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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: ROUND ONE

March 3, 2006

In-Sik Kim

POOL A: TOKYO, JAPAN

Q. Were you thinking about the pitch count when you went to your bullpen in the fourth inning with two outs?
IN-SIK KIM: Yes, it had been on my mind. (Laughter.)
Q. So that's the main reason you made the change at that time with just a few pitches remaining?
IN-SIK KIM: Yes, you're right. And prior to that, we were talking with Seo Jae-Weong and the pitching staff, the coaching staff, and we were talking about switching the pitcher, if we have to.
Q. Congratulations for the victory. Since you have 65-pitch regulation, and now you have played a game, did the game develop the way you imagined that it would? And also, in order to win today, did you use all of the mail or league pitchers, considering you have to go with the rule?
IN-SIK KIM: Yes, you're right. Seo Jae-Weong threw a lot of pitchers, and Kim Byung-Hyun, he didn't pitch as many as the others.
As for the Major League pitchers, we were going to use them against the Chinese Taipei team. There has been talk before the game, each and every time we need Major League pitchers, we were going to use them in the middle of the game. That was the plan we had. I was going to use two or three Major Leaguers for each game, and that was the plan I had beforehand.
Q. I'd like to ask you, Chan Ho pitched until the end of the ninth inning, was that the plan you had before he pitched?
IN-SIK KIM: Well, yes, we have Oh Seung Hwan as a stopper, but the important thing here is to win. If we have a chance and we made the best use of the chance, then we got two points.
And then we had a talk with the pitching staff, we believe that Park Chan Ho should keep on pitching until the pitching regulation limit comes. Although, well, in the ninth inning, maybe his ball pitch was not as good as the earlier innings. But I talked with the pitching staff and we knew that he would do it and he really did.
Q. Park Chan Ho, you did a great job today, and what is your feeling right now?
CHAN HO PARK: Our goal today was victory, and I've been preparing for that. Well, today was our first game. This was very, very significant game for us. And as a result, we could win. And this fact means that I could help my team and I'm very glad about the result.
Q. Medical update on your third baseman who hurt his shoulder?
IN-SIK KIM: Yes, Kim Jong Kook, he is one of the main batters, the heart of the order. Well, he was very motivated and he slided into first base. I hope this injury is not serious. He's the fourth batter, if we have to play without him, that would be a big damage and big loss for us.
He's over at the hospital now. We don't know the final result about how bad he is. Once we know, we will comment later maybe.
Q. How was your batting, and also, for the starting pitcher, since you had the 65-ball regulation, was it very different pitching for you today compared to the usual?
IN-SIK KIM: Well, yes, once we started the game, we were predicting maybe the 65-pitch regulation could be a trouble for us. We have to cope with that. That's the only comment I have so far.
JAE-WEONG SEO: Well, about the regulation, I was the starter. I didn't worry so much about 65-ball limits. I just wanted to give it my best. I know we have great pitchers. So as long as the pitchers following me would do a good job, I thought I had nothing to worry about.
Q. Did you have trouble facing the batters of the Chinese Taipei, because although you have good pitchers, they can only throw 65 balls each.
IN-SIK KIM: Well, yes, in a usual game, the condition is -- compared to a usual game, things were very different. We were using a lot of fourth balls, and I know the more we pitch, the more we have to use the pitchers.
So we've been talking over this since a couple of days ago. Once the batter gets into the batting box, some batters could not do as they would want to do. But the important thing is that we won.
Q. What did you think of your shortstop on the last play, and how far could you have gone to be effective, could you have gone -- had they tied it, could you have continued at an effective rate?
CHAN HO PARK: Well, yes, I started pitching from the seventh inning and then the eighth and then the ninth. I didn't predict that I would be pitching that long. But the pitching coach of our team and our manager, they really relied on me and they had faith in me and the score was tight. All of our players were very, very motivated to win this game. They were very concentrating very well. That's why the shortstop came up with a big, good play.
Q. There were an awful lot of great defensive plays, including the one that ended the game, did the high quality of play surprise you at all? The defensive plays including the one at the end of the game, were you surprised by the quality of play in the first game of the WBC?
IN-SIK KIM: As a manager, when our player did a very good defensive play, I should praise them, and that's all I can say. I appreciate what they have done.
Q. Today about the umpire's judgment, whether it's a strike or not a strike, when the ball came to the outside corners, what did you feel about the umpire's decisions? And also, you had a lot of Major League pitchers pitching towards you?
KAB YONG JIN: I think he played a splendid game, first of all. For Seo Jae-Weong, Kim Byung-Hyun, they are not my elders, they are younger.
As for the umpire, the strike zone in Korea is very much similar. So I don't have too much trouble reading the pitcher. As for the Major League pitchers, I hear they take strike calls for the very low balls, but they also give strikes for the higher balls, too, which is very similar to what I usually see. Since my pitchers were younger than me and they were very obedient to me, and that was very good.
