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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL D: SAN JUAN

March 7, 2009

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

(Question and answers translated from Spanish.)

MODERATOR: We have with us the Dominican team, its manager Mr. Felipe Alou and player Pedro Martinez. We are going to open the question session once the manager talks about his opinion about this first game. Mr. Felipe Alou.
FELIPE ALOU: Well, it is a defeat which I'd say is a surprise. I did not feel very comfortable with this game. In spite of only managing this team for three games, we only batted one game, which was the first game. And then the last two games in Florida, we had 10 hits, and we scored one run. And the other game I think we had 10 hits and we scored one more run.
So in the last 27 innings with today we have scored four runs. And I believe that we have more than 30 runners on base. I was concerned about that for today's game.
I was also concerned about today's schedule for the game. We came here, we practiced as usual, but I was concerned about the schedule for today's game.
We had two very bad innings and maybe a third one. The first inning, the first was a really bad defensive inning in the first inning. And in training this team did not make a single mistake. You can check it, not a single mistake.
In the first inning there were a couple of plays that were not made, they were not easy plays. They were not easy plays. And the player, Ramirez, he made a great play, and he decided to throw to first. So that was one play.
The other play was when we had the bases loaded, no outs, and our third batter, which is one of the best batters of the team, and maybe one of the best young batters in baseball. We were only able to score one run in that inning.
And the ninth inning with a man on second and one out, Willy Taveras, who is a professional base stealer, he decided to steal third with such bad luck that the catcher, the pitcher was on the side of his arm, and he caught him out on third, which was not a good play for us.
There was no sign of stealing or staying. So it was a decision that he took as a veteran to get to third with less than two outs. So that's what I have to say.

Q. Question for the manager and one for Pedro. What is expected now for the next game tomorrow against the loser between Puerto Rico and Panama? And for Pedro, three innings, one excellent pitching, four outs, what does this mean to you to pitch after not facing real batters since last year?
FELIPE ALOU: Well, I spoke quickly with the guys, and I told them that as I understand it, the Dominican team lost the first inning of the first Classic. And then the team launched. And we are forced to do the same here.
I do not see how a team with such talent cannot continue batting and not batting timely. There are things that have been with us in the last three games.
Here we have not had much time to calibrate our team. That's the main thing, that we have not batted. In addition to that we have not been a team that has batted extra bases. That's why I stay with David Ortiz, even though he did not feel very well with his left shoulder, because his main threat is to get a big bat.
And I said we have to go back tomorrow and win, because if we don't win, we won't be able to play. China beat Taiwan last night. That is the situation. They know it. They knew we had to win today, and if we lost today we are against the wall. The team knows that.

Q. How did you feel on the mound after three innings without allowing a hit. What it means to you that presentation, taking into consideration that you were not facing a real game since last year.
PEDRO MARTINEZ: Good afternoon. Thank you very much. For me the important thing was to be able to help the team and give them a chance to come back, and we would be able to win the game. Ever since I started, I knew what my mission was.
I feel very happy having such great results individually, but really even though they were not real games, I took them very seriously, and I dedicated a lot of effort and a lot of concentration to what I was doing. Especially to the use of the pitching. And thank God everything came out as I expected, and I was able to use all my pitching efficiently?

Q. Mr. Alou, the real situation of Jose Reyes, we were seeing a substitute running. Why is he not playing? Tomorrow are we going to start with Johnny Cueto? What was the rotation of pitchers up to now.
FELIPE ALOU: Tomorrow, Johnny Cueto and the rest of the pitchers, those who pitched today can't pitch tomorrow. Those who cannot pitch. We have to win tomorrow. That is the situation.
I would have liked to have saved Pedro Martinez for a game where we would have been in front in scoring. But as Pedro said, we had to continue keeping the team on line, because they didn't do anything else after the first inning.
As to Jose Reyes, Jose Reyes is going to play tomorrow. He's going play tomorrow. We have done -- we did the pregame, every guy is going to play one game. I would like to have them both playing shortstop if allowed, but we can't.
The response now quickly without -- everything is clear. We cannot put him on any other base. We cannot put the young guys who played together on another base. He is a great player, too. But tomorrow he is going to start -- Jose Reyes is going to start the game on shortstop. We sent him running today to see if he had a chance to steal the base, but he wasn't able to get the jump to steal a base, because he had a green light in all pitches except one.

