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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYS

October 4, 2011

Ron Washington

TAMPA, FLORIDA: Game Four

THE MODERATOR: Okay, we'll get started with some questions for Ron Washington.

Q. Wash, I think out of all of your starters, Matt Harrison is the one that most people don't know that much about. Can you explain what makes him effective and what you expect him to be able to do against this particular lineup in this situation?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, he has four quality pitches. You know, he can spin the ball. He has a very good fastball. He can sink it. And I think what he have to do is just keep the ball in play. We can't give them free bases. We have to make them earn everything that they get. And if you do that, it means he's keeping us in the ballgame and giving us a chance.
And that's all we asked of him. He's matured as the year has progressed and he certainly has played a huge part in us having this opportunity to be in the playoffs.

Q. Can you talk about the lift Craig Gentry gave you last night and over the last month?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, you know, Craig has some qualities that I think a lot of clubs would like to have. He can play defense. He has a tremendous arm. He makes contact. He has tremendous speed. He can steal bags. He can cause a lot of havoc once he get on the bag. And last night he was huge for us, especially the way David Price was throwing.
And since we called him up in the middle of the year, he certainly fit the role that we need him to play. And we know he can play the game; he just had to get the opportunity, and I found a way to use him.
And he and both Endy Chavez gave us an opportunity to keep Hamilton healthy throughout the year.

Q. Ron, I noticed you are one of the few guys that carries a stopwatch during the game. I know it is probably for charting the pitchers' time to home plate. How long have you done that, coaching days, and what things do you monitor and how does that play to your aggressive style on the bases?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, Gary Pettis is the base running guy. He carries a stopwatch every day. And sometimes I don't trust Gary, so I keep my own stopwatch. No, it helps to know exactly what's going on and not always have to ask questions.
I always like to know what the pitcher time is to home plate. Also it gives me an opportunity to help my base runners figure out some things on the base paths.
When I first arrived at the Major League level as a coach, I was a first base coach, so I always kept the time to let the runners know what's happening as far as the pitcher goes, and it's just been a habit.
I just keep it so I know for myself what the times are. And then I check with Gary, and a lot of times I am a little quicker than Gary or he is a little slower than I am, but it's just a habit.

Q. Wash, can you talk about the cat-and-mouse game managing against Joe Maddon, pitch-outs, steals, all the rest. Is it fun to manage against a guy that you just never know what in the world he's going to do next?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think more than anything else is the players that are on the bag. You know, we all have numbers. We all know what they do. You know, we all have numbers and certain counts when guys run, when they like to run, when they don't run.
But yesterday in Upton's case, he's one of the guys on that team that when he gets on first base, his job is to get to the next bag. Just as we have a few on this team, the job when they get to first is to try to get to second. And sometimes they make mistakes. It is a part of the game.
I think Joe teaches aggressiveness the same way we teach aggressiveness. If you're going to stay tentative, then how can you be aggressive.
We decided to call the pitch-out yesterday, and we were right. A lot of times you call pitch-outs and you are wrong. It wasn't anything that made us any smarter or made Joe any dumber or made Upton any dumber. We took a chance and it worked.
And we're both aggressive teams. I mean, when you have aggressive teams, you're going to do some things, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.
But you just try to do things according to your personnel. And as I say, we all have the numbers. And we look at those numbers and sometimes those numbers play out, and sometimes they don't.

Q. Ron, are any of the relievers you used last night not available today as they have been used in the series?
RON WASHINGTON: No, this is the playoffs. Everyone is available. It is no time to be concerned about I'm stiff or I threw so many pitches. If the opportunity presents itself, and we feel it's your opportunity to be out there, you out there. We all available. My arm is tired from throwing a lot of BP, but I'm going.

Q. Ron, on TV they have shown a lot of great shots of you excited in the dugout during the ballgame. Can you share with us the emotion between you and your staff of the series so far?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, what you see is what I am. I am not trying to be anything other than what I am, and I've always been like that as a player, and I have been like that as a coach, and now I'm like that as a manager. When my guys do something good out there, I'm just as excited about it as they are and I want them to know that.
And I'm not trying to be something to prove to somebody that I'm emotional. That's me. That's who Ron Washington is. And that's who Ron Washington will continue to be.
But this is a game. You have to have fun. You have to enjoy what you're doing. And we certainly enjoy what we are doing. And we have fun at it. I'm not afraid to smile, I'm not afraid to joke, I'm not afraid to give my coaches a high-five, I'm not afraid to hug them. It's just the way it is. I like to show how I am and I want them to be free, I want my players to be free.
And the bottom line, we just go out and try to do one thing: Play the game of baseball and try to play it the best we possibly can. And when you do something good, show your emotions, and that's the way it is.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Ron.
RON WASHINGTON: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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