Q. I want to ask all of you, after you won today, I think you have a big chance to go over to the United States. What is your feeling about that right now?
IN-SIK KIM: Ever since we lost in is a pore row -- back in 2000 two, I was the manager in Sapporo. Maybe if we had Major League pitchers then, we would have won, but back then, Jin Kab Yong, Seo Jae-Weong did not participate in our game. And the Chinese Taipei team, ever since 2002, they have improved. They are a stronger team now.
This time, if we didn't have any Major League pitchers this time, maybe it would have been difficult for us to win. It would have been a close game, that's for sure.
CHAN HO PARK: Yes, in Sapporo, I did not participate. In baseball, sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. For all games we have to do our best. Today was our first game. It was a good game for us to gain strength and from here onward, I'm sure -- well, today's game was very tight, and I think we can better concentrate winning the game.
And all of our players, all of our pitchers, our condition was not yet 100%. But since we had a good game, I think our condition will get better. Back in the Asian Games in Bangkok, I think the level of play is higher than that back then. I'm talking about Chinese Taipei, that is. Our pitchers did so well to not let them hit. Both teams played a great game today.
SUNG HEON HONG: First of all, back in 2002, the Asian games, I played against Chinese Taipei. Compared to the experience back then, I think they are coping a lot more better with the breaking balls this time. And their defense, compared to what they did back in 2002, they are a lot better this time. I mean, some players, if we had Major League players back then, maybe we would have had a different result.
SEO JAE-WEONG: Yes, I feel the same. Back in Sapporo, I wasn't here, I was in (inaudible) team. But I played Chinese Taipei back in 1998. But back then, Chinese Taipei is coping better with the breaking balls this time compared to the way they played in the past. Right now Chinese Taipei team, they have lots of Minor Leaguers. If they keep trying hard, they will improve even more. And our team, their team did so well today, and I'm happy that we are the winner.
Q. I think you have a chance of becoming one of the top two teams, are you confident about that? And tomorrow, if you win against China, you will be one of the two top teams. In that case, when you play against Japan, are you going to use the younger players for their experience, or are you giving everything you've got to beat Japan, because Japan is aiming to become the Asia number one.
IN-SIK KIM: Well, yes, after the game we played today, one third of the game is done. The game against Chinese Taipei means a lot more than just one third of the whole games. Tomorrow we're playing against China, and tomorrow, you never know what will happen. You never know who will win. And tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, we will just keep doing our best. That's all I can say.
Q. In today's game, you used a lot of Major Leaguers, and I think you are using them again the day after tomorrow rather than tomorrow, but you cannot use Seo Jae-Weong, but you have other Major Leaguers you can use. Who will be playing against Japan?
IN-SIK KIM: We have to talk that over with our pitching staff, really.
Q. The Japanese pitcher, what's your impression against him?
IN-SIK KIM: If he is the starter -- is it for certain? Well, I don't know, I've seen him pitch. He's a great pitcher.
Well, I don't know what to decide yet, but I have to analyze his play and prepare the way we can against Mr. Watanabe. His pitching form, for example, you have to observe carefully, and we've been discussing that.
Q. Question to the manager and Hong Sung Heon, I'm sure you have a sore ankle, but you did so well as the catcher today, what is your feeling when you were playing? Hong Sung Heon, you made a hit for the second point, you showed a brave slide, how could you do so well?
IN-SIK KIM: Well, out of the three catchers we have, he is the most offensive catcher that we have. That was the decision I had within the domestic league. He's done so well as a catcher and as an offender. This is a well-known thing. Even in the training camp, Hong Sung Heon at the first part of the game, he would show good offense and I was sure he would do so well.
HONG SUNG HEON: Well, I didn't make a big run for second base and that's because I had a sore ankle. I was checking my ankle, so I lost the timing. In this game, each and every batting chance is so significant for me, it is significant for me and for my country. I know I have pain in my ankle, but I just have to put up with that for the team.
Q. After the disappointment in Sapporo, do you feel your team is on a mission to not only win all of its games in Japan, do whatever it can, but also to go and do whatever you can to overcome that ghost or the bad feelings left over from Sapporo?
IN-SIK KIM: I've like I've been telling you throughout the years, I want my players to do so well for my country. Everybody is very motivated and we could see that. That was a very good thing. In the country of Korea, if we get -- in Korea, if you get a gold medal to be listed for the Army. You don't have to be drafted.
I don't know what kind of special merit you get when we survive until the American rounds. Maybe we get a benefit, like we don't have to be drafted or something, you know, the players. Ten of our players could be affected by those special measures if there is any. As a professional baseball player, if you are taken away to the Army for two years, that will surely affect their physical condition as a baseball player. So, that's why we try so hard.

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