WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: POOL B

March 5, 2026

Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto

Osvaldo Carvalho

Bo Takahashi

Daikin Park

Team Brazil

Workout Day Press Conference

OSVALDO CARVALHO: My name is Osvaldo. It is a pleasure to be with you guys. I play baseball since I was 6, and I am 24 now.

BO TAKAHASHI: Thanks for coming. My name is Bo Takahashi. It is a pleasure to be here to represent my country. Thanks for coming.

DANIEL YUICHI MATSUMOTO: My name is Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto. I am the general manager of the Brazilian national team.

Q. For any of you who would like to answer, the last time Brazil was in this tournament was 2013. How have you seen the baseball grow in your country from then to now?

OSVALDO CARVALHO: Since 2023, when we were in second place in the Pan American Games, baseball has been growing very fast in Brazil. So we are hoping to have a good, you know, participation in this tournament as well.

Q. For Osvaldo, how have you balanced your career in working in construction with also maintaining the time to train for baseball?

OSVALDO CARVALHO: So, yes, I used to work for this construction company from 8 to 6 every day. And right after the work I used to go to practice and practice every day for two more hours. So this is how I, you know, I manage to do both.

Q. Follow up for Bo. The Brazilian baseball culture is so unique because there's a great influence from Japan. Also, your home grown baseball culture in Brazil. For those who aren't familiar with it how do you describe the blend of cultures with Brazil baseball?

BO TAKAHASHI: Brazil baseball, it is its own style of baseball because you have Japanese baseball (inaudible), a little bit Latin as well, a little bit Cuban. Pretty much it is a mix of everything -- American baseball also. It's own style, it is something else for sure.

Q. For you to have pitched in both Korea and Japan, how did those experiences change your life and enrich your experience with baseball.

BO TAKAHASHI: A lot, a lot. In 2021, I pitched in South Korea. And in 2022 in Japan. I think I learned a lot and have a lot of experience now.

Q. [Not Speaking English]

DANIEL YUICHI MATSUMOTO: We have very interesting mix from players from Japanese descendants, also Venezuelan and also Brazilians. It is a very close knit group. The communication between them has been very good. And I think we are going to have a very good tournament here.

Q. [Not Speaking English]

OSVALDO CARVALHO: I used to play soccer before baseball, and I grew up playing soccer. But then at some point they introduced me to baseball and I fell in love. And ever since I have been practicing baseball. And I root for Paul Matus (phonetic) in Brazil.

Q. You pitched all over the world, and you played a long time in Japan yourself, and now managing in Brazil. I am interested, for all three of you, how much major league baseball do you watch? Do you watch the major leagues? And if so are there players that you like and are there players in this tournament, whether they be for Great Britain, Mexico or the U.S. or Italy, that you are interested to meet or play against?

DANIEL YUICHI MATSUMOTO: I have been playing -- I played baseball in Japan for many years, 16 years professionally. And during this time I have been watching MLB, and especially in the recent years when lots of Japanese players came to the United States to play baseball.

Shohei Ohtani is a great player that inspires a lot because he can pitch, run and hit. Since he came to the United States, lots of people in Japan have been following the baseball here closely. And we've been doing the same.

For me, it is an honor to be here playing against all of these superstars and is inspiring. We hope to have a very good game against them, the way we play small ball. And at the end maybe we can have a good result at the end.

BO TAKAHASHI: For me, it is an honor to be here on the Houston Astros field because I was a teammate with Imai for four years on the Seibu Lions. I am just happy to be here. Going to pitch here actually before him in the Houston Astros field. I am really honored for that.

Q. What is your favorite Jazz Chisholm story from playing with Jazz in the Minor League?

BO TAKAHASHI: I met Jazz since he got into the system. He is always a nice guy, happy guy, so I always try to hang out with him.

And he always try to learn some Spanish. I kind of like teach him some Spanish as well, so I think that's the main thing I remember him by. He is a great guy to be around, for sure.

Q. For you, you're scouting report of yourself as a pitcher, which pitches do you like to throw the most, and which are you happiest to have developed?

BO TAKAHASHI: As a pitcher, I think the fastball is the main pitch. All pitchers have to be in command and control and everything. I am not 100-miles pitcher for sure, but I try to be in control of the. Zone, I think that is the main thing for me.