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AL DIVISION SERIES: RANGERS v RAYS

October 1, 2011

Ron Washington

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Two

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions for Ron Washington.

Q. Ron, can you talk a little bit about what Michael Young meant to this club and how many guys over the last few years had to change positions as many times as he has and done so well and unselfishly in that way.
RON WASHINGTON: Mike is a pro. And he's been taught well. And he shows up every day to do his job.
But more than that, he shows up every day to win. And when you got that type of attitude around, it's certainly something that other players pick up. He's been huge for this organization for many years.
And what he had to go through this year just show the type of character that he has. And, believe me, the type of character that he has, it's the type of character that's inside that clubhouse, and that's what he brings.

Q. A follow-up to that. When you take into consideration all the things he's done and the things he had to adapt to, has this been his best season, would you say?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, since I've been here, I consistently watch Mike do the same thing that he's been doing. This year was different because he's been a guy that showed up every day and had to play one position and had to focus on one thing.
This year he had to focus on quite a lot. But the bottom line was all he wanted to do was show up and be in the lineup. And I think the way he's done it this year, I don't think anyone in that clubhouse can complain about anything, because he still was able to do exactly what he showed up every day to do, and that's be the very best he can be every single day. And that's Michael Young.

Q. You're going up against James Shields and he had success against you this year so far, I think two starts, maybe just one earned run that he has given up against you guys. Anything that you can see specifically that you can attack or a different way that you will approach him in this game?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, what we have to do is make sure that we get him in the strike zone. He has a tremendous change-up. He mixes his pitches extremely well. And we just got to make sure we get him in the strike zone. And when we get some opportunities, take advantage of them.
Other than that, James Shields is a tremendous pitcher. He's completed more games this year than anyone, so it's going to be a battle for us. But when you're in the playoffs, it is a battle. So you just have to get him in the zone.
And more than anything else, we have to stay in the ballgame. If we stay in the ballgame, we'll do fine.

Q. Wash, given the weight of the postseason, do you have to tell your players anything before this game to protect home-field advantage, or does it speak for itself?
RON WASHINGTON: The postseason speaks for itself. We are aware of what's going on. We lost yesterday. We certainly don't want to go down 2-0. But what we are concerned about is how we can go out there today and just play baseball, react to what the game asks us to do and try to get to playing our type of game.
If we can get back to playing our type of game, we'll be fine. And that's where we are. We're going to go out there, we're going to work out, and we're going to prepare. And when the game starts, we're going to try to put more runs than they do in nine.

Q. Wash, you're really good at reading your players' mood. Do you have a read on Moreland and the day off? Do you think it cleared his mind or help him relax?
RON WASHINGTON: Moreland had more than a few days off. He's ready to go. And it's just a matter of going out there and getting some pitches in the zone that he can handle and putting a good pass on it. He's fine. Everyone in that clubhouse is fine. Once again, we just have to go out there and play baseball. The same thing that Tampa's going to do. But Moreland is fine.

Q. Napoli has talked a lot about how he's felt free playing here and relaxed. And I'm curious what approach you took to him that brought that out, and also if he has exceeded your expectations defensively, more so even more than offensively.
RON WASHINGTON: The only approach I took to Nap, I explained to him as honestly as I possibly could when he arrived what we thought his role would be. And I just told him to be who he is. And once he got back in that clubhouse with those other guys that's been here, he was able to be who he was.
As far as exceeding expectations, in a way I never thought this kid could hit .320, but I knew he could pop the ball out of the ballpark. I knew he always had a good on-base percentage.
And, you know, he's just fit in perfectly with the atmosphere that we have here, and he's been able to be exactly who he is. And the guys in that clubhouse love him, and I certainly am glad he expressed to you, that he loved being here in Texas.

Q. Ron, how would you describe the chemistry in your clubhouse? And how much do you think Michael Young has contributed to that?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, Michael Young is the chemistry. And, you know, those guys are all for one and one for all. I don't think they play now -- the past couple of years we come together as a group. I don't think we play for our individual stats. I think we play to try to get back to the World Series and win. Once you've gotten there and gotten the taste of what that's like, that's the only goal. And Michael Young epitomizes that.
That's what we are playing for. If we can get back there and pull that off, then everyone win. The organization, the ticket-takers, the vendors. Everyone wins. And that's what we are about, trying to get back there and do that.
And that's what Michael Young brings. He epitomizes it.

Q. You mentioned after last night's game you thought Matt Moore was a special pitcher. What makes him unique from your standpoint for a young kid like that?
RON WASHINGTON: The thing for me that makes him unique is his poise. And maybe he was able to keep his poise the way he did because of the lead he had, but what really stood out to me was the third time around this kid went to his secondary stuff, and he has very good secondary stuff. So he's not only a guy that can throw the ball pretty hard, he can command it and he has secondary stuff.
And he did what a veteran would do, you know. A veteran, once he get a lead, he know how to take it to the house. Well, that kid got him a three-run lead and he started mixing and pitching and showed us that he wasn't just a thrower.
So my hat is off to him. He's a quality kid.

Q. Wash, Tampa has basically been playing playoff baseball for about a month now. All season long you and Joe seemingly pushed the right buttons. Discounting personnel, what is it like to manage against a guy like that?
RON WASHINGTON: You don't know what Joe is going to do, but he knows his personnel, and that's the one thing you admire.
You know, you look at the Tampa Bay Rays, they may not have all of the most tremendous players, but they play the style of baseball that Joe feel he has to play to compete over there. And they got great belief in one another. And his coaching staff does a great job.
And to get where they are, as you say it, they had to play playoff baseball to do that. And my hat is off to him.
And you just have to be aware of the game when you're playing, because you never know what Joe is going to do. And it certainly isn't something he pulls out of his hat. Believe me, he thinks about everything.
THE MODERATOR: Okay, thanks, Ron.
RON WASHINGTON: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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