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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL C: TORONTO

March 9, 2009

Ernie Whitt

TORONTO, ONTARIO

Q. What's the mood right now of the guys? Pretty much a must-win game, obviously.
ERNIE WHITT: The mood's good. We know what we have to do, so we'll go out and we'll play the game and see what happens.
But everyone's ready. We're prepared. And we'll see what happens.

Q. Is the challenge today kind of managing your bullpen, both for today and for tomorrow a little bit?
ERNIE WHITT: We can't worry about tomorrow. We have to win today. You know, naturally, we're hoping that our hitters will step up and give us, you know, a good lead, and then we can manage from that point in time.
But right now, it's to play the game and to win tonight's game. Because if we lose, there is no tomorrow.

Q. Do you have a feeling right now if you play like you did on Saturday, there's nothing to worry about?
ERNIE WHITT: There's always something to worry about, that's why you play. One single game, anything can happen. And I know our players know that. That's why I know they're ready to play.

Q. How much of an unknown factor is there with this Italian team?
ERNIE WHITT: We've had an advance scout watching them during the three exhibition games they've played, and then the game they played against Venezuela the other night. So we know all that we can know about them.
You know, some of the players, Catalanotto, I know him fairly well. But, again, you go out and tell your hitters to see the ball, hit the ball, make the plays in the field, and you tell your pitchers to throw strikes. Beyond that, you have no control over it.

Q. The big leagues, if you are in an elimination game, you throw the whole bullpen out there, right? You manage almost desperately. Do you start off not in that mode and slip into that mode at some inning in this game if it's still close?
ERNIE WHITT: Well, what you don't want to do is let the game get away from you. I mean, you can overcome a run or two early, so I don't think you push the panic button real early.
Again, we have confidence in Vince and the pitching staff that we have available, which is basically everyone except for Aumont. He is the only guy that won't be available to us tonight.

Q. I wanted to ask you about Corey Koskie, what he's been through to get back to this point. Looked like his career might be over two-and-a-half years ago, now playing again?
ERNIE WHITT: He's done a tremendous job. He has definitely surprised me from what I've seen. You know, the three exhibition games he's played in, he's done a great job. Right now, the way it stands I'd love to get him into a game and to see how he responds at this level.
But it's my opinion that Mark Teahen has earned the right to play third base at this point in time, and Cory will be a left-handed hitter coming off the pinch for us.

Q. Any roster changes?
ERNIE WHITT: No line-up changes tonight. Everything will be the same, except for the pitcher.

Q. Johnson can pitch tonight?
ERNIE WHITT: No, I said except for the pitcher. Johnson cannot pitch. Johnson and Aumont are the two pitchers that are not eligible tonight.

Q. How are you going to remember Saturday, the experience?
ERNIE WHITT: You know, it was a loss. I mean, the guys played well, but it was -- we came up short. We had the opportunities, and that's all that you can really ask for, is to put your team in a position to win. And, you know, we were in a position to win.
I think our pitchers did an outstanding job. They gave up three home runs to guys that are capable of hitting home runs.
You know, we had the right guys up in the line-up at the end. Sometimes you have to tip the hat to the other team, and they got the job done and we didn't.

Q. The buzz in this building, how are you going to remember that?
ERNIE WHITT: It's a great buzz. Any time you can get fans standing on their feet and cheering and showing the passion they have for their country, believe me, it inspires the players, too. And I know that they were emotional, and they wanted to win just as bad as our fans wanted to win. Hopefully, they'll come back out tonight and support us. If we win tonight I hope they come back out tomorrow night and support us.

Q. The thing with Vince, he is not a major league pitcher who is getting himself ready and working through it. Is this a guy who really wants to make a showing to get into the major leagues? Kind of like what Scott Richmond went through. Does that mean anything as far as getting on the mound and having that focus, not only trying to win for the country, but trying to up his career?
ERNIE WHITT: Well, again, I guess that's -- we'll see that tonight once he takes the mound. I think he is ready. You know, he definitely has the ability to do it. We'll just see how he's focused on the mound. And, again, I've seen him real good, and I've seen him bad, too. But, you know, we'll see how he proceeds the first couple innings. And hopefully he can get through it.

