|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
MLB WINTER MEETINGSDecember 7, 2009Ron WashingtonINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA Q. (Inaudible). RON WASHINGTON: Well, Tommy did an excellent job for us in a starting role when we brought him up. We certainly didn't have plans for him when the season started, but he came up and showed that he can compete at the Major League level, and one thing I like about Tommy is he competes every day through good and bad times, and the one thing I like more than anything else, he doesn't shy away from adversity. Q. What's his role? RON WASHINGTON: Going into 2010, he certainly will be coming to Spring Training able to compete for a role in our starting rotation. Q. What value do you place on this off-season? RON WASHINGTON: I think especially the way baseball is constructed in today's game, your opinion is a very valuable piece. If it wasn't for our bullpen last year, I don't think we would have accomplished what we accomplished. There's a tremendous value put on the pieces that we can put in our bullpen. Q. How does the sale of the ball club impact what you may or may not doing here this week? RON WASHINGTON: Personally I don't think it'll impact us to the point where it's something we need to be concerned about. It may impact the fact that we are on a budget, and with that up in the air, it hurts that. But we're certainly going to go out here and be as frugal as we possibly can and make sure that the needs that we feel that can help us to move forward and continue to move forward that we can plug. We're certainly going to move forward and do what we think we have to do to help this team have success. Q. (Inaudible). RON WASHINGTON: I'm not going to say it's realistic that Justin is going to break through. He will get an opportunity to come into Spring Training and compete. As we go through Spring Training you'll see how things shake itself out, and that's going to determine where Justin fits. But if he doesn't make our Major League club, at least he'll get an opportunity to go down to Triple-A and perform down there, and then it'll be up to Justin to make his way up to the Big Leagues. Q. Do you like the flexibility between your starters who could be relievers and relievers who could be starters? How big of an advantage is that? RON WASHINGTON: Well, that saved us a lot last year, having an opportunity to use Mathis and Nippert and Rose where our starter couldn't go. We called on them to get it done, an each one of them went out there and did a great job for us. I think you have to have that flexibility, especially when you can't foresee injuries. We had injuries last year, and we were very fortunate that we had those two guys to go to, and they did an outstanding job. That's why our bullpen did what it did. Q. This year potentially with C. J. at some level but also Feliz, that seems like Feliz would be the most valuable swing guy. RON WASHINGTON: Well, he could be, but he's young, and we've got to make sure that we protect this guy. He's going to come into Spring Training, he's going to get the chance to compete for a starting job, and then after that it'll become a need. If we need him in a starting rotation, he'll be there, if we need him in the bullpen, he'll be there. We're just going to have him come in and compete and see how it goes. Q. How much of an impact Omar Vizquel leaving you guys this year? RON WASHINGTON: Well, Omar was a big part of us trying to bring Alex Andrés along. I think everyone here knows what Omar is capable of doing. Not only is he physically capable of playing the game, but he's also emphasized to Elvis and all of our infielders the mental toughness it takes tout out there on a daily basis in a 162 game grind. We're going to miss him, but baseball doesn't stop. We have to replace him, and we will, and we will move feared to continue to give other guys opportunities. Q. Who becomes that mentor now? RON WASHINGTON: Well, right now Elvis has been being mentored by No. 1, Michael Young, sitting over there at third base; Kinsler at second base; my infielder instructor Dave Anderson; and I've got to pat myself on the back, I know a little bit about infield play. He's in good hands. We have to make sure we replace Omar with someone that can catch the ball. It's more about the defensive part of it than the offensive part. We'll move on just like the game moves on. Q. In the past you have added veteran bats. Could you envision a scenario where you would add a veteran bat in this off-season? RON WASHINGTON: We're going to look at every scenario out there and see what fits, and if it can fit we will do it. I believe by the time April rolls around and the season starts we'll have that bat we're looking for. Q. In 2008, Milton Bradley had a really good year for you guys. He had an experience last year in Chicago. Why do you think he was able to be so successful with you guys? RON WASHINGTON: I really couldn't -- I don't have the formula to why Milton did what he did for us, but I had Milton in Oakland, and I handled Milton like a man. I called him out when it was time to call him out, and he accepted it. Milton is a very smart guy, and he knows when he's done wrong. I just didn't let it fester. And in the process he enjoyed playing in Texas, he enjoyed playing with the guys that were in Texas. He certainly enjoyed all of his teammates and the atmosphere that we created there. There's no one thing that I can say that I worked some magic on, I just treated Milton like I treated everyone else, like a man. Q. And if you assumed he was in an environment where he was again comfortable, he could again be a very productive player? RON WASHINGTON: Oh, without a doubt. I don't know if he's not comfortable in Chicago, but Milton is a very productive player. Certainly he was for us in Texas, and he was when I had him in Oakland. He still has a lot of productivity in him. I don't know, maybe he had a bad year in Chicago last year. Q. Have you talked to him since the season ended, given you guys' past relationship? