WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: QUARTERFINALS 2 - PUERTO RICO VS MEXICO

March 17, 2023

Benji Gil

LoanDepot Park

Team Mexico

Postgame Press Conference

Mexico - 5, Puerto Rico - 4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you define this important victory? What are the expectations about the next rival, Japan? Your thoughts about Japan, the new rival?

BENJI GIL: Well, first of all, it was a great game, tremendous game. I don't have a -- we have to recognize the performance of Yardier as the manager, the players.

The same goes for our team. We fought a lot. They never gave up. They continued fighting until the last moment. Thank God we were able to get a victory facing a great team, and I said that before the game. We thought that it would be a great game, and I wanted everyone in baseball to enjoy that game, and I think it was like that. I think that the fans, the Mexican fans, are happier than the Puerto Rican fans, of course, but if I could give them a message, I would say they should feel proud about how they represented their country, their people. I recognize the effort and the great show that they gave everyone in the baseball world.

Japan is a great team as well with huge stars. We know the stars that play in the United States, but they also have great stars playing in Japan. Our rival is the favorite again in the remaining games, but we don't fear that. This has nothing to do with the favorite. You just have to do the best on the field. We respect Japan a lot, of course, but we are focused. We are devoted, and we're going to do our best, and God willing, we'll be able to win on Monday and play on Tuesday as well.

Q. What did the team do differently, speaking about the first innings when Puerto Rico was ahead in the score?

BENJI GIL: To be honest, I don't think we did anything differently. We made some adjustments. That's okay. The adjustment was not giving up, continue looking forward no matter how hard the hit was. One hero, and I had this very present, the idol in the baseball -- sorry, in the sports in Mexico is Julio César Chávez and in 1997, he was losing versus Taylor and he continued fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, and he ended up winning that fight. A great victory.

Personally, I'm a fan of boxing. Julio César Chávez is a great friend of mine. He sent many messages supporting the team. I was thinking about him. I had him in mind. The Mexican team will never give up if we have other Mexican warriors that never gave up.

Q. Before the game, you said that Randy Arozarena was like El Chavo del Ocho, the most important character in the Mexican baseball.

BENJI GIL: I don't know if he's now bigger than Chavo, all the characters. He's all the main characters in Mexico today. That guy is devoted, dedicated, to do everything he can in his abilities to help this family of Mexican warriors to fight for the championship.

Q. (No microphone.)

BENJI GIL: It was extremely important. I don't remember who the runner was, but he had passed second base. He was almost approaching the third base. What a catch. What a catch. It was almost a double play. But it's okay, we wanted some excitement as well. But it was that excitement, you know, we wanted to make the out, it could have been a double play. They were all out of place, you know? The first baseman was out of place. They were out of place, you know? They were out of place because of the great catch.

Q. I would like you to speak about Javier Assad. Almost three innings and maybe the most important relief in the game. Also, Arozarena's catch is the greatest defensive play in the Mexican baseball?

BENJI GIL: I would say yes. Absolutely yes. I was told recently that in a world championship, no Mexican team has reached the semifinals in any kind of sports at the highest level. So I say, yes, it should be, except for boxers, fighters, winning championships, like Julio César, for example.

But in teamwork, I think this is the most important play in the Mexican sports, not only in baseball. And regarding Assad, wow, wow. A young guy. And I tell you more. Chicago Cubs should put him as a starting pitcher. He had two great performances versus Team USA. He threw the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings against that powerful lineup. You don't see very often pitching an All-Star Game with a lineup, a powerful lineup, that are stars in the Majors, and he did that in a more significant game.

Today, against this team that was playing very well, a team full of stars, because Lindor, Kiké Hernandez, are great players, Javy Báez, Melendez will be one of the most important stars in baseball. All of them. I mean, it's a tremendous team, Puerto Rico. I wish no one is feeling bad because they didn't lose. Puerto Rico didn't lose. They just couldn't get the victory. But I applaud the Puerto Rican team from the bottom of my heart. I'm a baseball fan and now a fan of every and each player of the Puerto Rican team.

Q. You got to the finals in the WBC beating Team USA and Puerto Rico, two powers in baseball. What does it mean to you?

BENJI GIL: Well, the most important thing, in my opinion, is that we are showing what Mexican players are capable of at the highest level. I wish this would continue to open doors. Maybe before the tournament you could say, well, Mexico play Puerto Rico, could compete versus Team USA or Japan. The answer could have been, no. Some experts could have said no until now. Until now, right now, we can say easily that Mexico can compete against any other team, at least this group of warriors can compete against any other team. It's a blessing to be able to be part and to have a little piece by guiding them, by leading them, as Mexican warriors.