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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC SEMIFINALS AND FINAL

March 22, 2009

Davey Johnson

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. I would like to welcome you all to our formal interview session. We are joined by Manager Davey Johnson from Team USA.
Manager Johnson what are your strategies for Team USA for tonight's game?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Try to outscore them, that's the strategy. Our offense has been good. Our pitching has not been where it should be. Hopefully we get a good game out of Roy tonight. He's been through the best that we have.
THE MODERATOR: Considering the enormous support that Japan has in the community, from the fans and the community itself, do you feel that Team USA has home advantage?
DAVEY JOHNSON: I would hope so, but I'm sure there is a lot of popularity here for the Japanese team. We're the visiting team. That seems rare, but that's not going to have any affect on the game.

Q. Davey, there was a lot of gnashing of teeth in 2006, when the US didn't make the final four. I think that was an indication of how good baseball is everywhere else. But now with you in charge, you won a bronze in the Olympics, you got the team to the final four, have you accomplished what you wanted to do to bring baseball back, or is it an all-or-nothing thing? Do you have to win?
DAVEY JOHNSON: We did want to come here and play Japan. That's one of the goals we had. We felt like Japan would be back here. We're not going to be satisfied just to show up and not play in the final. I think every player on this team expects to win tonight and play tomorrow.

Q. Davey, baseball is a game where even the best teams win just 60% of the time. I know you're used to it internationally, but what does a one-game knockout situation -- with that situation, how much did you determine who is the better team out there?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, you can find out who the better team is on that particular day. Olympic qualifier, one game you could be gone. It was always the quarter final that was the big one, and it's no different. It's like elimination in a playoff series. You get down to the fifth game in the first round, the seventh game, these guys are used to that. It's not a different format. We're very comfortable with it.

Q. Davey, Dice-K Matsuzaka has had a lot of success at the major league level. What are the specific things that are going to be the key to the US's success today and trying to hit Matsuzaka?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, before Pedroia left, he said, "One thing he wanted to do is play the Japanese and beat them so he didn't have to listen to Dice-K all year long. He may not be here, but he's here in spirit. We know he's a fine pitcher, and he has a good fast ball, and goof breaking stuff, doesn't give into the hitters. But a lot of the guys on this club have faced him either in spring training or during the year, so they're pretty familiar with him.

Q. Davey, Bud was talking yesterday about the ongoing dilemma of trying it get guys to play and not to bow out. Can you understand just the dilemma that you have? Is there any formula that you may have going forward to get more guys to play?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, Bill, I think if you ask all the guys here -- I talked to probably half the guys that are here, and some that couldn't make it, but wanted to be here. I think the players really have enjoyed playing for their country. It's a little bit that the travel is a little tough, the competition is intense for this early in the spring for them, but I think for every one who has been here, they've enjoyed it. And I think it's going to take time. I think it's going to grow in popularity.

Q. The GMs, you can imagine, they're on a whole different plane for this.
DAVEY JOHNSON: No question. But I think club support has been good. Latch talked to pitching coaches, probably every day talking to four or five about their players, and they've all had a positive attitude. I know that Baltimore wanted one of the pitchers to come back, and I said, "No, he's going to stay, and I might need him tomorrow." And that was Guthrie.
But by and large, they understand what we're trying to do, representing our country. And I haven't even had a call from DeRosa, about him playing first base. I talked to him prior to his joining the team, and basically, he wanted him on the left side of the diamond. Unfortunately, with injuries, you know, I don't really have too much of a choice.
But I think it's going to grow. I think this is a great event, and I think it's only going to get bigger.

Q. Davey, what was the reasoning to start Derek over Jimmy at shortstop? And do you think you will be able to get Evan in for a good amount of the game or not at all?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, I mean, that's not a bad problem to have, either Jimmy out there or Derek. They're both great players. Derek is the captain. I want him out there. Jimmy is going to DH. They're both going to get, hopefully, four or five at-bats. So that wasn't really a big decision.
What I've been doing is starting with Jeter, and then changing around Monday. As far as Longoria, he asked me, "Do I need a first baseman's mitt?"
And I said, "No, you don't need anything. I may pinch-hit you, put you in at defense or in the outfield or behind the dish or on first base. You're going to be at third or pinch hit."
I talked to David Wright, and he said we have a replacement, and he can play third, "If your foot starts swelling up, let me know."
And he said "Skip, I'm fine. I don't want out of there."
So don't look for me to be making a move defensively at third.

