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AL DIVISION SERIES: RAYS VS RED SOX


October 7, 2021


Hunter Renfroe


St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Tropicana Field

Boston Red Sox

Pregame 1 Press Conference


Q. Hi, Hunter. You have great numbers this season against the Rays, the team you played with last season. When you line up against them, is there extra incentive on your part to show them something based on your ties here?

HUNTER RENFROE: No, I don't think so. I think it's more -- obviously I've had a season of playing in Tropicana Field, so I think that's kind of a big part of it, and I know their pitching staff. I've played behind them for quite a while, and obviously they have a lot of new guys, but still I kind of know the ins and outs of how they do things, and I think that kind of helps me a little bit. But other than that, I think just playing here is a big advantage.

Q. And one more, is there anything on your part about the way it ended here, or you just, your experience, you move on, that's the way it goes?

HUNTER RENFROE: Yeah, you move on. Those guys over there, they're incredible. Their front office staff has been nothing but great for me. We knew going forward what they had planned for me and letting me go. So there's no hard feelings.

Q. Thanks, Hunter. What about the culture of the Red Sox has brought out the best in you?

HUNTER RENFROE: It's been great here. I mean, obviously, the guys, players, staff, front office guys, they've all been great supporting me and putting me on the field every day going out there, and obviously the training staff getting me ready to play and keeping me on the field. It's been fantastic, and I think that's kind of the biggest thing is keeping me on the field and injury-free and ready to go.

Q. Hunter, having played here last year full-time and then making nine or ten visits here this year, you're obviously acquainted with the curious part of Tropicana Field and the roof and the lights and the catwalks and everything. How much do you worry about maybe that becoming a factor in games of this consequence and what can you, you know, maybe tell some guys like Schwarber who haven't played here as much about what to expect?

HUNTER RENFROE: As far as like what to expect, I mean, you got to go out there and take fly balls live off BP and stuff like that more than anything. I think that's kind of a thing when I was here. When I played here last year, we really worked on during the spring training 2.0 type deal, we really worked on hitting high fly balls and us as outfielders going up there and making sure we take our eyes off of it and redirect and make sure you can see the ball and try to find it again. So that was kind of one of the things that we worked on while I was here, and obviously, it helped me obviously going forward and playing here now.

So that's kind of the things I'll be telling the outfielders is making sure you in BP make sure to keep your eyes on it and take them off and try to re-find it, and that will help a lot for sure.

Q. Hunter, as you faced the Rays this season, a number of their hitters have taken huge strides even from when you have paid them last year. Thinking about Meadows and Diaz and Zunino as well. From the other side, what has stood out about the adjustments they've made and the hitters they are right now?

HUNTER RENFROE: I don't know about jumped forward. I think they did really pretty good last year as well. I don't know about that, but I think, you know, as far as Zunino, obviously the power numbers are always there. You know, as far as hitting homers and getting his time behind the plate, he has been incredible.

You know, as far as Diaz, I mean, he hits the ball with the best of them. He is strong. He is athletic. He is able to play the infield and hit line drives all over the place.

And obviously, Meadows had a down year last year because mostly he had a tough start to it dealing with COVID and stuff like that, but he has had an incredible year. People don't talk about Brandon Lowe, he almost had 40 homers and 100 RBI. Hats off to that guy. He is one my good buddies, and he had an incredible year, and I think that's propelled them to where they are now.

Q. Hunter, being here last year obviously gave you a taste of what this organization does, and you guys almost won it all in a shortened season. Now, they win 100 games, win the division, and you get to see them again. From the inside and the outside, as you look at this Rays team, what catches your eye, what leads to their success, which has been pretty consistent the last few years?

HUNTER RENFROE: I think more than anything it's their athletic ability. I think they're a very athletic team. They're built around pitching, first and foremost. Their bullpen is their bread and butter. You look around the defensive side and around their offense, it's a lot of very, very good athletes, and, you know, you got Randy, you got Brandon, and guys like that that run really fast, hit the ball all over the ballpark, have a chance to hit the ball out of the ballpark, and I think that's kind of what they built around is young, athletic guys, and that's kind of what propelled them to the success they've been having.

MODERATOR: Hunter, thank you for coming in.

HUNTER RENFROE: Thank you all, appreciate it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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