Q. Do you have it figured out who is second and who is third?
ERNIE WHITT: I hope so. Who knows? Right now, you know, what I'd like to do is, you know, if Vinnie does get into some problems in between innings, I'll probably use one of our bullpen guys to bridge the gap. But I would like to start Scott Diamond on a fresh inning, you know, if possible, same thing we did with Aumont the other day on Saturday.

Q. I know you have been stressing about not taking Italy lightly. You look at what happened with the Netherlands the other day. Is that just a pure example of this is a crazy game? Get one pitcher who is red-hot and anything can happen?
ERNIE WHITT: Absolutely, there's no question about it. Like I said, our biggest goal is to not let this game get out of hand one way or the other, as far as them scoring a bunch of runs on us.
So we'll do whatever it takes to, you know, put a stop out there, and hopefully hold them so that we can score some runs.

Q. Have you thought back to the South Africa game at all leading up to this?
ERNIE WHITT: Constantly. Believe me, yeah, I have. It was a sleepless night.

Q. There were a lot of guys on this team who played in that game who probably didn't need much of a reminder. Did you use that in talking to the guys?
ERNIE WHITT: It has been mentioned, let's put it that way. So that's why I'm saying, I think our players are prepared, and we'll see what happens once the game starts.

Q. What do you remember about that game and what were the lessons that you took away from that game?
ERNIE WHITT: I think some of -- I don't know. They just played a good game, and I think we just took them too lightly, you know. You look at it on paper, and it's like there's no way they should contend, or even be in the same ballpark as us.
But that's why you play the game. And at any given time you get a pitcher out there that's hitting the spots and our hitters are missing pitches they should be hitting, and, you know, then all of sudden, it's a tight ball game.
But, again, you know, we're going try to avoid that. We're going to try to be as aggressive as we can tonight swinging the bats, and our pitchers throw strike. If we can do that, we should be okay.

Q. Do you remember how narrow an escape that was in the ninth?
ERNIE WHITT: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Q. Any line-up change for tonight's game?
ERNIE WHITT: No, everything is the same as Saturday except for the pitcher.

Q. The players see the way that management has set it up with emphasis on Game 3 with Scott Richmond pitching. Do you have to convince them that this game is as important?
ERNIE WHITT: Well, they're all well aware that, you know, if we don't win this game, there won't be a Game 3. So, you know, I mean, that's the bottom line to it. So they do know the consequences of tonight's game.

Q. How big a chance are you taking saving your best guy for the third game?
ERNIE WHITT: Who is to say he is the best guy?

Q. He is your best guy?
ERNIE WHITT: That's your opinion. That's the beauty of this game, I have confidence in every guy we have in the bullpen, you know. So, I mean, you know, I have confidence in our hitters. And if we don't make it to tomorrow, then you guys can write that I was a bonehead and didn't start Richmond, you know. I'm willing to take that.
But I have confidence in the guy that we're starting tonight, and our bullpen, and I have confidence in the hitters that we have, and that we're going to score a bunch of runs. And, you know, hopefully we'll be playing Game 3, and I won't be such a bonehead.

Q. Are there any relievers you could use today and back-to-back tomorrow?
ERNIE WHITT: Maybe a few. The only guy that I couldn't use back-to-back would be Leroux. He's -- we've got mandated he cannot go back-to-back days. Of course, if they throw over thirty pitches, they're not allowed to go back-to-back days.

Q. So Crain, you could back-to-back? Davidson, you could back-to-back?
ERNIE WHITT: Yes.

Q. (No microphone.)
ERNIE WHITT: If it needs to win tonight, I'll use him tonight.

Q. One was a win; one was a loss. Can you compare the way your team competed against the U.S. in '06 and '09?
ERNIE WHITT: That's tough, Richard. They competed both games. I mean, you know, we -- like you said, one was a win; one was a loss. But this loss, I mean, it was tough, but, you know, again, we had our chances. I think it proved to all the players that we can play with any team out there.
So hopefully, it will be a stepping stone for us to continue to progress farther into this tournament.

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