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I certainly called and left messages, but I haven't heard back. Q. Can you talk about Lee Fallis' role, is there one defined for him next year? RON WASHINGTON: We certainly want to bring him in at Spring Training and get him stretched out. Once we get him stretched out we'll see where the need is for us, whether he's in the starting rotation or whether he goes in the bullpen. He did an excellent job for us in the bullpen last year, but all of his career he was a starter, and we certainly want to have every opportunity that we can -- every option that we have, we want to give to each and every one of our guys, and then when we try to get the makeup of the club, we'll see where Feliz stands. Q. Being such a flame thrower as he is, do you guys really want to be careful about his arm and not over using him at his young age? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think once you make it to the Major League level, I think the kid gloves come off. Of course we watch, and of course we're not going to abuse him, but once again, we've got to go through Spring Training and get every one of the kids and the veterans that we have an opportunity to show what they can do. As we assess the club, we'll see where that fits. It may start as a fitter or may fit as a reliever, but it certainly gives us options. As long as of options you're in good shape. Q. How do you weigh the benefits of him starting versus him relieving? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I didn't get a chance to see much of him as a starter, but I can say he was outstanding as a reliever. What I saw as a reliever, I liked, because I can bring him in and he can bridge that gap, because I've always felt the team that we put together last year, once we got to the 7th inning, the game was more or less over. There were opportunities when he helped us get past the 7th inning. For me right now his value is much more out of the bullpen, but once again, we'll get to Spring Training and just see what our needs are. Q. You guys made a good run of it last year. How close do you feel you are to being able to finish it off? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think a lot of that is going to depend on our young kids, how much they can take away from what they've experienced, and there's no substitute for experience, and they got it, and I think they handled it well, just at the end we ran out of gas. I think we have to make sure that we monitor things and try to keep them as strong as we can as we go along. But I don't think they're afraid, and I do believe coming back into 2010 that the experience that they have under their belts right now will be an advantage to the whole organization. Q. How big of a loss is it to the club to have Rudy leave? RON WASHINGTON: Well, it's a huge loss. You know, Rudy has been a staple here in Texas for many, many years. But once again, baseball does not stop for anyone, and I don't think it'll stop for Rudy Jaramillo. We have to move forward. We'll move forward with it and get better. Q. Do you anticipate him having an immediate impact? RON WASHINGTON: Without a doubt. McKernan has been assessed as being a great hitting coach, and he's a very good communicator. Communication is the key, especially when you're dealing with young kids. I think he's going to do a good job, and I don't believe that the Texas Rangers are going to miss a beat as far as the progression that we're making. Q. How about Rudy's impact in Chicago? RON WASHINGTON: Well, he's dealing with a veteran club there, and I think with all his knowledge of hitting, he's going to make a big impact on that club. He's going to be able to help those guys do what they have to do. We're going to miss him, but he felt like it was time to move on, so we have to move on, also. Q. How is Salty feeling? RON WASHINGTON: Well, he's not going to pick up a baseball until January. The Outlet Syndrome wasn't the problem, he just had fatigue, and he just have to get him some rest and then start building all his strength back. We'll assess it as we go along. Q. With clarity now in the ownership group, can you just articulate what may not be very obvious, the benefits to that, not only with you on the field but in terms of the entire organization? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think the organization has come a long ways with Mr. Hicks at the helm. I don't really have much to say because I'm not in on what's going on behind the scenes, so I can't comment on that. Q. When you're talking about Feliz, if he goes down to Spring Training and wins a spot in the rotation, it sounds like that still may not guarantee him a spot in the rotation if he feel like you need him in the bullpen. RON WASHINGTON: True (smiling). Q. Which spots are guaranteed in the rotation? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think you've got to say Millwood is guaranteed. You've got to say Feldman is guaranteed. You know, after that we get to the youngsters, Hunter, Holland. Hopefully McCafe is better. We've got Nippert, got all of those guys. Harris is coming back off of injury. He did a great job before he got hurt. I would have to say Millwood, Feldman, then after that, we're going to compete. Q. So in your mind legitimately three spots are open? RON WASHINGTON: Yeah. Q. How has your outfield been with Barbone, Hamilton and Cruz? RON WASHINGTON: Well, if we started right now, if we feel like Barbone is ready for that task, he'll be the center fielder, and that will give Hamilton some break on his legs, not having to cover as much ground out there. But Hamilton is also coming in to fill in in center field, too. I'm not going to totally eliminate him. Barbone is ready for it, he'll be the center fielder. We'll move Hamilton over to left and Cruz will be in right, and Murph will be the swing man. Q. What makes you think now that Barbone is more ready? RON WASHINGTON: Well, he's been through, what, about a month and two weeks -- a month and a half. He's down in winter ball still playing baseball, still trying to hone his skills. There is a lot about the kid that we won't know about until we get on the field. But this organization is willing to go down that path because we think he's ready to help us win. And we're going to give him every opportunity to do that, and we'll adjust as we go along. Q. Where does he need to come furthest defensively? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I just think he needs to come furthest with his instincts, with his decision making. He has the athletic ability to run the ball down, and whatever he gets to, he will catch. You know, it's like anything else; you have to go through it to understand exactly what it takes. You know, it's making decisions out there, the right decisions, throwing to the right base, knowing when to go all out and not to go all out, when to go for a single and when to go all out and catch a baseball. I think those are things that he'll gather as he goes along. Q. As we sit here in December, you're planning for him to be your center fielder and your leadoff guy? RON WASHINGTON: Yes, as we sit right here today. Q. Just off topic a little, what drives you crazy as a manager? Do you have a pet peeve or something about your job that drives you nuts? RON WASHINGTON: I think what drives me nuts as a manager is not executing the fundamentals. Even though the effort is there and you know they're trying to do it, it still bothers you because when they don't get it done, it could have been a tie, and that could have made a difference in the ballgame. I was a player, so I understand you calls try and don't always get it done, but that still doesn't make the pain any less. Q. What do you need to see from Barbone offensively next year? RON WASHINGTON: Just his development as a bunter, his development as a guy on the base pad reading the pitchers better, his development on the base pads instinctively, and continued development in the outfield with his decision making. And once again, we will have to put up with some mistakes because we know he's young, and the game moves faster than he's used to it moving, but I do think as we go along, he will get better. Q. You didn't have ton of at-bats against left-handed pitchers last year, but -- RON WASHINGTON: If you look at his numbers in the Minor Leagues, he did well against left-handers. But when he came up and joined us, we had somebody that hit against left-handers, and we kept it like that. But going into 2010 we will give him an opportunity to face everyone, and then he'll be able to tell us if we can put him against some lefties. Q. How important is it to keep Kinsler healthy? RON WASHINGTON: I think last year he hurt his foot, and I don't think there's anything you can do about that. That was freak. This year it was a hamstring. I just think that maybe I'd better do a better job of monitoring his play, maybe get him out of some games, maybe give him some days off. But he's such a gamer, and he doesn't ever want to come out of the lineup. But that's just something I'll have to adjust. I think it's going to take me doing things to keep him healthy. Q. How impressed were you with Michael Young making the transition to third base last year? RON WASHINGTON: Very impressed. Michael is a professional, and it took him a while to adjust, but once he adjusted, he started playing a great third base. He's a pro. All Michael wants to do is be on the field and contribute to his ballclub. He made a great adjustment, and Alexander has made that possible by doing what he did at shortstop. Q. How much is it going to be for you guys, for Elvis especially in his progression as an offensive player to help you guys? RON WASHINGTON: Well, number one and foremost is that he continue to play defense. If he starts to struggle offensively, that's okay. I just want him to catch the baseball and make the plays. But this is a kid that don't take anything for granted, and I expect him to be better offensively than he was last year. I thought he did a great job offensively last year for the first time coming out of Double-A. The key is that he's a baseball player, and he doesn't take anything for granted, and we will not allow him to take anything for granted. We're looking for Elvis to have another good year, much better than the one he had. Q. Will you guys put in the same pitching regimen that you put in last year in January? RON WASHINGTON: That's