way we've been playing.

Like to add to that, this is my Chinese son. He's the heart and soul of this team, and you guys should know that. He's got an injury, and he can only play defensively. But he's really the heart and soul of this team.

Q. I know you haven't been able to play but I've heard that you are someone who is really important to keeping the clubhouse light and that you're originally from Japan. How important is it to be playing in the Tokyo Dome and being here to represent Team China?

YUN LU: Yes, I got injured in my arm in the -- I'm not sure if I'm able to pitch in the tournament or not or if I'm able to play in the tournament or not. But as a player, the atmosphere in the stands, that's great, and they have a lot of vocal support. I am proud to be part of Team China and helping my country.

Q. How have you guys been enjoying the tournament and have you been helping your dad fill out the lineup card?

CANNON TREANOR: It's fun to watch and be here.

COLBY TREANOR: It's been a fun time and I'm very proud of my grandpa and I love Team China and it's been a very good experience.

Q. This is the last batch of this tournament, how do you evaluate your cooperation with Team China?

DEAN TREANOR: I'm proud of the way we competed against Japan and the other two teams, but especially against Japan, I know that -- and that's a lot of the stuff we're hearing on the street now and in social media and how hard we played. I mean, that game was -- either way in the sixth and seventh inning. Like I said, I couldn't be prouder. They bounced back and put themselves in a position to win the next day. A couple of days ago, that game got away from us early but just really can't say enough about the heart of this team and the fight and I know they are going to come out with more fight and it's just I know that this speaks well for the future of baseball in China and this team is representative of that.

I think they have set the bar for Team China, and I know that this is going to continue. I know that these guys, being able to represent China and represent their families -- and we are going to talk about that tonight before the game that we always talk about playing for the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back of the jersey but tonight I want them to play for both, for not only China but their families.

Q. Y we know that in China, baseball is still a minor sport, and especially compared to Chinese Taipei or Japan or Korea, the rivals tonight. How do you feel the culture and atmosphere is important to the development of sports in China?

DEAN TREANOR: An important question, and I think that -- you said it, that it seems to be a minor sport. I think that's changed. I think it's already changed. It's on us, Team China to change that feeling in the country, and I think we have. I think it's only going to continue to grow. When you talk about social media, I know that social media has been on fire about this team. Not only from China but from Japan, and I think that's important.

I think that not only here in this pool but I know this game is seen around the world, and I think that now, people know that baseball in China is something that's real will I think these guys have shown that, and it only speaks, like I said, it speaks to the future. That culture is going to grow, and it's our goal, my goal, part of Team China is to make baseball be a major sport in China, is what we want.

Q. You've had playing experience in Japan in baseball. How important is it to the players being in Japan previously? And Lu, how important are you in your team?

DEAN TREANOR: I missed the first part of that. I'm not sure what the exact, or the whole question but about my role with this team, I'm a very small part of this. This is about the players, and it's always been about the players. Our training started in November, and I think I've said this before, but if you hooked at Team China when the training started in November and how we are playing right now, it's a dramatic improvement.

It's important for us to be here. Again, to grow the culture of baseball in China, but to show that we can compete with anybody on the world stage, and I think we've shown that. I keep referring to the Japan game but I think if you ask them, and I've heard some stuff from their coaching staff about how we played that game, and I think that we have shown on the world stage that we can compete with anybody. I know that from the response in China that this is only going to grow the sport, and China should feel very, very good about this team and about these players, and they should be proud of the players for what they have shown in this tournament.

YUN LU: Firstly, I would like to express that the fundamentals, as a human being, respect elder persons, respect the coach. And my role as to Team China, I would like to be with happiness, make some noise, be together and my teammates. That's how I'd like to keep approaching to expose Chinese baseball.