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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: ROUND ONEMarch 8, 2006Eric CyrAdam LoewenPOOL B: PHOENIX, ARIZONA Q. (Inaudible) What was it like rebounding from that point? ERIC CYR: Just things that happened in the game. I mean, he's obviously like an All Star hitter. I just made a mistake and took advantage of it. After that, I had to calm down a little bit and just get back in the game, get focused. Q. Adam, how important was the Chipper Jones double play with the bases loaded in the first inning? Did that set the tone for you for the rest of your outing? ADAM LOEWEN: At that point, we were only up one nothing. So we really needed to bear down and get those two outs. The bases were loaded, only had one out. So it was huge for us to get us going on to the next inning. Q. Did it help you psychologically though to end that threat right then? ADAM LOEWEN: Yeah. It was pretty overwhelming having three guys on and an All-Star caliber hitter at the plate. You can't really pitch around anybody on that team because another future Hall of Famer is going to be up at the plate. So I just had to make the best pitch that I possibly could and hope for the best and kind of set the tone for the next couple innings. I felt more comfortable out there. Q. Was this like the most exciting start of your life coming into it and how did you kind of contain your emotions and was the double play kind of key for settling yourself? ADAM LOEWEN: It was the most nerve-racking start I've ever had. I was fine once I got on the mound. Like everything kind of went away, and I just focused on the task at hand and making quality pitches. And it's the same thing in the minor leagues. You have to do the same thing, you know, less caliber of hitters as you do with the best hitters in the world. You just got to hit your spots. And the team played unbelievable behind me. Stern had the game of his life. It wasn't just one person out there. It was the whole team. Q. Adam, what did Ernie say to you before -- I think he came up to the mound before the double play. Did he tell you what pitch to throw or just -- ADAM LOEWEN: Honestly, I don't even remember. It was kind of like -- I don't know. Q. Were you listening, I mean? ADAM LOEWEN: I was listening at the time. I just have a short-term memory. Q. Adam, what do you think this start might do in terms of your mental approach to baseball and then into the season and getting ready to be in the big leagues in 2007? Will this give you confidence? What will this do for you? ADAM LOEWEN: Yeah, it will give me a lot of confidence. I just faced the best hitters in the world, and I did pretty good against them. And it's just an unbelievable experience being out there on the mound facing those caliber of hitters and doing well against them. I can't even put it into words. I didn't expect to be on this team when they first started this World Baseball Classic. So just to be here in uniform is overwhelming for me. Q. How did you settle down after the slam? What did you say to yourself or how did you compose yourself? ERIC CYR: I mean, I think that whole time I was more relaxed. That was pretty much like my first outing in the major leagues. When I played for San Diego, I ended up facing the Yankees the first time out. I just told myself before the game, it's kind of -- already the Yankees have an All Star team. So it's kind of like the same, you know, thing for me. In my head, I just told myself to calm down, and it's just a game. So just make the pitches, and, you know, keep them as low as possible. Q. Some of the members of your team last night talked about possibly having taken South Africa a little too lightly, and that's why you got in that spot in the 9th inning. Do you think that the United States took you guys a little too lightly today? ERIC CYR: I don't know. I mean, I wouldn't think he did. You know, all those guys, you know, are hitters like Jason Bay and Matt Stairs and Corey. And I don't know. I mean, we just ended up doing well in defense and he pitched a great game. And I guess everything went our way today, so it was just that kind of game. Q. (Inaudible.) ADAM LOEWEN: I don't think they took us lightly at all. We played unbelievable, and they played a well-played ballgame as well. I just think, you know, give credit where credit is due. We played unbelievable today, and I think we could have matched up with anybody and we did. Q. Adam, one last question about your performance. You walked three guys. You got behind a lot of hitters. What were you able to do in terms of getting outs despite working behind in the count a lot of the time? ADAM LOEWEN: Well, I've had a lot of experience with that. I get behind a lot, and I walk a lot of guys. And that's the way I pitch. I'm a power pitcher. I have a lot of movement. It's tough controlling it sometimes. So when I get behind in the count, I really bear down and try to make quality pitches. I probably should do that earlier on in the count, but sometimes you get yourself in those situations and you really got to bear down and focus on the task at hand.
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