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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL D: SAN JUANMarch 6, 2009Felipe AlouEdinson VolquezSAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (Questions and answers translated from Spanish.) Q. Who do you understand is going to be the strongest rival that you have at this round? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: They're all strong rivals. We've got to get going as we play with them. Q. What progression have you done, because the last time you were left off and you were one of the favorites. What progression do you believe from the first 15 games in the big leagues, you can dominate Cuba, Japan, Cuba, which were preparing themselves for the whole year? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Well, we had good training. That's the main thing that we did. Every pitcher pitched in their organization. I believe the last time they played the Classic, there were very few pitchers who were able to pitch before coming here. And I believe that's what we did. At least I pitched about three or four innings against Cincinnati before coming here and also Santo Domingo. And I believe that everyone who is here is ready to pitch. Q. Obviously Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico will be the big favorites. But in the past World Classics Panama, how do you think they will do here? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: I believe before everyone who is here has a great team. They are the best players from their country. To me I think we're going to win. Because it's my team. I don't know what the others are thinking, but I believe it's going to be a good tournament. Q. Good morning. Tomorrow you are facing the team from the Netherlands. I suppose you've studied something about them. What is your opinion about their strengths? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Well, I don't know their players, and I don't believe they've seen me pitch because they've never faced me. But I don't have any -- I'm just going to pitch by instinct more than anything else because I don't really know any of them. Q. To you what does it mean to play with Pedro Martinez who was one of your great idols. Have you had a chance to talk with him? Has he taught you a couple of things in the time that you've worked with him? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Pedro Martinez is a great person, a great guy, and a great peer. It's the first time I'm playing with him in a team. I hope to learn things from him until the end the Classic. And he's always helping the young ones trying to help out as much as we can. Q. Edinson, what did Cincinnati tell you with regards to your participation here in the Dominican Republic? And what did they tell you if they're counting on you for the next season? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Well, they simply told me the limit of the pitching. I believe it's going to be 70 pitches in the first coming out and 80 and 85 in the next. That's the only goal they gave me. And I hope this year to be able to give them the same opening that I had last year or more. Q. So you're going to be on the initial rotation? EDINSON VOLQUEZ: Of course. MODERATOR: Any other question? We have the Dominican Republic manager Mr. Felipe Alou. He will be coming in. Welcome, Mr. Felipe Alou. Questions? Q. Greetings. Basically your position in terms of the progression of this team, strengths and weakness, what do you expect in general terms starting from this game. Are you surprised by the absence of Alex Rodriguez. FELIPE ALOU: To me it's difficult to answer all of those questions, although the answer should be easy. We play three exhibition games, three. I cannot join them with the case of Alex Rodriguez. Alex played one game with us. It's very difficult to group a team in three games, mainly because that team is comprised of players who come from different organizations. For example, in my case, I've worked with the San Francisco Giants, and I do not have a single player from the San Francisco Giants. I'm the only representative of that team. But I believe that we've done as best as possible to see what has been done in those three games and to compare it with what those players can do in a quick and short series as we can or there should be until you reach the final game. I have just had a meeting with my technical team, coaches, in the stadium and we have a lineup more or less based on what we've seen here in this training field without Rodriguez. We have a good team, but from what I've seen there are several good teams. I was told by Omar Minaya who is the general manager for the New York Mets, who is a great friend of mine for a long time, that, in this quick baseball series, the Classic, because of some of the reasons that I've mentioned, players of different ages, different teams, that have different philosophies, anybody can beat anybody. So I think that all managers of all of the teams that are going to be in this contest tomorrow are aware of that, that we have to win tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. We are going to play our pitchers who we believe are the one who is best prepared for the opening game. All of that, and we have a tentative lineup based on what we've seen and the three games that we've played. And we didn't score many runs. A couple of things like that. This is all practically improvised, but we have to win. Q. There's a new format now, this new format of double elimination. Based on that, you believe the first game, that's why you chose Volquez that first game because of the new format that's going to be at the tournament? FELIPE ALOU: Well, we have chosen Volquez. We think Volquez -- he's going to pitch tomorrow. We have chosen Cueto for the second game. And maybe for the third game it will be Ubaldo Jimenez who displayed a great performance in terms of what he's going to do or maybe Pedro Martinez, but Pedro has only pitched for two innings. Q. Why Volquez? FELIPE ALOU: Because Volquez pitched a lot of baseball in the winter league and because Volquez also pitched three innings quickly with the Cincinnati Reds. He's like more advanced, and he's been pitching more than most of the guys. And in addition to that, he is a guy who is cold blooded. That I did not know of. His behavior here in the team is of great trust. And all those things that lead a manager or coach to say this is a true man who has succeeded in the big league last year. So his career is kicking off, and that's why we're going to put him in tomorrow. Q. Felipe, is there a rule that could Alex Rodriguez be replaced? And have you matched Puerto Rico -- FELIPE ALOU: What was that? Q. The first is whether there is a rule to replace Alex Rodriguez when a player