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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL D: SAN JUANMarch 10, 2009Moises AlouFelipe AlouNelson CruzSAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Q. How much does it help you as a manager to get those guys in the lineup? FELIPE ALOU: Well, the thing is you got to take the whole thing, you know. With our guys, after playing two games, only two games, they look like they have been here for 15 days. The number one fact is to win. The number two is to make sure that these guys continue to play and to continue to get ready for the season. We had a very offense game, more so than a defensive game. I believe that if we should play a normal schedule or something, but even though there were nine runs scored the other day, the pitchers have been pitching very well. That's shown by what the scores have been of the other two games that were played. So to win that, we're trying to work on our offense, but still have good defense. We play a number of first basemen, we play five games, including the three spring training and I thought we played a number of players, we played Ortiz one game, we played -- so that's story, you know, we have been searching and we have been giving people opportunities to play. And today Ortiz is going to play. But we played five games and we had five different players at third base in the first Classic too. But today it's Ortiz. Q. How do you feel about this being an elimination game? Do you feel like that? FELIPE ALOU: No, we know it's an elimination game. We played a big league game last night. If we play well and the other team wins, there's not much you can do about it. The first game we lost in the first inning. Because we didn't play a great first inning. After that we played well. We pitched well the entire time, but for the first inning and the little errors there. You know, I got to have him in the lineup because he's a big guy, David is. And if he plays first, we are a better offense team definitely than we are without him in the lineup. We have added offense and added speed both. Q. What allows you to play him at first tonight? FELIPE ALOU: What allows us is that he's healthy. Q. We know that we are in the Classic, but we want you to tell us how are the conversations going and the secure positions that Texas has for you, because they assured you that they were going to give you a position when you came back from the World Series. NELSON CRUZ: No, we already had a conversation I said yes to the Classic, so we're now at the Classic and we're dealing with the Classic and we're going to get our hands on it and win the game today and after the Classic, then I'll deal with the Texas team. Q. Any kind of restriction? Any kind of questioning to your type of game? Have you been allowed to play as usual as you always play? NELSON CRUZ: No, no, this is a game if you restrict yourself from playing hard or playing a few innings, I'm the kind of a player who likes to play hard and play my game as usual. Q. Goals for the 2009 series? NELSON CRUZ: Well now I need to stay healthy and the numbers are going to come out. It's like the chicken that you feed bit by bit. So mainly health and see what happens. Q. So if you don't play in the big leagues you'll play for the Dominican Republic? NELSON CRUZ: Well I said yes, I would play it every year. Let's see what happens at the end of the season. Q. So it depends on how much you play will be the rest? NELSON CRUZ: Yeah, it depends on how much I play and how I feel health-wise. Q. So the Dominicans have to be calm that you're going to play with the Giants, but then you're going to have some rest? NELSON CRUZ: Yeah, like I said, last year since I played a lot of games and I had a small injury, then I started a little bit late. But it also depends on how I am health-wise in the games that I play. Q. So take a minute and say hello to your family. NELSON CRUZ: Well hello to all my Dominican Republic baseball fans. Hello to my family, my mom, my dad, they are in Santa Cruz. Q. You haven't had a chance to play before? NELSON CRUZ: Yes, yes, naturally you want to play and you want to play in the big leagues and you want to play every day. And this year, thank God the Texas team, they gave me a chance. And they gave me a chance and I'm going to try to do, to be myself and with the numbers I hope they seek me as a player. Q. Who else is going to be with you? Hamilton? NELSON CRUZ: Yeah, we have Hamilton and Murphy and Andruw Jones is trying to make the team. Q. It's not official? MOISES ALOU: It's not official because I have to talk about that with my family and I think that it's not something that I'm thinking about a career like mine I would have a problem -- I mean I -- when I decide, the day I do decide. Q. In terms of your team you had a big inning with the game and then what do you think, with your experience, what happened in one place and in another place? MOISES ALOU: Well that's something that we players understand, number one, that no one is in condition. Not only the Dominican Republic team, but any pitcher who is in condition will come and have sixth innings in a row because it's a good team and that is what happened the first day against the Netherlands team. But it's something that took us by surprise. It shouldn't have taken us by surprise because the teams, they have players that played in the previous Classic and we knew that there were things like this that could happen. But we played the second game and we scored a lot of runs and today for this game the team has a great mood and we know what we have to do. We have to play strong from the beginning and try to win the game early. Q. So in terms of the offers, what's going on? The big league offers? MOISES ALOU: Well, I did have one offer, I mean I have one offer, but it's only, it's on what I decide. But since I haven't decided yet on whether to retire, I'm leaning more towards retirement. And so that's why I already told the team that I'm leaning towards retirement. So I think that that's not going to happen. So, thank God, at 42 I'm still having offers and people trust my talent, but unfortunately I think that my health won't let me. End of FastScripts |
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