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MLB WORLD SERIES: RANGERS v CARDINALS

October 22, 2011

Ron Washington

ARLINGTON, TEXAS: Game Three

Q. In tonight's game, the stadium will go electric if we see Ogando pitching against Craig again. The flow of the game may determine this, but this matchup, do you seek it or do you avoid it?
RON WASHINGTON: I don't avoid any matchup in the course of a ballgame. If that situation dictates that I have to bring Ogando in and Craig is up there, it will happen.

Q. You needed improvement from your young pitchers to get to this point. Is it fair to them to expect that they'll continue to improve at the World Series level, Harrison, Holland, for example?
RON WASHINGTON: No doubt about it. They have no reason to doubt their ability. They've proved that already. So I mean, all we're asking for them to do is just go out there and do what they've been doing all year, keep the ball down, keep their team in the ballgame, execute their pitches, trust it, and that's why they've got defense behind them. You know, that type of expectation, to get that high, you have to learn within yourself to keep it to whatever minimum that you can handle it. We can talk about it, but the individual that's in it, he has to handle it, and I think they'll handle it to the best of their ability.

Q. You've seen Edwin Jackson in this league before. What are your impressions of him?
RON WASHINGTON: Power pitcher, good stuff. Every now and then he has command problems, but when he's not having command problems, he's a quality pitcher. Our hands will be full tomorrow. I think a lot just has to do with us trying to make sure that we keep him in the strike zone. If we go to chasing his slider and chasing his fastball up in the zone, it could be a long night. But if we make him come in the zone, I think we've got just as good a chance to get him as they would have to get Holland.

Q. I know you were settled on your lineup, but given Hamilton's condition, did you at all kick around using ChÃ¡vez or whoever in the outfield, Murphy, and using a DH spot for Josh?
RON WASHINGTON: No, not at all. Hamilton is ready to play. As I keep saying, he's dealing with some nagging injuries, but they're not injuries that he can't play. He's out in center field tonight.

Q. Specifically with Derek Holland, talking to him, it sounds like he's got a lot of energy and he kind of gets wound up. For you, is that just something that's youthful exuberance that he'll grow out of, or is that something that you think would be good to contain sooner rather than later?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, I think it's something that he'll grow out of, and yes, I would like him to contain it sooner rather than later. But once again, that's growth, and he has to grow at his pace. All we can do is give him the opportunity to do it, and we are giving him the opportunity to do it. We expect him to go out there tomorrow and contain it and give us a great game, which we know he's capable of. It's in him; it's just a matter of Derek going out there and letting it happen.
And as I said, we're going to give him that opportunity. Where it goes, I don't know yet, because the only thing we're thinking about is today.

Q. Were you sorry you didn't get to play yourself in the movie Moneyball? And would you have done a better job?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, you know, earlier when they were talking about the production, they were going to use everyone that they could get. I had some time put away when we went out to Anaheim to film, but it just didn't happen.
The guy was matter of fact. As I always say, the only difference in he in that movie and myself, I never work on the sidelines, I work between the lines. So he was giving instruction from the sideline. That's not Ron Washington. Other than that, he did a great job.

Q. Last year's World Series, of the 29 total runs given up, 18 or so came in the 7th or later. So regarding pitching changes, what, if anything, did you learn from last year that you are applying this year?
RON WASHINGTON: Well, I learned from last year I didn't have the guys down in the bullpen that I had this year. As I said, the players make you look good or they make you look bad. You know, we just didn't have the bullpen that we have right now, and that's the difference. I have guys I can go to, and I have guys that I feel comfortable can go out there and execute and get outs. And there is a difference. That makes you comfortable as a manager, knowing that when you bring someone in that they more times than not will get the job done. And the time they don't get it done, we're all only human. There's no perfection in the game of baseball. Every now and then a pitcher throws a perfect game, but other than that, there's no perfection.

Q. There's a school of thought that maybe pitching changes in the AL can be more difficult because where a pitcher is at in the lineup doesn't dictate when you make a pitching change, and you really have to know your pitcher and what he's featuring on the mound that day. What's your take or your sense on that?
RON WASHINGTON: What he's featuring and where he is that day, as you said. Usually the bats will let you know when he's losing it, or you may get to a point in the ballgame where you feel like your starter has taken you as far as he needs to take you, and you know you have the bullets down there in the bullpen that can take it the rest of the way, without a doubt. So mainly in the American League all you're doing it watching the pitching. You know, you're checking the lineup to make sure if there's -- try to stay ahead to try to make sure if there's someplace that they may bring a guy out of the bullpen that you would like to see another guy go up against him. But other than that, you're constantly watching the pitching. Constantly watching the pitching. It just depends on where he is and what he's got going on that day when you make your move.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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