Q. Mr. Alou, we saw the team as very anxious today in terms of the offense. Also by what you stated, you do not feel comfortable managing this team with so many rules that there are for you to manage?
FELIPE ALOU: No, I feel comfortable managing the team. Look, after you come out on the field, then managing a team, I can't feel more comfortable in my life. I could tell you where I feel more comfortable, but I'm not going to say it here. Okay? (Laughter.)
But I feel 99 percent comfortable managing this baseball team. Mainly a big league team. The thing is during a season there are slumps that happen. And in the last three games that we played, 27 innings, we've been having hits, but we're not batting the ball like a Dominican team should bat, doubles, triples, home runs. We only saw that in the game where Alex Rodriguez played. I'm not saying it's because Alex was there, no, no, no. The team seemed more determined, more focused, but in some way we've fallen from lethargy in bats. The bat that went over the right field.
We have not really hit the ball that the Dominican team is used to hitting and the Dominican team is mostly big league.

Q. My question is for Felipe and for Pedro. Felipe, you did not get the ball out of the field. And the mistakes, too many costly errors. Will there be any changes to tomorrow's team? And Pedro, how do you feel under Mr. Felipe Alou's direction?
FELIPE ALOU: First, I already said tomorrow Jose Reyes is going to play, if he is healthy. And he will always be healthy, God willing. Since I haven't had so much time. I had one quick meeting with the team, and then I was brought here.
So with proper time and with a clear head I am going to study the changes that are going to made. For example, with the loss of several players that are not here in Puerto Rico because we have a third baseman who has played in his career, which is our third base, he has to play. We have one second baseman which is a regular in the big leagues. We have a situation on first where Ortiz can't play because of a problem with the left shoulder. So Willy Aybar is -- we have a situation where Taveras is a center fielder and Guillen is the right fielder.
Maybe I'll make some kind of change in the left field, maybe some change behind the plate. After that we don't have -- we don't want -- because after a game loss -- press the panic button because another defeat could eliminate us. You have to do things orderly and professionally.
PEDRO MARTINEZ: To me, my relationship with Felipe, being under Felipe's command makes me feel again like at home with my dad. And I am very thankful to have a chance to participate in the Classic representing my country and mostly representing it with someone who means so much to my career. He is a person who opened the doors to me. He gave me the trust, and he inspired me to become the pitcher that I am today. I thank Felipe a lot and I feel like a good son under the guardianship of his father.

Q. I would like to know what would be the reason or the motivation that you gave to Pedro. So many people here and in the Dominican Republic, everything that happens with the Dominican team, and right now could be with their heads down. Most of the raw material is the push that the country makes an effort to have so many stars is because of its citizens and because there are more than 10 million who are concerned with their situation. What do you have to say to that?
FELIPE ALOU: Well, we have to tell them, the first thing we have to say is that I believe that the Dominican fan knows about baseball as any fan in the world would or maybe more because we have a press that is quite ideal. And they also know about baseball as any press or maybe more. At least for Felipe Alou who has been more than 50 years in a professional uniform, that is what I believe. And I don't believe I'm wrong.
The Dominican fan knows exactly what is going on with the team, but they also believe that the team can react, and it should react.
The only thing I say is you should not bow your heads or give up, just have faith in these guys, because they played hard today, very hard.
We were not able to react to take away those three runs that should not have ever occurred. That was a team to play 9-0.
Now it's going to be difficult in Aruba and the Antilles because they defeated the Dominicans, which is unusual. But they deserved the victory because they played better.
The Dominican fan knows that this team, this team has suffered a lot of upsets lately that we have to change players and their positions. They came to play one base and now they play another base. We had to deal with the lineup after the first game, moving it around.
So the Dominican fan knows about that. This team has had upsets ever since the spring training in the major leagues started, we started to lose men all over the place. I'm a Dominican and also a fan. I'm the manager of the team. I am not bowing my head. I'm disappointed, I think. And I do trust my team.

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