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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: SECOND ROUND, POOL 2March 16, 2013Robinson CanoTony PenaFernando RodneyMIAMI, FLORIDA Dominican Republic – 2 Q. Robinson, I saw you sitting there listening to Edwin Rodriguez. Tell me how it feels for a person that has been for so long in baseball to view you as an elite player representing all Latinos. ROBINSON CANO: (From Spanish) First of all, it's for me a pride for a person like that to express himself like that about me and for my teammates in the Dominican Republic. Well, we have to thank our manager that gave a great deal of energy to our team, as he not only manages but also enjoys, shares this with us, and really that's something, a motivation to play, to give 100 percent when you are on the field. Q. Tony, the players looked very relaxed on the field. We watched Robinson in that seventh inning as if they were practicing in the back yard. Is it true that Tony Peña does not establish rules in the clubhouse because everybody plays so relaxed or is it part of the rules that everybody does something in his own way and that makes them at ease? TONY PEÑA: (From Spanish) You cannot play baseball without freedom. You have to have freedom to do whatever you want on the field, provided you don't break the rules of the game. My players, none of them are breaking the rules of the game. What they are simply doing is enjoying what they love, what they like to do and the way they work, and I'm not going to stop it. This is meant to be enjoyed; they are enjoying it.  And I feel very proud of each of these players. They have approached this seriously. They have given it everything they have. But we don't see a team that is oppressed or anything but rather relaxed, and that's what we are seeing. Q. Robinson, you won the most valuable player in this round and you also did the first round. Talk about that individual aspect of the tournament and tell me about what that meant to receive that trophy instead of Fernando Rodney, who has pitched six games. ROBINSON CANO: (From Spanish) Let me tell you, it's an individual thing. But first of all, Puerto Rico didn't know that we had the most valuable players. What I wanted was to go to the second round. Once we are in the second round, we want to go to the third round. You have to view it game by game, not only because of me but also because of my players. Also, with Rodney, seems I'm the one who won (laughter) ‑‑ no, I'm kidding. It is not disputed; what he has done with this team is something that motivates me because of that speech. Every game he has played ‑‑ he also said I have a job with Tampa Bay. I cannot pitch. So everybody is available for any time. So what you want as a player is to win the game, but they forget about their job because they're emotional just like we are. Q. Now you have to collect on the outstanding debt you have to Holland. ROBINSON CANO: (From Spanish) I wouldn't call it a debt. You have to forget what happened in the past and play hard because just like our fans believe it's a debt, they also think in the same way. But it's a matter of winning each game to remain in the fight. TONY PEÑA: What is in the past is in the past. We are not thinking of the past, we are thinking of the present. Whatever happened happened, and many of these boys who are now here were not there then. All games are important, and all teams have gotten as far as they have for a reason. I don't see any difference or any of that. We have to keep playing this game, and the players are not going to think about that. I don't want anybody to think about that. Play ball, there is no doubt, let's keep playing the way we are playing. FERNANDO RODNEY: (From Spanish) I think that we are not thinking of the past. That was an experience we went through. The important thing is to go to SanFrancisco just like we have done here and to play there and to thank God because we got to the next round. Q. Once more you have beaten Puerto Rico, now you are going against Holland, who has eliminated us in previous Classics. And for Tony, what did it mean when your son Francisco Peña made that hit to score that victory for the Dominican Republic? TONY PEÑA: (From Spanish) We already talked about Holland, and I'll leave it there. Yes, it's very emotional. Yes, we have done everything with a certain emotion. We are living through that each moment. So all players, all the 28 players that are here are like my children, they're like my children. And Francisco is my blood, but I was as happy as I would have been with any other player. Q. Robinson, Aybar kind of pointed over to you when you were on third and you made like a gesture on the phone of like talking on the phone and hanging up. I was just wondering if that was something between you and Erick or you and the dugout? ROBINSON CANO: Well, that's the whole team. That's something we do as motivation. You get a hit‑‑ you guys call like the handshake with your teammates. That's something that we do, like everyone on the team. Like I said, we do everything that we have to do to have fun, like Tony says, and just go out there and‑‑ nothing, just try to get a hit like I did there. I just was trying to get a hit to at least get to second base, but he's a fast runner and a smart player, and he got a