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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: ROUND ONE

March 9, 2006

POOL B: PHOENIX, ARIZONA

THE MODERATOR: We need everyone to be seated, please, for this conference. We have manager Paquin Estrada and Jorge Cantu, and pitcher Esteban Loaiza. We have two hand-held microphones we'll be using for questions.
To ask a question, raise your hand. We'll get the microphone to you. State your name and affiliation. That will help the people transcribing the press conference for the quotes. The question will be asked in English or Spanish. It will be translated, and then the answer will come back in English as well as the Spanish answer.
Q. Most important game of your time in the big leagues, so what is the significance of this game?
JORGE CANTU: This is a very important game for all us Mexicans that we play in the United States representing our country, Mexico. I had some difficult games, too, you know. But right now we are here representing our team, you know. The team is a family. We go day by day just trying to get farther and farther through the tournament. Today the batting came alive, and me and the relief pitchers, too.
We did a good job with good pitching, good hitting. A way to get there and do a good show in this tournament wearing the Mexican name on our chest.
Q. How much did you know about the Canadian batters, all those lefties in the lineup and the some of the keys -- I mean, they scored 19 runs in the first two games. How did you shut them down?
ESTEBAN LOAIZA: Locating my pitches, throwing my pitches for strikes, trying to get ahead in the count. Never know what's going to happen in this game. You have to prove it on the field, not off the field. Not by names or hearing or saying.
I think I went out there today trying to hit my spots and change speeds and throw my sinkers and fastballs and cutters on both sides of the plate, and it was just one of the things -- I think the first two hitters that I faced, I noticed that they pitched inside. So I kept away and away.
Every hitter is different, every team is different. I can't really say I'm going to stay, you know, in this stage right now that I want to be pitching on one side of the plate.
We got different players from different countries, different teams, and we just got to go day by day. And me watching the games on TV, it's really helping, you know, the days I've got to pitch.
Q. Given where you were -- I'm sorry. Given where you were raised, right along the border --on both sides actually -- is there even more significance to this as you get deeper into this tournament and you look forward to possibly pitching in San Diego if it works out.
ESTEBAN LOAIZA: Well, like I always say, we play day by day. We got to be ready every day. The time will come. Us winning games will always get us to San Diego, but right now -- our goal right now is to win two or three games in Anaheim and go all the way to San Diego.
You know, I'm from Tijuana, Mexico. Went to school in San Diego. I have a lot of friends, a lot of relatives, and there's going to be a dream come true to pitch there, especially representing Mexico and going all the way to semi-finals and the championship. Hopefully all the way up to there.
You just never know what's going to happen. Right now we're going day by day and be really excited and really happy for my ball players, team, coaching, the coaching staff to go all the way that far, because the best team that we ever had -- and we have best players that are playing in the big leagues right now. You got -- Jorge Cantu had an outstanding game today. We just got to go out there and put ourselves in a situation where we need to win and get our Mexican baseball really high. Not like you got to come in -- you got Cuba, you got Venezuela, but you never mention Mexico.
It's just one of the things that we see. We each see on TV, you know, previews, commercials, representing every country, but not Mexico. I think we have to prove ourselves on the field to go all the way that high.
Q. For those of us who don't speak Spanish, what does nosotros ya lo sabemos mean? Could you tell us what the front and the back mean, please?
INTERPRETER: We know it -- in the front, we already know it.
Q. And what does the back mean?
INTERPRETER: Let the world know.
Q. Along those lines, Esteban and Loaiza, obviously you already referred to, sounds like, moving onto the next round as a first seed. You're very pleased about getting -- making some countries respect Mexico more, and maybe even the press respect Mexico more. Could you speak to your feelings about that, Loaiza, and maybe Esteban again?
JORGE CANTU: Well, first of all, we play with pride. And the other thing is just like Esteban said a while ago, wearing that Mexico right on your chest means something. All the Latin people watching, all the American are watching. Everybody's watching.
It's just a game that we just played, and the thing is we got to go all the way. We got our back and our country.
All they talk about is soccer, you know, in Mexico City and south. So we want to let our people now how important baseball is and all the talent we have. And by doing that, the baseball theme is going to be all over the world now.
With this performance that we just did, that tells you everything what kind of talent we have in Mexico, and wearing that jerzee is just everything to me.
THE INTERPRETER: Mexico -- first of all, he's congratulating the team for the show of this first round.
And yesterday, he asked Cantu, you know, what's going on? We are warming up the bat yesterday. Cantu said -- before the game, he said that before the game. Is this what you were referring to?
ESTEBAN LOAIZA: (Spanish.) (Laughter.) You know, the game yesterday felt like it was warming up the bats, and now it feels like the bats are warming up now. Not only defense but offense is going to take to win the championship.
You have to have a little not only defense but pitching is going to take you through it -- not only defense and pitching is going to take you through the tournament, but you have to hit the ball, too. And we have the confidence now of the bats because we're feeling better and it's coming to us. It feels like it's coming to us not only defense, but pitching.
THE MODERATOR: Two more.
THE INTERPRETER: He's asking, you know, with the lead that you got that you were more -- tend to be more aggressive on the mound?
ESTEBAN LOAIZA: Every time I take the mound, you know, I don't care about the rounds. I always take the game one by one again and always think that it's a long game, and I always want to stay in the game as long as I can, and I want to treat the game a zero-zero game. I always look ahead to the game. It's a long ways away, you know. So I think the game is going to last long. So I don't care about the runs or anything. I treat it zero to zero.
Q. What do you know about the Asian teams? What do you know about them?
PAQUIN ESTRADA: The answer is we don't know anything about the Asian teams, but the most important thing is what is your team like in this moment, you know. You have to understand your team. That's the way I manage. You have to feel the difference, you know, that your team is going through.
It doesn't matter who you are facing as long as you know your team. You got to get on the field. We did a good job going to the second round. Not only we pass, but it was a very good job. You've seen the team. The team is very good. We played to the level we should have played and keep going and keep going.
THE MODERATOR: Last question.
Q. For the manager, who will be your three starting pitchers for the next round? And if you haven't decided, what will go into those decisions for you?
PAQUIN ESTRADA: So far, we don't have a plan. We have to have a meeting tomorrow and talk to all the players, talk to the coaches, and think who's going through a good moment, who has a good arm, who feels good on the mound.
There's no worry for me. We have 15 quality pitchers, first-class pitchers, and we're just going to talk about it.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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