José Urquidy ready for big things in World Baseball Classic
The Houston Astros ace is adamant that the World Baseball Classic competition is far superior to Spring Training, but says Mexico “ready for big things.”
A few days ago Mexico presented its roster for the World Baseball Classic, which includes names like Joey Meneses, Isaac Paredes, Luis Urías, Alejandro Kirk, Randy Arozarena, Manuel Barreda, Luis Cessa, Julio Urías, José Urquidy, among others. With 12 days to go before the start of the competition, Urquidy had a word with the press.
The Astros ace stated that Mexico is ready to play a big role in the games, saying, “I see a very strong team, the majority of whom are in the Major Leagues, and I feel that we will play a big role. Most of us are playing in the strongest baseball league in the world. Our starting rotation is very good. The team is ready for great things. We have experience, we will compete”, he pointed out.
The right-hander said that going to the World Baseball Classic is a double-edged sword for players, because they truly are risking their careers. For those in the Major Leagues, he added, the WBC will serve as a tune-up to kick start the season.
“The (World Baseball Classic) games are in the middle of Spring Training, when most players are getting ready to go. By the time it gets going, we should already have a pretty good work rate. In the case of pitchers and catchers, we have to report to Spring training early, so that means that most of the players are now already in their routine. Before I got here I already had my five or six bullpens ready,” he said.
“They put their careers at risk”
“You have to take into account that some teammates put their careers at risk with injuries. You push your body to the maximum. In a normal pre-season game, the intensity is simply not the same as it will be in a WBC game. As a pitcher, you have adrenaline, you push your body to its maximum, and your arm gets stressed. We feel a lot of love for our country and for the fans and we play with them,” he added.