Q. Davey, you mentioned about how some of your guys were familiar with Dice-K, but you're not familiar with Darvish. And it seems to be the advantage to the pitcher the first time he faces a team. Are you surprised they didn't go with Darvish?
DAVEY JOHNSON: No, I knew they would go with Dice-K. We roughed Darvish up a little bit in Beijing, so they have probably a better memory than I do. I figured they would go with Dice-K. There was no surprise there.

Q. Davey, I don't know if you botched the Peoria game, but you played for the Yomiuri Giants. What's your opinion on Asian baseball versus what it was when you played in Japan?
DAVEY JOHNSON: When I played in Japan, I played for a great manager, Nagashima, alongside a great first baseman named Sadaharu Oh. That's a trivia question, who was hitting behind the players when they broke Babe Ruth's record, that was with (starting to speak in Japanese).
But in the mid '70s, I thought there were quite a few players that could come to the United States and be stars. I was kinda surprised that more players weren't coming over to the United States, even back then.
Of course, it's been obvious that the stars in Japan can come over and become stars in the United States in the big leagues. So I think the level is -- there are a lot more players, I would say, that their baseball program has grown. A lot more players that play in Japan now would come over and be stars in the United States.

Q. Among the Japanese players, I understand that they should be worried about --
DAVEY JOHNSON: Can I answer in English? I get my Japanese and Spanish mixed up.

Q. What are you going to do to take care of stolen bases with the Japanese players?
DAVEY JOHNSON: The running game is not as prominent nowadays because more pitchers, with the exception of a lot of closers, work on a quick delivery to the home plate. Most all the catchers are at least two or better in throwing to second base, so I'm kinda feeling like Earl Weaver, I don't push the running game.
And I don't think there was a big factor when I was playing in Japan. I don't think it is today. I think the stolen base and the bunt base hit, those are becoming less and less a factor in the game. You won't probably see many pitch-outs anymore. They're more concerned about getting behind on the hitter.
But I know that Japan will try to run. They'll play little ball. Do all kinds of things to score runs. So I've had discussions with my players about basically what to expect, and not take anything for granted. Any count they could do just about anything.

Q. Davey, would you be able to give us a couple names that you think could play in the big leagues on the Japanese team?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, I think just about everybody here could probably play in the big leagues. You know, even back when I was playing with the Yomiuri Giants, I thought we had Shibata, I thought Takada, Suetsugu (phonetic), offensively, those guys would have been big league players.
Fundamentally, I don't think anybody plays the game as well as or practices as hard as the Japanese do, and I'm seeing that now. Whether it's in Taiwan or whether it's in Korea, the caliber of play, even I've been shocked in the teams that I didn't even know that would play baseball, even in Europe, Russia, France, Spain.
So baseball has grown. But nowhere to the extent, as far as I'm concerned, as Korea and Japan.
I will say there are probably a lot more pitchers probably that could come over and have success. There is a lot of pitchers throwing in the 90s, have great command of their split finger and their breaking ball. So it's easier because those pitches work no matter where -- you know, guys who throw around 90 and have great off-speed pitches, they're going to succeed. And the command that a lot of the Japanese pitchers have shown in the past, that works anywhere.

Q. Could you assess Iwakuma presurgery, post surgery, and part two to my question is, do you think he's being overlooked by the major leagues because they don't know what the status of his shoulder is right now?
DAVEY JOHNSON: Well, I think that's always going to be an issue when there's been injuries. But I don't think -- you know, the general managers here are not allowed to be talking about guys that are possible guys that they would have a shot at getting or signing. But he's definitely one. If he's healthy, that would be a good candidate.

Q. I've talked to a few of the players from Korea, and other teams mentioned that they want their shot at the U.S. Do you guys feel that you're the team to beat and do you know other teams are eager to play you guys?
DAVEY JOHNSON: I think Charlie Manual -- just before we left the states, Charlie Manual said he thought that -- I think he picked the Japanese team to win, and I picked the U.S. team to win. One of us is going to be right. But, no, I think it's -- I look at it to be a very close ball game, and a very well-played ball game.
But, no, my guys are having fun. I've never seen -- the workout -- big league players seem to have a little more fun. Seems like the Japanese players are a little more serious during their practices.
THE MODERATOR: We are out of time. Thank you, manager Johnson. We wish you much success tonight. We will see you post game.

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