WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL C - GREAT BRITAIN VS MEXICO

March 14, 2023

Nick Ward

Chase Field

Team Great Britain

Pregame Press Conference

Q. Big buzz yesterday was the scoop you made to save the inning in the ninth. Can you walk us through that?

NICK WARD: Sure. I'm relatively new to first base. I've played it a little bit in the minor leagues. But I've been bailed out by a lot of really, really good first base men over my entire life.

So everyone always says behind every infielder that's worth anything is a really good first baseman willing to stretch his limits for them. I told everybody, they didn't even need to hear it, it's my turn to stretch my limits to try and bail them out if they don't happen to make a good throw.

So, yes, it was a big play in the game, but that was just me trying to do my part and play the position the best that I possibly can.

Q. The wild pitch, talk us through what's going through your head when you're sitting there at third, waiting to see what could happen and go? What's going through your mind at that moment?

NICK WARD: With that specific pitcher on the mound, especially when he either gets ahead in the count or he's looking for soft contact like that, I'm always looking for -- with that specific pitcher -- I was looking for that certain scenario. I had already kind of played it in my head.

And specifically T.S. at third base and Marcelino in the dugout, they were saying, hey, look for that ball in the dirt. And we already talked about it. I already played it over in my head. And I saw what I saw in my head and I went for it.