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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: ROUND ONE

March 9, 2006

POOL C: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

THE MODERATOR: Good evening. Welcome to the post-game formal interview of the Netherlands and Cuba game of the World Baseball Classic. Interviews will be conducted in English and Spanish. We ask you to please be patient as the entire process will be interpreted for our stenographers who will be recording this interview.
Our interpreter this evening is Pablo Chang. .
This evening with us is Robert Eenhoorn, manager, and Sidney De Jong. Can you give us your comments about the game, and this question goes to the manager and it goes to the player, as well.
ROBERT EENHOORN: Well, I think I can be very short. We got out-hit and out-pitched. They were a much better team tonight. I don't think I have much else to say about this game.
Q. Now that you have played both of the teams, both the Cuban team and the Puerto Rican team, could you possibly talk to us about tomorrow's game and your take on that?
ROBERT EENHOORN: Well, they're both very good. Obviously Puerto Rico has most of the players that play in the major league, but many of the Cubans in my opinion would play in the majors, too, if they had a chance. It will be a very good game.
Q. This question is for both of you. How disappointing is the two games overall, but at the same time how did you find the experience of playing in this tournament?
ROBERT EENHOORN: It's disappointing, but you look over all these last two days and the way we played, it's early in the season and it shows. A team like Cuba, you can tell they're in the middle of their season. They've played a lot. We have a lot of guys that did not play up to their potential, and that's why we're not going to the next round.
SIDNEY DE JONG: Well, I think it's a great tournament and it's a real big experience for the whole team. Too bad that we couldn't bring our best game into it. But next time, tomorrow, hopefully we'll show what we're made of.
THE MODERATOR: Before the next question I would like to recognize that Randall Simon is also with us tonight.
Q. Before the tournament you said that you wanted to show that you guys could play at this level, that you were prepared. I know the results aren't what you wanted, but you were in both games for a while I thought. Did you come away from these games thinking that there were one or two places where you showed you were up to playing at that level?
ROBERT EENHOORN: Well, I still believe that when we play up to our potential that we can play with these teams, but you have to play nine innings, and both of these games it looked like we were always behind. It's a lot tougher playing from behind than when you're ahead. We didn't taste that in these last two days.
But again, I know there's a lot of potential; we've shown that over the years. With these two games we just didn't execute certain pitches. So maybe, sure, we had some breaks going the other way, but again, when you look overall, I think Puerto Rico and Cuba deserve to go to the next round.
Q. This question is for Randall Simon. Andruw and you were the two major players on this team and maybe you have not been working up to the potential as much and you are not producing or you are not playing as you usually do in the major leagues. What is your take on that?
RANDALL SIMON: One thing I want to say that I'm really proud about the way we played those two games. It was kind of tough a little bit, the way we've been -- since we got to this Baseball Classic. We weren't that ready, and I think me and Andruw, we tried to do the best we could at that time. And Puerto Rico and Cuba, they were ready and they played good; they played great baseball, and those guys showed at the plate that they're good teams, and that's why they qualified to the second round.
Q. Randall, two questions: Where are you playing this year, and how good did it feel to get a hit? I saw you point to the Dutch fans. How good did that feel to point at them?
RANDALL SIMON: First of all, I'm not with nobody right now so far, but I keep working hard to get myself back in the game because I know I can play to this level. I think this year is a great opportunity for me. I'm just going to keep working on it, and thank God I'm healthy, and I think that's the most important thing. I'm just going to put it in the hands of God and let him decide what is going to happen, but I know that this is something that will put me back in the picture so that people know that I still can play the game and I still can play at the major league level. So I think I'm really happy for that, and I thank God for that opportunity?
Q. This question is for all of you. How do you approach tomorrow's game having been eliminated, and who is your starting pitcher for tomorrow?
ROBERT EENHOORN: Well, it's always tough, but it's also still a day to show everybody that we're a very good team. We'll try everything tomorrow to win that game and finish the tournament on a good note. (Shairon) Martis will start tomorrow, who's a very young and good pitcher who I believe will have a long career. He's an exciting kid from what I've seen in the last couple weeks, so we'll definitely try to win this game tomorrow. It's not going to be just rolling over and trying to play nine innings and get it over with.
I will try everything to -- and I know the guys will, too, to finish on a good note and leave good memories behind. I thought especially last night with the fans here, the way they were cheering, it's almost like being back in the soccer stadium. I think that's how a baseball stadium should be.
Right now it's tough, but I'll also look back to some good memories and some good experience for some guys that will maybe never get this experience again. But that's for when this tournament is all over. Tomorrow, again, we'd like to win.

End of FastScripts...

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