leaves because of an injury and have you matched Puerto Rico with Santo Domingo? FELIPE ALOU: There is a rule. There are many rules in this tournament, in this Classic. Many rules that I don't even know of. Mainly the substitutions of players. We are substituting Alex Rodriguez, and I believe we are substituting him at this time with Fernando Tapia [] a Dominican who plays with the New York Mets. As to the Puerto Rico team -- I could just spend the rest of the tournament talking about those rules to substitute and that kind of thing. But with injury you can substitute players, and Alex Rodriguez is evidently an injury. And let's just leave it at that. The other thing is that the Puerto Rico team, like several teams, decided to do a better role in this Classic, and that's why I believe that this Classic is going to be a lot more difficult than the first Classic. Like, for example, Mexico has a great team, but we don't have to think about that. And Venezuela also has one and Canada has one. We all know the quality of baseball that is played in Japan. They are the champs. So we do have a great team. Puerto Rico is coming with a better team where most of the main players, Puerto Rico is going to be playing. In addition to that, Puerto Rico is at its home, its home field. Yesterday we arrived last night, we had difficulties getting into the hotel. So I thought, well, you know, the Puerto Ricans are going home, most of them, and they're going to play in the second game. So they don't have to get up at 7:00 in the morning like we do. So all of those things with a good team and those advantages in a short series help a lot. But what I have to do here in Puerto Rico, I know the culture, the Puerto Rico baseball, and the determination of the players. They are going to have a very difficult team to beat in this Classic. Q. Regarding the World Classic, the future that you see and what can continue happening so this can be successful? FELIPE ALOU: Well, the Classic, which I did not know very well because I spent the last Classic pushing for the Dominican team to win. But now I believe that the Classic is -- this for me is a decisive year, the Classic to me; that I didn't know many things about the Classic. The first I heard the Classic is I don't know who has control of the players in the Classic. I have a list, it's longer than this table of players Dominicans, who they would write in, "Okay for the Classic." Still the day before the Classic I was asked a question of how we were going to substitute Alex Rodriguez. And so what happened, well, that list, I mean the pool, I'm a fisherman, and in fishing we have a pool to put in the bait. When you lose the bait, you have no more fish. So with that pool we have used up all. And we are supposed to have more teams, players, than anyone, much less the United States. So until there is control of the players, I do not know how we're going to get that control. I believe that the Classic will always be at risk. Because they announce great players and great players, and then little by little those great players, with all their rights, can leave the Classic. And in addition to that, tickets are sold with the names of those players, with the stadiums and those tickets, and when the Classic starts, half those players don't participate in the Classic. So to have the support of the fans, we have to have a better and greater control of the players who are going to participate. We can't be announcing players that are not going to participate in the Classic. I believe the players themselves when they say, I'm going to play, they have to play. And the players who say they're not going to play don't play. So some of the things that happen don't happen. Sometimes you think you have a team today, and tomorrow you have a different team. Q. How does it hurt you not to have Alex here? FELIPE ALOU: Well, look, in the Dominican team we've had serious problems, great problems in the case of Adrian Beltre who was kind of indecisive as to whether he played or not played. Then he fell. I really don't know the exact reason why that player didn't follow through. But I believe that was maybe our best player in the first Classic. And he was practicing in the mini-camp even when we knew that he had been recently operated on, and he fell afterward. And Albert Pujols, Albert Pujols came and this problem came up with the insurance or something that he was not yet in perfect condition after the surgery. And with that, a series of players, pitchers and players from the starting team and the outfield, also that fell through as we say. In Alex's case, he was with us until about three days ago. It was a matter of -- we were sure Alex was going to play because he was with us. He went to the mini-camp in Santo Domingo and we were with him three nights ago. And the next day we ran into the unpleasant position that Alex had to go to Denver. And we're talking about what we read in the press and what we saw on TV. Okay? And so fortunately we have Tejada, because Tejada is one of the national players who was kind of indecisive, not only him but also us, because he had to appear in the month of March before a commission or something, I don't know. But he said, "I'll play. I'll play first base, and first base, I've never played that, but I'll do anything for the Dominican team." So Miguel Tejada came. And he substituted Alex Rodriguez greatly. Losing Alex Rodriguez took us greatly by surprise. That was one of the biggest turn-arounds that the Dominican team has had, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Alejandro, etc., etc. The guy, Santana, Albert Santana from Anaheim, those are big turn-arounds but not only for the Dominican team, but also for the existence of the Classic. These are things that happened especially shortly before the Classic starts. But we are absorbing still the last big loss which is the heart of your question. We are absorbing it this time, the loss of Alex. And in addition to that I want to say, for the rest of the guys, our concern with Alex is not whether or not he's going to play with us, our concern because, since he was with us for a while, is that we hope that he recovers as soon as possible and for him to continue his great career as a baseball player in the major leagues. MODERATOR: For reasons of schedule we must conclude this question session. Miguel Tejada is going to be in the playing field for possible questions you may want. We have another press conference shortly with the Panama team. We that, Mr. Alou and Mr. Volquez, thank you for your presence. Those of you who will continue for the next press conference, you're welcome to. Those who are leaving, please remember to leave your head sets if you got one. Thank you. 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