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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: ROUND ONEMarch 6, 2006Vinny CastillaPaquin EstradaRodrigo LopezPOOL B: PHOENIX, ARIZONA THE MODERATOR: Any questions for Vinny Castilla? Q. What is your feeling, you know, of you being the captain of the how the team feels right now? VINNY CASTILLA: I feel -- first of all, you know, a lot of emotion. I'm very proud of representing the country. It was a little bit long. I might forget. The main thing is, you know, pitching is main thing in a game. And, you know, anybody can win, and we are very aware of our chances, because we have very good pitching. And, again, you know, we're very proud of representing our country. We have the best players in Mexico together. THE MODERATOR: We're not breaking into one-on-ones after this. This is your chance. Q. For Rodrigo. Several people have described you today as very tough. What comes to mind is the pitcher, Rick Sutcliff told a story about when he came up, he asked you to hit -- you hit three in a row. How does that translate into your approach against a line up like USA, and what do you expect tomorrow? RODRIGO LOPEZ: Well, first of all, you know, I was always trying to play a team mate. At that time, when Rick tells you, it was a team situation. But, you know, I get a lot of respect for the line up. Most of the guys, I already play against them and they're pretty tough. I mean, that line up, you know, they got better -- one of the best batters in the league. And in major league baseball, I just want to do my game style. From there, I mean, I got a lot of respect. Each of them are pretty tough and, you know, anything can happen. I got to be pretty concerned with every pitch, and I got to be 100 percent trying to make a quality pitch. And, well, as you know, just 65 pitches, I think I can do 100 percent and try do my best for my team. Q. This is also for Rodrigo, follow-up. Kevin Towers (phonetic) said that you had some shoulder problems late in your tenure with the Padres. But then after you left, you picked up velocity. Can you speak to where you were physically in 2001 with the Padres and where you might have developed the extra velocity? RODRIGO LOPEZ: Well, honestly, all my management with the Padres, year by year, I gained velocity. The last year I got shoulder problems that, for sure, I think I thought a lot during the winter and during the summer, and probably was tired by then. It was -- my shoulder was inflamed, so I couldn't build up good velocity. After two months in rehab, I come and I pick up some velocity. And I working, I think pretty much on my shoulder and my legs. But I think the velocity always been there. Still there. I think average velocity is the same for 2002 until today. So, you know, as any other pitcher, I think -- I think I always come through tough situations. And the velocity is always going to be there. So you got to be pretty much concerned about that and other situations to get through your games. Q. (Inaudible.) RODRIGO LOPEZ: (Laughter) You know, you have a vast experience in professional baseball. You have won the division series. You are well recognized you, and you have all the world of baseball under you. Q. You have a lot of stars. And first of all, signify for you to be a manager of this selection -- and you have a lot of stars -- what does it signify to be the manager, and how hard is it to manage the stars? And which stars are the most difficult ones? PAQUIN ESTRADA: You know, with all the repeats, with all the time he does have in baseball, all the experience, he has all the confidence he has. All the players in this selection have either grown up with him or, you know, play with him, you know. It's more like friends. Q. This is the question for Paquin. You know, everybody has his respect. He gives his respect to everybody. And the key is to respect all baseball: How it's played, how we can play it. How can I help you to, you know -- you know these guys. The majority of them you have faced them Boston Yankees, et cetera. How can it help you? RODRIGO LOPEZ: It is always important -- it is always important that you have faced these guys, and I know their abilities. I faced them for four years. 20, 25 times I have faced each one of them at least. They know me as much as I know them, you know. I know what I can wait for them and, you know, how to face them. Again, 65 pitches got to be in my mind. I got to be aggressive inside of the strike zone. Q. The first question was Erubiel Durazo was not in practice. I want to address that. Another thing, what else was in this game? Mexico and United States border countries. They're been a lot of history in between. Is there more to it than just a game? VINNY CASTILLA: First question about it will be why wasn't he in the practice? This was talked about already with the staff and with Paquin. He asked permission to go to his team and play in the games. He played two practice games with us, and now he's playing over there. So we knew he wasn't going to be there the second one. It is a great responsibility, you know, to play against the United States. Obviously it's a great team, and there's nothing extra. Just a game between two countries, and we want to demonstrate what kind of baseball we have. That's the most important thing, for us to demonstrate what kind of baseball and baseball players we have. Q. Several players, quite a few players, dropped out especially -- a lot of times, the reason they joined a new team. You joined the San Diego Padres, but you elected to play for Mexico in this. What was the reason why you wanted to play for this country here and didn't back out of it? VINNY CASTILLA: Because I always wanted to represent my country. This is the first time they make this tournament with the Major League baseball players can participate. And, you know, I was -- want to do it. Wait for so much time to represent the country, and this is an opportunity. I wasn't letting go. I'm very proud to have Mexico in my chest, and we ready to play. Very excited to play in this tournament. And, you know, we want to play, and that's one of the reasons -- that's the reason why I want to play for my country. I waited so long for this. Q. For Vinny, you're going to be playing against Jake Peavy tomorrow, your team mate. What are you expecting from him? You learned enough about him just from camp to pick up anything? VINNY CASTILLA: Well, I face him before, and I know where he throw. Like Rodrigo say before, like he know me, too. So you know, he just want to go out there trying to get me out. Try to help his country win like I'm going to be out there to try to get a hit to help my team win. So, you know, he's my team mate, but tomorrow he's going to be my enemy. And like I say, he's going to try to do his best like I want to try to do my best. Q. (Spanish) (laughter.) PAQUIN ESTRADA: Karim Garcia, centerfield; Jorge Cantu, second base; Vinny Castilla, third base; Erubiel Durazo, designated hitter; Luis Alfonso Garcia, left field; Adrian Gonzalez, first base; Geronimo Gil, catcher; Mario Valenzuela, right field; Juan Angel Castro, short stop; and Rodrigo Lopez, starting pitcher. Q. Can you say it in English? PAQUIN ESTRADA: Just like you heard it with an American accent. (laughter) He asked the question, how are you going to know the rotation you're going to use and stuff. He said it several times with the situation of the counts, you know, depend how the situation presents itself. He knows the quality of every pitcher. He needs to see hitters, how they are approaching, talk to his catcher. A lot of communication, you know, but always like in a game, it's like that in a situation. Q. The question -- the essence of the question I cannot translate literally, because they'll take my zip away. The essence of the question is compared to soccer. You know, soccer gets all the publicity. When they win the Cup, since baseball players are always so accessible, unlike Hugo Sanchez. He think he does something, but I don't know what he was talking about. What is approach towards this tournament and stuff? PAQUIN ESTRADA: You know, not only Mexico going to get a lot of promotion for this, but all the countries are going to get promoted. The baseball is going to get the attention of the people that's been watching, and Vinny doesn't blame the television stations. They go where the money is. It's a business, and the money is in soccer, Mexico especially. And this is definitely going to help a lot to -- to help the promotion of the baseball all over the world. Parts of the proceeds for this are going to the Federation, International Federation of Baseball to help precisely that: Improve baseball game all over the world. THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
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