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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL ONE: SAN DIEGO

March 15, 2009

Sadaharu Oh

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, and welcome to the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Today we have Mr. Sadaharu Oh. He is this year's Team Japan's ambassador, and the manager of the Team Japan, the WBC Champion in 2006. Mr. Oh is here to answer your questions about this year's tournament.

Q. You are here, back three years later, at Petco Park and can you talk about thinking back three years ago.
SADAHARU OH: First of all, I am so happy I am here, and it's been three years and it went so fast. Number of times I sat exactly on this podium and thinking back I was excited, as always. And from this podium, I answered to you many questions, and I am thinking back there three years ago.

Q. All the baseball players, I'm sure you met this time all of them. And you, as Mr. Oh, what do you think about the Japanese baseball players at this time?
SADAHARU OH: Well, they are improving, they are getting ready for the face-off. And back in Japan, there were three games in Japan. In particularly, with the Koreans, we played twice, and the first game against Korea, we were able to get so many points. And the second time, we lost.
But now, the Japanese team, Team Japan, I think it was actually good. Now, they come back to Arizona, and in practice games, and so far, they are moving along. And then they have been able to adjust accordingly.

Q. I'm sure you met all the players and the coach. What did you tell them?
SADAHARU OH: No. Last night, I arrived here. And then this morning, the pitchers, they had a separate meetings. I haven't met them yet. But all the people associated with this game, and we talked about Arizona. And then they said it was hot, under hot weather conditions.
But today's game -- I think it was a very tiring game and I think it's going to be good for them, for the team, and we have very high expectations, and all the Japanese baseball players are aware of that. And they have huge pressure, and under the pressure, each individual team knows what they have to do. And they are supposed to do what they're supposed to do, and I'm sure it's good for them.

Q. Against Cuba, what is your impression about the Team Cuba? And also, what is going to be the game plan? What's the point today? Your idea, please.
SADAHARU OH: Well, the Cuba team, they are a strong team and they have speed, as well. Then they have been trained very well. That's my impression.
And, of course, Cuba's baseball system is such. They play the game, they are small little boys, and from their own they are building national teams, and so they have a lot of good players.
Today's game plan is pitcher, Chapman, and Japanese baseball players, they have never played against him. This is the first time for me to see him pitching, and the slider and chip and all of these. I understand he is still trying to adjust, but he's a dynamic pitcher. So, you know, it's going to be an awesome pitcher. All the people involved, from the newspapers and TV and such, you learn about him. He is a powerful pitcher, in terms of control and also the defense and offense, all of this, the motions, pitching motions and such.
And as far as Japan is concerned, we have to be offensive, and all this, and that's the only way, and do the things we are supposed to do. It's not the one-to-one type.
Mr. Hara, the coach, I'm sure he will lead them to victory and success, I am sure. So all of the Team Japan members, I think they are ready to face-off against Cuba.

Q. In Japan, you know, everyone is very hot about this game. And the other countries, maybe not so much. But the last time, three years ago, WBC, you were the manager. So what is hope about the WBC in the future?
SADAHARU OH: Of course, the first time WBC, Japan was the champion, and Team Korea came all the way. And I think everyone was very hot about the WBC game, the first time. And then the ultimate purposes is to get everyone interested in baseball players. So I think for that reason, it served a purposes.
This is the second WBC game, and USA and others, all of these great teams, they all work -- they all want to win games. And this time, this perspective, they want to win even more than the first game. So when you look at it from that perspective, I think this time, it's a higher level than maybe the first time, WBC. Psychologically, everyone is very hot about this.
And all the baseball players in this game, I think they are getting very hot about this game. This is wonderful, to show to the world about baseball, and this is going to be a very hot game.
Whether it's lose or win, this is the name of the game. It's not -- winning is not everything, and, of course, the first time when Japan won, that wasn't everything. So the first WBC, under tremendous pressure and all of these baseball players had to play under the pressure and entertain the baseball fans and all of that.
When you put them together, this is the second WBC games, and I think we are getting very hot, and I'm hoping that there will be many more, and many more countries will participate in these WBC games in the future.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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