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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL C: TORONTO

March 7, 2009

Alessandro Maestri

TORONTO, ONTARIO

Q. Even though you (No microphone.)
ALEX MAESTRI: I mean, it's always great when you are playing in the stadiums against these players. So, you know, that's the bad part about today, but happy to be here.

Q. In the middle of that line-up that you came in and faced when they were going good, is that as tough hitters as you've ever faced?
ALEX MAESTRI: No doubt about that, yeah.

Q. Is it tough when the inning's already gotten going like that with, you know, third pitcher in the inning and their hitters are up there?
ALEX MAESTRI: Yeah, I mean, it does occasionally. Just, you know, can't wait to get in, because you are warming up in the bullpen, and you know you got those players in the box. I see the other guys are not doing good, so I just want to go in and, you know, try to get it done.

Q. How do you prepare for a line-up that has all-star, after all-star, after all-star in the line-up? How do you prepare mentally for that?
ALEX MAESTRI: I was just not thinking about it today. I mean, if you start thinking, Oh, my God, I got Cabrera, and all that stuff, I think you're screwed. So I just -- I don't know. I just said, I'm going to go in and try to, you know, try my best. So I guess it worked out.

Q. For this early in the spring, I mean, it seemed like, you were really throwing well. Are you happy with how you threw?
ALEX MAESTRI: Yeah. You know, we had the scrimmage game, where I didn't do that good, so today was actually, probably, the first day that I pitched a little better.
So, you know, when the adrenaline gets going, you kind of forget about everything else and you just pitch.

Q. You played in 2006, also, right?
ALEX MAESTRI: Yeah, I did. I made two appearances in two different games.

Q. Did that help a lot this time around, that it wasn't new?
ALEX MAESTRI: It's always a great experience. It's always, like, you know, a new thing, even if you've done it before.

Q. Was there a chance that you might have started one of the games for Italy?
ALEX MAESTRI: I don't know if the coach ever thought about that, actually. I just got ready, you know, just got ready for the tournament. And we haven't really talked about it.

Q. Now are you hoping that you'll maybe get in another chance and get in another game?
ALEX MAESTRI: To pitch, why not? I mean, you always want to pitch in those games. If they give me the opportunity, yeah.

Q. What's your goal for this season? Did you figure you would start back at Tennessee?
ALEX MAESTRI: Yeah, hopefully. That would be, you know, a good start. That's where I finished my season last year. You know, the goals I always set for myself are just, like, trying to do my best in the league where I am. Then everything else is going to, you know, come after that.

Q. What kind of expectations do you have for your next game against Canada?
ALEX MAESTRI: We better -- you know, we're not a bad team. We showed that even in the scrimmage game we had before. So I really think we can, you know. We can make it. We can surprise people. So, you know, hopefully we're going to get it done.

Q. What do you have to do differently to surprise these people?
ALEX MAESTRI: You know, those are great players. We got some great players, too, but we got to be perfect. So we can't really make mistakes with these people. We just wanted this game where everything goes right.

Q. I know, as you were out in the bullpen, nowhere near it, but does it surprise you that they would use Felix Hernandez in relief against you guys? Is that almost a compliment?
ALEX MAESTRI: Well, you know, you got to win this game. You can't think about the day after. So I think they did a good thing, you know, with their best pitchers. To the fourth and fifth inning, we're in the game, so they had to put in the best players.

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