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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYS

October 11, 2010

Jeff Francoeur

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Workout Day

Q. What do you think the mood of the team is headed into this Game 5?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: We're pretty loose in there. Today was pretty much an optional workout. And I think if you go in there, I think every player is here for the most part, especially position player-wise, you don't really want to take a day off hitting before we're going into tomorrow.
So I think we had an opportunity to close out at home. We're obviously disappointed that we couldn't do that in front of our home crowd and just the fact you don't want to come back here. I think when we were up 2-0, we told every single clubby in there we're hoping not to see you, and then of course we see them.
At the same time, if you go before the series and you say we'll have Cliff on the mound in Game 5 with a chance to win, I would have taken it, and I'm sure a lot of the guys in that clubhouse would. It'll be a lot of fun tomorrow night.

Q. What was the plane ride like yesterday coming from Dallas to here?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: Well, we didn't fly out until today. We actually got in today at like 2:15. But I think it was pretty relaxed. I think everybody went and enjoyed last night. You can kind of sit there and be mad and be devastated or you can say we're going to come here and so far not a single home team has won a game. So if that's any sign, we're in pretty good shape tomorrow.

Q. Can you explain the significance of the Dirt Balls shirt, please?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: Clint Hurdle actually came up with it, and if there's a ball in the dirt and you read it and you get to the next base, you get presented the Dirt Balls shirt. I had to make sure I did something quick so I could get it.

Q. Talk about facing David Price, the success you guys had against him in Game 1, and do you anticipate him changing his approach at all this time?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: You know what, I can't see him changing too much. He throws 96, 97. If I threw that and got hit even one time, I still probably come back and throw it again. I think my first at-bat, you know, the first pitch I hit for double last time, and then I come back the next time and I actually was thinking he was going to throw me something off-speed, and what does he do? Blow fastballs right by you, you know, totally. I think with a guy like him, we'd be stupid if we don't go out there and look for fastball again. I think it's the same thing, Cliff's going to go do his same game plan. These guys are 19, and whatever he was, 6, and Cliff's, you know, ERA is -- they've both done enough to know what they're going to do. They're not going to go changing.
Hopefully, like I said, we're going to look for fastballs tomorrow from Price, and he's going to throw them. It's not like he's going to sit out there and start throwing a slider and stuff. If he does that, it'll be nice to us, trust me. But at the end of the day, you know what you're going to get.
Hopefully, we can -- last time I thought the big thing was we had -- all our hits were extra base hits, the big one. And I think that's going to be the key, we need to drive some balls in the gap and be able to hit a few home runs.

Q. You were acquired from the Mets specifically for games like this and pitchers like this. How do you feel about that?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: I can't wait. You know, not that like anything, you're happy, but the moment we lost Game 4, my mind was preparing for tomorrow night. I love playing in these types of games. Like I said, it's why I came over here was to be able to hit left-handed guys, guys like David Price. Hopefully if we get past him, guys in the next round like CC. That's games that you look forward to.
Like I said, did we all want to finish it out in Texas? Absolutely. I mean, we had an opportunity and we didn't do it and now you kind of turn your attention, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of getting out there tomorrow night and playing a night game.

Q. You just mentioned playing a night game. The weird starting times, does that affect a player? Is it more comfortable to be playing at night?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: We're used to playing a day game every once in a while, but to keep playing day game after day game after day game -- I thought 4:00 on Saturday was fine. I thought we got hosed yesterday, to be honest with you, with a 12:00 start time in the playoffs. You shouldn't have that, I don't think. I think that's something that needs to change. It's still the playoffs and you're going to get up, but it's still 12:00. And for baseball guys, I guarantee there will be at least five or six people on this team that won't be up before 12:00 tomorrow. I think we're used to the schedule, so I think it'll be fun.
You know, tomorrow night is 8:00. You've got two of the best pitchers in baseball going against each other, and what more could you ask for, it's going to be a lot of fun. And hopefully we can find a way to score early and take the crowd out of it. I think that's going to be a key. We did that both times here, they did it at our place, not so much in Game 3 but in Game 4 they did with a couple of those doubles and the home run that kind of took our crowd out of it.

Q. TV pretty much dictates who plays when and where and how. Do you think that maybe a little bit of disrespect for these two teams that you were playing a noon game?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: I don't think it's so much disrespect. We get it. I played in New York this year for the Mets for five months and we played Sunday night baseball four out of the first six weeks. I get the thing, they're going to give it to New York, they're going to give it to Philly and that stuff, but it will be nice to play a night game. Like I said, that 12:00 Game 4 was tough, but they had to do the same. But it would be nice to have some games a little later maybe.

Q. In your mind what do you bring this team?
JEFF FRANCOEUR: Well, a nice beard, for one, I'll tell you that. No, you know, I'm able to -- so-so beard? All right.
I look forward to just kind of keeping everybody loose in the clubhouse, having fun. I'm a high energy guy, and then I bring a lot of experience obviously, and I've played in some big games, played in the playoffs before. You know, I've had a lot of success in Atlanta for a couple years. You know, I had a tough year in '08 -- I mean, '09 before I got shipped out. But at the same time, I know what I'm capable of, and I'm looking forward to obviously being a big bat for us tomorrow night versus Price. He's a guy that's not easy to hit, and we need every opportunity to hit the ball in the gap or hit a home run, and I feel like we've got a lot of guys in the lineup that are capable of doing that.
You know, I think we said last time if you looked at our lineup in Game 1, you know, from 2 to 9, I think almost everybody in that lineup had either hit 30 home runs or driven in a 100 runs. When you've got that, you've got a lot of people capable of doing some big things in big games, so we feel comfortable.

End of FastScripts

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