part of the Texas Rangers' philosophy in pitching, yes. Q. How much in your opinion did that help you guys last year? RON WASHINGTON: I think it helped a lot, because our main thing was to make them understand to pitch the contact, pound the strike zone, and I thought we did a great job of that. We didn't give up very many free passes as we did in the past, and our defense came around and started catching the baseball with consistency, and it made the pitching better. You know, when you can do those two things right there, then it makes it easier on the pitching staff, and I think that's why we were able to progress the way we were as far as the pitching staff goes. Q. Do you think you'll move Elvis in the batting order this season, or is that further down the road? RON WASHINGTON: Right now if I had to go with what I have right now to start the season, he fits better hitting ninth. Q. Who's your clean-up hitter right now going into the season? RON WASHINGTON: It would probably have to be Josh Hamilton. I'll move Michael down to third and Kinsler second. I think Kinsler performs better when he's in the mix hitting at the top of the lineup in the first inning. When he has to wait to hit, I think it takes a lot away from him. Last year when we brought Barbone up, I recognized that, and I want to keep Kinsler getting his at-bats early in the game. I'll try to move Michael to third and Hamilton to fourth. Q. Why do you like Elvis in the ninth spot so much? RON WASHINGTON: Because once he comes up to it and gets his at-bat in that ninth spot, it doesn't matter anymore. He and Barbone can play baseball, give me an opportunity to hit and run, give me an opportunity for Barbone to move on the base paths and Elvis can hit holes, gives me a great opportunity in a situation to bunt, hit and run because the kid can handle the bat. Once again, for me, I feel like that's the best situation for us because of Kinsler. Q. If you guys do re-sign Marlon Byrd, does he play center field? RON WASHINGTON: Yes. Q. And what happens with Barbone? RON WASHINGTON: Well, then he becomes a swing guy, too. Q. But he would be in the lineup every day? RON WASHINGTON: At some place. He could play left field or he could play center or he plays DH. But then that's a pretty good situation to be in if we get Marlon back. Then what I'm telling you right now may change. Q. Do you feel like you've got enough starting pitching right now? RON WASHINGTON: I think we've got quite a bit of starting pitching. Once again, it's young, but they've gained some experience. You know, if something happened where we can land something, we will. If not, we feel comfortable with what we have. Q. Having played some games at the old Metropolitan Stadium and having lived in Minnesota for a few years, what are your thoughts about outdoor baseball returning to Minnesota? RON WASHINGTON: Well, I certainly hope that the Texas Rangers won't be a part of any double headers that we'll have to play (laughter). But I know it's going to be a state of the art stadium, and maybe the baseball gods will bless Minnesota and they won't have to put up with that snow in April, and they won't have to put up with all that rain in September. Everybody seems to feel that they do it in Detroit, they do it in Chicago, and all these places are outside and they seem to get the same weather, but I think all weather is created in Minnesota, and then it blows out to the United States. Q. The Rangers are in Minnesota in September this year. RON WASHINGTON: Yes, I know. Once again, I just hope it's beautiful days when we come there. Q. What did you think of Hideki Matsui's performance in the World Series? RON WASHINGTON: Outstanding. I wasn't surprised, and I hope no one else was surprised. He's been that type of baseball player since he's been in the United States. Last year he got hurt. He came back this year, and he was playing on bad legs. But he's always been a guy that rises to the occasion, and he rose to the occasion in the World Series, especially when the Yankees needed him. Q. I know it would be John's call, but would you be interested in having a player like him? RON WASHINGTON: Of course, certainly. I think every other club in baseball would be interested in having a player like him. He's a big time player. Q. In the DH spot, or would you trust him in the outfield? RON WASHINGTON: I'll trust him in the outfield, but mainly if we got him, he would be mainly DH because I have young legs out there in the outfield, and I would use him so I could keep him healthy. Q. Do you remember the worst conditions you played in the old Met? RON WASHINGTON: Well, when I played in the old Met, I came up in September last year before they closed it down, and I think that was '81. The only thing I recognized in September in old Met was how nasty that rain could get. There were many a times we started games at 9:30, 10:00 at night because we waited for the weather to blow over. When they moved into the dome, I was a part of that, too, and opening night it snowed. Center field up in the corner, it gave way, and everything fell in. And it was hot. Q. They didn't have air-conditioning. RON WASHINGTON: They didn't have air-conditioning. Everybody thought they was doing some trickery, but we wasn't. Q. They still think that now. They turn down the fans in the late innings -- RON WASHINGTON: It gets awfully cold in there, and then at times it does get awfully hot. I don't know what it is. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|