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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL A: TOKYO

March 6, 2009

TOKYO, JAPAN

Q. After five double plays, your players were not aggressive at all. My question is, what happened to you? Did you expect something like this to happen?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: No, I didn't expect something like this to happen, of course. Pitchers and the offense, I didn't expect this game. This is something different from what I wanted.
The double plays were far more than we should have gotten. There were too many. Too many double plays killed our offense.
About the pitcher, at the beginning of the innings, the starter was not able to pitch at a good location. So the plate umpire did not call the strike. The pitching was far from ideal conditions, but really affected our game.

Q. What is the main reason of the losing, because of the lacking of scouting report or the pitchers, especially the left-handed pitcher? You had a tough time against the Korean left-handed pitchers. And also, in the upcoming schedule, if you face Korea again, what is your game plan?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: Talking about the lefty, we had a preparation in today's contest but our hitting did not work out. The Koreans' three lefties pitched very well. We had a tough time to hit. We had a couple opportunity to score but we hit into a lot of double plays and we missed a lot.
Against Korean pitchers, well, we should have hit better but we couldn't do it. So in the future if we play against Korea, they are probably using left-handed pitchers again, so that's one cause.
If our hitters' condition is good, we have the scoring opportunity.

Q. I would like to talk about the starter, Mr. Lee. There were two walks and two hit by pitch in the first inning. Was that because of his technique or skill, or was that because of his emotion; was nervous or too excited?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: About Mr. Lee, the starter, today's pitcher, I think he did well. However, at the beginning of the inning, he tried to avoid the good location. I think he was trying to pitch outside of the strike zone, on the edge of the strike zone. And that was called as a ball.
And the hitters looked well and that really hurt his confidence. He lost his confidence, and after that, he was not able to continue pitching. And then after that, the pitches started to go right in the middle. Then the higher pitches were hit and the Korean hitter hit a home run, and that was the major reason for his failure today.

Q. Three years ago, you lost 2-0 shutout, but tonight's contest, you were shutout 9-0. Does that mean your team skill is decreasing, or that the Korean team's power is increasing?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: Generally, Korean baseball skill, the skill of Korea is increasing; and at the same time, our skill is not moving up as Korea does.
We only have four pro teams, but a couple ballclubs didn't let the players join in the play. So the selection of players, although we are representing Chinese Taipei, we have some key players lacking. So that's the fact and that's one of the reasons, big reasons.

Q. Now, you lost today, and you cannot lose anymore. So about tomorrow's game, how would you like to prepare yourself for tomorrow's game in terms of physical and mental psychology, and what do you think is the key to win tomorrow?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: Mentally, psychologically, I think I need to prepare my players. I think they are very down right now and depressed a little bit. So after we go back to the hotel, I would like to motivate them and encourage them, because we have to play tomorrow.
Tomorrow's game is very important, the elimination game. So I am worried about my players' psychology. So I would like to take good care of them, and I'm sure that they can come back. Tomorrow's game, I'm sure that our players can play at their best and that they can recover psychologically.

Q. Tell us about the last game, it was such a huge game, because you lost against China at the Beijing Olympics; does this affect any players mentally?
YEH CHIH-SHIEN: Yes, talking about the game against China, it is pressure. We feel a big pressure. But we learn a lot from the loss at the Beijing Olympics. Tomorrow's game as an elimination game is very important, so we have to make an adjustment.
Chinese baseball is going up very quickly, rapidly, so at each situation during the ballgame, I have to take everything seriously.

Q. When you were on the mound, your team gave up a lot of runs. How did you motivate? Last year when you were at the Beijing Olympics against Korea, the first couple of innings, your team gave up a lot of runs, so what was in your mind when you were out on the mound?
KAI-WEN CHENG: The first inning, we had a huge run erode, but I set my mind that even though we gave up a lot of runs, the game is 0-0. Also, the situation made me relax.

Q. Can you tell us about your impression of the mound at the Tokyo Dome, because you might have to pitch again; did you find it comfortable to pitch?
KAI-WEN CHENG: Tokyo Dome is different from Chinese Taipei's ballpark. It's clay, and clay is different from red soil. Because it's clay, it's quite slippery; that's what I felt.
In terms of my location, I was not able to pitch as well as I normally do in Chinese Taipei, but I think I got used to it later on.

Q. Did you expect that you would pitch in the first inning? Were you told by the coaches that you were going to be the second pitcher, or, did you just rush out of the bullpen to pitch as the second pitcher?
KAI-WEN CHENG: Yes, I didn't hear that I was going to pitch as the second pitcher. But no matter how or no matter when, I am always ready to pitch.
I watched the ballgame and I recognize our pitcher is going to have big trouble, so I'm starting to get loose in the bullpen. So even though it's the first inning, I have a good preparation. I was ready when I went on the mound.

End of FastScripts

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WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC POOL A: TOKYO

March 6, 2009

Kai-Wen Cheng

Yeh Chih-Shien