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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL C: TORONTO

March 7, 2009

TORONTO, ONTARIO

THE MODERATOR: We've got Jason Bay and Ernie Whitt here.

Q. Jason, what's it like to be able to play an international tournament at home? I'm assuming most of the ones you have been in before have been in another country?
JASON BAY: I mean, obviously, it's a little different obviously given the nature of being here in Toronto. It's a little more special, especially with the crowd that we're going to have hopefully. You know, it's something that it's probably, for me, maybe a once in a lifetime thing.
A lot of those guys, what are the chances that we get to do this again and have it fall in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada, might be slim. So it's something that while we're here, definitely take advantage of it and remember it.

Q. A question for both of you. Are there some nerves this morning?
ERNIE WHITT: Not for me. I don't have to play the game. I think the players are excited. You know, I mean, you'd be foolish playing in front of your home country, and hopefully 40,000 people, screaming fans, and we can keep those fans on our side and cheering an awful lot today.
So I know the guys are excited and, you know, we're anxious to get this thing going.
JASON BAY: When you play as many baseball games as you do, it kind of becomes, you know, a job quote/unquote. But, at the same time, I still get nervous before Game 82 of a 162-game schedule. It's that little butterfly feeling that, you know, kind of makes the competitive nature. In competing, that's what you do. I think when that goes away it might be time to get out of baseball.
But it's the same feel for me. Obviously it's little different circumstances, but another baseball game that I'm looking forward to.

Q. Ernie, is Russ's foot, your comfort level with Russ's foot injury fine enough for him to play nine? And, Jason, I know Jake Peavy's been tough on a few guys in the line-up. What's the best way to approach hitting against him?
JASON BAY: The nature of this tournament is pitch counts. If our first three exhibition games were any indication, you know, we can walk with the best of them. So, you know, I think it's just waiting him out. I mean, he is a -- he never gives in. Never gives in. And, you know, he is trying to get to you swing at his pitch. I think if we're just patient, you know, we're not -- he is not the type of guy you are going to go out and throw an eight-spot against. You have to chip away and kind of wait him out. He wants you to swing early. He wants to get you out on borderline stuff. And I think that's best suited for us because we have a lot of professional hitters, good approaches. And especially. Like I said. With the nature of this tournament and pitch counts and such, probably plays a little bit into our favor.
ERNIE WHITT: As far as Russ, Russ is healthy. He is good to go, and he will catch as long as he wants to. You know, if the foot starts to bother him, then Luke Carlin did a great job for us in those exhibition games, and we won't hesitate to put him in.

Q. Ernie, in all your years managing Team Canada what are three of your favorite moments from when you started going into this tournament?
ERNIE WHITT: Probably the first one would be my first year in '99, in Winnipeg against U.S.A. After the protests and me getting thrown out of the game with the Cuban umpire, we came back and won that game.
The second one would be when we qualified for the Olympics, I believe it was '03. I believe we were the first team to ever qualify for the Olympics. And, you know, we had to qualify.
I can remember the bus ride back from the ballpark to our hotel, the feeling and the pride all these players had.
The third one, probably was last '06, when we beat the U.S.A. It's exciting. You know, we beat the Giants. But unfortunately we knew we still had to beat Mexico, and we came up short on that one.

Q. What will it take for more major league ballplayers to commit to this event so that we don't talk as much about who is not playing as who is?
JASON BAY: I thought the first go around, the way it went in the first one, it was very smooth. It was very well done, and there was a few things that -- you know, kinks that got worked out. I thought that the guys that did it, you know, myself included, in the time that I had, even though we didn't move on, just kind of getting that experience to play with those guys and how that would kind of spread throughout baseball, you know, but how much fun it was. You know, I thought that might have had a little impact.
But ultimately, you know, it's coming down to personal preference. It's coming down to guys, you know, times in their careers, where they're at, and, you know, I understand it's a big story, the guys you don't have. But I don't fault anybody for whatever reason, you know, not being here. It's completely up to you.
And obviously there's a little bit of, you know, pressure. And it's not easy to say no. But, at the same time, we need to focus on who is here and hopefully, you know, the success of this year, hopefully, it goes well. Then once again that kind of resonates with guys, Hey, it was so much fun, and pretty soon guys will hopefully take note of that.
ERNIE WHITT: I agree with what Jason said. Naturally, we would like to have it endorsed from top to bottom. Sometimes you get the owners and the general managers giving approval to players, and all of a sudden, the manager and the pitching coach, or one of the coaches, kind of puts pressure on the other guy, like, Well, if you want to make this team, you need to be in camp. It's tough situation for the players.
As Jason said, I mean, it's total an individual who makes that final decision. But I do know that there's been cases where younger individuals trying to make a ball club. They feel like they're pressured that if they do leave, they're not going to make the major league club. So I think we need everyone to get on the same page and go from there.

Q. Jason, first of all, just talk about the pride, not only playing for Canada, but getting a chance to play in Canada. And, Ernie, do you get a sense the guys are really excited to get that opportunity?
ERNIE WHITT: Well, as far as the players are concerned, they love playing for their country. That's the one thing that I've always loved with managing this team. They play the team the right way, with pride and passion, and they play hard. As a manager, that's all that you want from the players that do.
We realize you are going to have good games; you're going to have bad games. But these guys will never quit, and that's the beauty of managing Team Canada.
I think as far as playing in Canada, I think it's going to be a bonus for us. Hopefully, they're going to be our tenth man. You'd know, we'd love to get off to a good start and keep the fans involved. I don't think there's going to be added pressure. I mean, we do have a young staff, a young pitching staff, so there might be some jitters there, but we have enough veteran presence on our club that I feel that, you know, they're more relaxed.
JASON BAY: I agree. I mean, you know, we get a chance to do this and play for your country is great. But when you are playing in Canada, it gives you a little bit more, I don't want to say incentive, but I guess a little bit more pick-me-up. It's a -- there's more of a buzz going around.
The last time we were in Phoenix, and we were kind of just another team there, you know, it was another team in that pool. But being that it's in Toronto now almost kind of feels like we are the team. And it's for -- some people might shy away from that; I actually enjoy it.

Q. Jason, you grew up in a family where international sport obviously is a big deal. Your sister is playing all over the world. Do you think Canadians care more about international sport than maybe pro athletes in other countries might?
JASON BAY: I don't think so. I mean, I think anyone who will agree that, you know, Canadians are a very prideful bunch. You know, everywhere I've been, everyone knows that Canadians take a lot of pride of being Canadian, and I think that has something to do with it.
But I think given a chance, from anyone's standpoint, on any level, it's personal preference on some people. And some people yes, and some people no. Once you get out there, you can downplay it all you want, but once you get out there, whether it's Olympics, whether it's this, whatever it might be, you can't just shut that off. You can't just curb, you know, that pride and that feeling of going out there.
That's the one thing I really enjoyed about this the first time, was I did it and didn't know what to expect. Got out there and was almost overwhelmed with the, you know, I guess the intensity and such of the games at such an early time. I was not really expecting or prepared for that. Having done that once already, I kind of know what to expect and I would like to think, in a perfect world, that everyone kind of reacts that way.

Q. Who is more intense Lauren or you?
JASON BAY: My sister, by far. I am laid back. I'm lunch-pail approach, it's been called. My sister, even at home, whether it's foosball or an argument, she is the one that gets red-faced and gets into it. So there's no question.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much Ernie. Thanks, Jason. Good luck today.

End of FastScripts

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