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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL CMarch 10, 2013Omar InfanteSalvador PerezLuis SojoSAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Q. Luis, I don't know if at this time you've had a chance to measure the effect that the Venezuelan public opinion had of the result in yesterday's game, but how do you assume the situation which many people are blaming you directly for the failure when it is a collective failure really? LUIS SOJO: Well, I still don't get this impression, but I'm the one directly responsible, and I'm the manager. I mean, I assume the responsibility. I've always said that this whole group of ballplayers who came here ready to play, with all the love, to try to reach the objective that we had set. But of course I assume my challenge with responsibility, with ethics, but with my head up high always. Q. Omar, what explanation do you have, if you have one, for what happened to the team? OMAR INFANTE: Well, really none. I believe that the team was well structured. I mean, we had all the key pieces to be able to compete. We know that it's a very short series. Unfortunately things did not come out right. I don't think that the luck factor was with us. I think we batted .200. None of us are to blame. We did what was necessary to try to win. I mean, unfortunately things did not work out in our favor. Q. You as the ballplayers, did you feel at any time any kind of anxiety for scoring runs when you saw that you were behind and the game was 3‑0 against the Dominicans? SALVADOR PEREZ: Well, look, I think that we all wanted to win, really. We were losing and we were trying to scoring runs to win the game. But we played strong, played tough, did everything we could. But I mean, the results weren't there, as my friend Infante said. I believe luck was not on our side, but here we are and we're going to move forward. Q. Luis, such a well structured team as this Venezuela team with such good players, such good stars has been practically eliminated. What do you believe was the key for the elimination? LUIS SOJO: Baseball, baseball. It is a well structured team, but we're talking about Venezuela's elimination and we're not giving credit to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, who played better than we did, and that's why we're out. But baseball as I've said last night, an offense that was not easy to stop, and these two teams were able to do it. Baseball is baseball. Regardless of the team that you have or the lineup that you have on paper, that's not enough if you don't execute on the playing field. So I believe that that is what happened. Q. How will you approach today's game after the elimination? Because if you lose today you could face having to play in the qualifying round for the next Classic, so how important is today's game and how do you face it? OMAR INFANTE: Well, the same. It's still important for us. We have to keep on playing 100 percent, as we've been doing. I mean, we are professionals, we want to win, and we are going to play like we do every day. And if it happens, God willing, this game is going to be very important for us, and we have to play tough. Q. Luis, from the good things and bad things you always learn lessons. What lesson does this World Classic give you? LUIS SOJO: Learning. I mean, we understand that this is an extremely complicated game and unpredictable. The mere fact of being able to lead this group of ballplayers, the same as in 2009 and 2006, has been something a wonderful experience for my career because every time I'm next to them, they had the mentality of winning game and I saw how happy they were, or they are, representing their country in a World Classic. And these are the things that‑‑ this learning is something that you will never erase from your mind, from your personal history, because these are unrepeatable things, definitely. To be able to lead a group of ballplayers of this caliber, this quality, regardless of the results, I mean, this is a dream come true. I really have nothing to do but tip my hat off to these players because I know what they were thinking, and I know how they feel when they put on the Venezuelan uniform. Q. Salvador, Kansas City, what have they offered you? SALVADOR PEREZ: Well, look, the same as last year. I started Spring Training early because I was coming here to be with the Venezuelan team. They did give me permission to play here in the Classic because they had already told me that I was going to be their No.1 catcher. And so I will continue getting ready for Opening Day. Q. Salvador, as fast as everything was, did you have a chance to savor your first World Classic? And have you been able to contact the president of the Venezuelan Federation of Baseball about future plans about playing in 2017? SALVADOR PEREZ: Look, I believe that from the beginning, ever since I was told I was coming to the Classic, since then until tomorrow, until today, I have enjoyed it the most. Just thinking about coming here, this is just a dream to be with so many stars around me, to be with a manager like Luis Sojo. I believe that I have really enjoyed it. It's another dream come true. OMAR INFANTE: The same, really. Ever since they called me for the Classic, to me it was an honor to put on the jersey, to represent Venezuela, to be with all my fellow teammates, to be on the team, with the coaches. We're going through a moment where we didn't qualify, but we enjoyed it. We're happy to be here, and we hope we can move forward and we can continue our careers, and God willing everything will be good for us. LUIS SOJO: Last night we met, we talked, and today's game we're going to have a meeting and we're going to talk about all of those points, all of those things that are pending. Of course it is my responsibility to give an official report, as I always do in all Classics, a balance of this and‑‑ well, all those points will be discussed. Q. Salvador, in the ninth inning you stretched what appeared to be a single into a double. It's a moment that may have seemed risky to go for that extra base. Can you talk about that? SALVADOR PEREZ: Look, you have to play hard until the end of the game. It's 27 outs. Anything can happen in baseball. It's a very complicated game. I saw the ball in right field, and I saw a possibility of getting to second, and then Prado hit another double and I was able to score. I mean, trying to lift the team up and trying to make things happen to see if we could win the game. But you have to play strong and tough until the last out. Q. Salvador, Omar, you are our young ballplayers that for 2017 will probably be in the prime of your careers. Have you all thought about wearing the Venezuela jersey for the Classic in 2017? SALVADOR PEREZ: Well, really, yes, yes. There's still a lot of time, but let's see what happens from here on to then. But I am very proud to represent my country, to put on the Venezuela uniform, and to try to represent my country well. OMAR INFANTE: Well, I hope so. I mean, 2017 I hope we are all healthy to continue playing ball. I hope it will be another opportunity to represent Venezuela again. It would be an honor and a pleasure for me. Q. How responsible do you guys feel for the failure that caused the elimination? SALVADOR PEREZ: Well, with regards to that question, you know that I do not agree that the manager lost. I think that he gives the best of himself, but we're the ones who play. I don't know why people tweeted, all that social media, talking bad about the manager. He's a human being, and I believe everybody should understand that he gave everything of himself, as we did, the whole team. We gave 100 percent. We tried for things to come out right, and it didn't work out. We weren't able to get breaks. But I ask all of those people on social media to understand that we have families, that Luis Sojo, Infante, all the guys inside, we have families and they see that. We have children, and all those bad words that they say about us, they should be good fans and support the team in good times and bad times. It was a really bad time for us, and we have to move forward. OMAR INFANTE: Yes, I think that the responsibility‑‑ after the game we all stayed talking, how was it possible that Venezuela was eliminated. We really feel sad, very hurt, but as Salvador says, Venezuela lost, it's a team, we all competed. We cannot blame one another. We all did what was necessary to win. Unfortunately it did not happen. But Venezuela lost, it's a team, and that's how things should be. Q. Omar, you have been through difficult times; you've lost in the World Series. You've had good times and bad times. Is last night your most difficult defeat? OMAR INFANTE: Well, I think so. As I said, with the team that we had, really personally I was surprised. I was hurt. I mean, because it's incredible that our team was eliminated. But as we said, baseball is like that. The ball is round and you have to give credit to the other teams. The Dominicans have a great team, Puerto Rico's pitching was very good, and unfortunately baseball is like that. You have to move forward and you have to be strong, and understand baseball is unpredictable. Q. In those two games is there any decision that you made that you would like to change? LUIS SOJO: No, absolutely not. You make decisions hoping for them to be the right ones for the team. I mean, I believe there were not many decisions to make, but baseball is like that. You're there to make decisions, I mean, as I said, hoping that it's the best for the team. You don't want to make a bad decision or that may leave doubt with regards to the pitcher that you're going to bring in, the lineup that you're going to set for that day. You're there to think positive and hope for everything comes out fine. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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