	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL ONE: SAN DIEGO

March 14, 2009

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, welcome to San Diego and to the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Today from Cuba we have the manager, Higinio Velez, team captain, Eduardo Paret, and Alfredo Despaigne.

Q. You're back from 2006 to the stadium. Who will be pitching tomorrow?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: We are not sure yet about the pitcher for tomorrow. Today, we are doing the scouting work. We are looking at the lineup, and during lunch, based on what we have established, we will see about the pitcher. We first need to study the lineup of the other country.
For a lot of people, they are saying that this is a retake on what we did last year. But, you know what, we are confronting a lot of very excellent teams. Venezuela, this is not like a rematch, really. This is just another game. You might remember that last year, Japan was a team that was basically eliminated based on runs. They came back.
So I don't see it as you paint it for me. I just see this is a new game, a new opportunity and a wonderful one.

Q. What is your impression on the Japanese teams?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: It's no secret for anybody that Japan has a wonderful team, a team that is an outstanding one, has always played really great games. So I think that tomorrow we will have a really great match.
ALFREDO DESPAIGNE: I think that the Japanese team is wonderful. They've showed this over and over again, the Cuban team is eager to win, and without a doubt, it will be an outstanding game tomorrow.

Q. A question for the manager. What is your strategy to defeat the Japanese team tomorrow?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: What do you mean about a strategy? There are so many strategies. What strategy in particular?

Q. Do you have a specific plan to try to beat the strong points of Japan?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: What do you think that the strong points for Japan are?

Q. What do you think?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: Well, they are a great team, and we respect every single one of the great teams. There are no guarantees in winning. We always respect the great teams, and we get prepared for them.
Japan is a great team. They are a great club. They are a club that gives everything and leaves everything on the field. And they really are fast in terms of offensive plays, and we need to beat that. And we need to have really good preparation. We need to be ready psychologically, as well as physically and technically to beat them.

Q. The question is for Paret. On your team's shoulder the big opportunity of hitting in Mexico City, and how are you going to play in the second round, defensive game or offensive game? Which are you going to play?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: I explained at the beginning that we need to handle three different factors: pitching, offensive, and defensive strategies. I think the scenario changes, as you know, because of gravity. In Mexico, the ball travels farther. Here, we did some adjustments in the batting practice because we've played this area before, and we know that the ball will not travel as far here. So we need to contrast this.
So have a really good defense, and really good pitching, and we are aware that here is different at the batting. It will not be the most important of this game. Both teams will really need to be on their game and work on speed and work on tactics and defense and off.

Q. Manager Velez, what do you remember about Matsuzaka three years ago, and what's different about your team this year?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: Matsuzaka is always an outstanding pitcher, and we will also have a great pitcher. We respect him, but we will do absolutely everything possible to win the game. We know, as you know, he is an outstanding thrower, and he has demonstrated this over and over again in the major leagues. This is not a fluke of the last World Baseball Classic, and we are prepared to see him again.

Q. And your team, what's different about your team from three years ago, since we don't get to see Cuba play very often?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: I don't think that we've changed a bit, not at all. The Cuban team is a team here. And three years ago the player of three years ago met their roles. Cuba has an outstanding roster of outstanding players, so we are currently forced to relieve and give new opportunity an opportunity.
I think all of our teams are great teams. The team we had in 2006, was a great team, and so is this one.

Q. I would like to ask the players their thoughts when they come into a ballpark? This big Petco Park is known as one of the bigger ballparks around the league. How does that influence your approach?
EDUARDO PARET: Our perspective is the same. Our approach is the same, because a large field, I mean, we are mentally prepared to play in any park. I don't think that the difference is so that great.
ALFREDO DESPAIGNE: Just like he said, we really get prepared really well to play in any scenario, regardless. The team is really well prepared, all of the players are really well, physically and mentally, to play a great game.

Q. For the manager and the players, what did you learn about the last time when you faced off against major league players?
HIGINIO VÃ‰LEZ: I don't think that we played -- we learned a lot. The rest learned a lot about Cuba. We have a phrase, we have a saying, I said "Our team is a team of players and not a team of names."
We said that these were all people that we admired and we respected. I would say that 99% of all the players, if not 100%, these are humble people, these are simple families, and that's their background. We know their situation, and we know their background.
I don't think that you knew the Cuban ball players, and nobody really thought that they were at the level that they were. We have a great league in Cuba. We play all year long, and I'm telling you, be patient, wait for the Cubans, wait to see the Cubans. The ones that are in the big leagues are -- in the major leagues, they are the same. Those players from Dominican Republicans, they're about the same quality that we have here in Cuba.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297