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MLB WORLD SERIES: RANGERS v GIANTS

November 1, 2010

Ron Washington

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Five

Q. How would you characterize the mood of your club going into this game?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, they're in a great mood. You know, we know where we are. We know what we're up against. We've had our back against the wall before, maybe not to this extent, but I expect us to come out and just take this a game at a time from here on out and put some runs on the board and win a ballgame.
No, they're in a good mood. The music is blasting and they're having a good time.

Q. J.D. was in here a minute ago and he talked about the off-season, one of the first things they want to do is get your contract situated. What does it mean to you to know they're looking for you to be here long-term now and in the scope of things how special has this season been?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it's been very special because when I came on board and Jon Daniels hired me, we envisioned that we would put a team together that could compete and maybe one day have an opportunity at a World Series, and here we are.
So you know, it's been a collaboration of many, many people, and I'm just so proud of the organization, I'm so proud of my players, I'm so proud of my coaching staff, the scouts, the development department. Everybody has seemed to have gotten on the same page, and I think the future is quite bright.
I'm very happy that the Texas Rangers believe in me enough to continue to let me guide.

Q. You made your players laugh with what you said after Game 1 and some of them were telling us that. What did you say to them after last night's game? And what was the music they were blasting in the clubhouse today?
RON WASHINGTON: It was Latin music. I couldn't quite understand it. But it was nice. It had a good beat to it. I didn't ask exactly know what the name of it was.
You know, I just told them last night that we're not out of it again, yet. We have Cliff going tomorrow. Our equalizer is to put more runs on the board than they have. We know we're capable of it, we just have to go out there and do it. From this point out it's got to be one game at a time, and I turned around and went to my office.

Q. How much of that is what they've done pitching-wise and how much of it is what you guys have not done hitting the ball?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it's a combination of both. You know, when you talk to anyone in the game, pitching stops hitting. If the pitchers execute, you usually don't get a whole lot of hitting. But we got some pitches to hit, we just haven't hit them. We just have to change that. And last night when we did center the ball, they were right there making defensive plays, and that's part of the game, also. It's a combination of both. I'd certainly like to get to the latter of starting to hit a little bit and starting to make that pitching staff they have over there seem real.

Q. Your bullpen was so good in the regular season, now in the Series two of the last three games they've handed over close games to them and they haven't been able to keep you within striking distance. Is it asking them to patch too many innings together or is it something else?
RON WASHINGTON: No, I don't think it's asking them to patch too many innings together because they've done that before. I just think that you've got to give credit to the Giants' hitters. We tried to execute some pitches, and we didn't get them there, and they made us pay for it. That's what happens when you don't execute.
But no, that's what they're there for, to pick up those innings, and they usually do it. So an opportunity to show up again, they'll have to do it again. Right now we're at the point where this is what it is.

Q. You've encouraged your guys to be aggressive since day one here. With that in mind were you okay with Hamilton running with Cruz batting last night?
RON WASHINGTON: Yes, I was. It was an opportunity right there to get closer to scoring position there. When he took off, I had no doubt he was going to have it. I don't know what happened, but he didn't make it, and we lived with it. We've been living with it all year.

Q. We know that Nippert is replacing Ogando on the roster, but with him going down who now moves up in terms of a role of greater importance in your mind?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it'll be Nippert, it'll be Holland, and the two guys that I've been depending on all year, Oliver and O'Day. But guys have to step up. All year long when people went down, guys stepped up, and I expected them to continue to step up. If we have to mix and match, bring a couple guys in, bring a guy in to get one guy, bring another guy in to get another guy we'll have to do that just to get through the inning. We'll do what we have to do, but other guys just have to step up, and it could be any one of them.

Q. You spoke a minute ago about the idea that you and J.D., when you took this job you anticipated the possibility of being here at one point. How do you think the foundation has been laid for this year and for continued years to come?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, it's been totally laid from the Minor Leagues on up. I think we understand what expectations are now. It's not entitlement in Texas anymore; you have to perform or we will use other people. One thing we are doing, we're giving our youth a chance to establish themselves.
I think what it's done is just raised expectations in Texas.

Q. As a career baseball man who gets to this plateau, can you maybe speak to the idea of how it's different for a manager than it is for players and whether your emotions are different or similar.
RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think the difference for the manager is you have to answer more questions. But I try to keep my normal routine that I've always kept. Things may be a little bit excited inside of me. If I feel like they need to be exposed, I expose them. If I feel like I need to contain them, I contain them. But more than anything else, the players, they react to the way the manager reacts, and I just try to stay even keel. I try to stay confident, and I try to instill that in them. But you know, it all comes down to what happens between the lines, and that's where the players have to take care of it.
You know, I really haven't felt what this is all about yet because I'm still trying to stay in the moment and realize that there's still work to be done, and I think when it's all over, I really could answer that question better then. But right now, I'm excited, no doubt about it. I'm happy, no doubt about it. But there's still baseball to be played, and you have to keep things in perspective, and that's where I am.

End of FastScripts

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