chance to get to third base. And Tony's son got a single, so now we've got 2‑0. And it's a different game when you go from 1‑0 to 2‑0. Q. Can you talk about the start Wandy gave you? And who's going to be your pitcher on Tuesday? TONY PEÑA: Wandy did a great job. He started a little shaky. He had a little bit of a tough time just to spot the ball. But after the second inning, he settled down. He started to get the ball down. In the beginning he was up in the strike zone, but he was able to control the curveball, and the curveball was a big pitch for him today. After he started to get the ball down, it was another different game. And the first game in San Francisco it's going to be Volquez. Volquez will start the first game and follow with Deduno. Q. Is there extra incentive playing the Netherlands given what happened in 2009? ROBINSON CANO: We already talked about the Netherlands; we don't want to talk about that. We're going to face another tough team. If you go all the way through the inning it's because you had a great team and you've been doing your job. We're not going to take anything for granted; we're just going to go out there, and like we do every day‑‑ these teams got all the way there, so hopefully God helps us next time to win another game. TONY PEÑA: They have great players. They have great players. Everybody, every ballclub has been tough. Like I said before, it's not like we're going to take anybody lightly. We're going to go out and we're going to play our game. We're going to go out, we're going to have fun, and that's about it. They're going to be tough, but we're going to be tough, also. FERNANDO RODNEY: For me, I think I'd like the moment to be there and face Netherlands. We want to see what's going on because everybody talks about Netherlands. I want to see in the ninth inning, one run, two runs up, and then I'll tell you. Q. Tony, what does it tell you that Puerto Rico and Holland with the Caribbean players, all of them have roots in the Caribbean? TONY PEÑA: (From Spanish) There's three ballclubs from the Caribbean area, and they are in the final. You know, we feel great because, number one, in Dominican baseball is big. In the Netherlands they're starting to play the game late. They didn't start like us. But they have developed a lot of good players, and all the good players they have developed are starting to show right now. Puerto Rico, they have a great team. They're going to be fine. Hopefully the title stays in the Caribbean. Q. Tony and Rodney, everything that happens in the WBC from your point of view has been very good, that is, we see in the whole world that Tony continues to be the manager for the Major Leagues and for Rodney. Are you available for both games consecutively? TONY PEÑA: (From Spanish) I already said before that I have my job to do. I'm the bench coach of the New York Yankees. That's my focus. If I tell you that I don't want to be a manager, I'd lie, but I'm not doing this to show the world what type of a manager I am. I'm doing this because it is my passion, my love for my country. My country goes above everything. When I watch that flag wave, that means more than everything that God, the Father, has given me because my roots are there and we are representing our countries. But I'm not doing it trying to get another job because I already have my own. FERNANDO RODNEY: Of course, you do it with my heart like I'm doing. There is no type of regulation. I think that's the role I'm assuming, and I'm hoping for the opportunity to do so. TONY PEÑA: (From Spanish) And one other thing, let me tell you. Thank God we have struggled to win all the games we have won here, so each time we win we have a free day. When I have that free day, that day off, I can relax and rest. When somebody pitches, I give two days. That's why you haven't seen Rodney pitch every day. Our team is playing as if it was the last game of the tournament and the World Series. Q. Fernando and Robinson, what message do you send to your compatriots who decided for various reasons not to be here? ROBINSON CANO: (From Spanish) First of all, those who are not here are not here because they decided not to come. We know that one had a problem with the knee, Jose Bautista had a problem with his wrist. Bonifacio, also. Whoever is not here, it's because his team didn't give him permission, but we also know they are watching us at home. I know that, and I know this is a triumph for those who are here, for all the Dominican team and for all Dominicans anywhere in the world. FERNANDO RODNEY: Just like Robinson said, we know the reason why they were not able to come, and we know that our victory is enjoyed by them, and from there we get their support. Q. Fernando, it's impressive that you have only allowed one, especially when a fan started to toy with the security team. How do you feel in general about this? Throughout the WBC you noticed that you are above training, way above training. FERNANDO RODNEY: I've been preparing last year because my plan was to come here and support my country, represent it with my soul and my heart. What happened today with the fan, that's part of the game. The important thing is that after that I was able to recover and to get ahead. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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