Sports Radio Interviews

Ron Washington on Hamilton’s Recent Injury: “It’s unfortunate that Josh got hurt, but we’re not going to stop being aggressive.”

The defending American League champion Texas Rangers have gotten off to an impressive start to the new season. Ron Washington’s club is the proud owner of the AL’s best record at 9-3, but they’re 0-2 since Josh Hamilton got injured in the first inning of Monday afternoon’s win. Hamilton, the reigning AL MVP, suffered a small fracture in the humerus bone in his upper arm after he was waved home aggressively by Texas’s third base coach Dave Anderson. The prognosis is that Hamilton could miss between six to eight weeks, and perhaps even more. Some questioned if it was foolish to send the injury-prone Hamilton home in a situation like that. Hamilton let his emotions get the best of him after the game, saying he too thought it wasn’t a smart decision to send him. But after cooler heads prevailed, Hamilton apologized to Anderson behind closed doors, and acknowledged that ultimately the decision was his, and more importantly, that the game is supposed to be played in a hard and aggressive fashion. Washington certainly shares that sentiment. As much as he understands the importance of having a healthy Hamilton in the lineup for big chunks of the season, he can’t and won’t alter the way he approaches the game as a manager in an attempt to protect his players from potential injuries.

Washington joined ESPN Radio in Dallas to talk about Josh Hamilton’s most recent injury, how the Rangers are an aggressive ball club by nature and will continue to be rather than worrying about the potential for injuries, the stellar start to the season for starting pitcher Alexi Ogando, his gutsy decision to walk the tying run (Miguel Cabrera) to instead face the go ahead run (Victor Martinez) in Monday afternoon’s win over the Tigers, the energy and professionalism that Yorvit Torrealba has brought to the club from his catcher position, and what he plans to do in the interim with his lineup in Hamilton’s absence.

On whose responsibility it was for Hamilton to be put in a compromising situation to get injured:

“Well you know, we’re a very aggressive club. We saw an opening there and we tried to take advantage of it. It’s unfortunate that Josh got hut, but we’re not going to stop being aggressive. Things like that happen in baseball, and we’re a team and we’re going to move forward.”

If he think it’s fair to say that maybe certain rules and guidelines should be implemented with how they manage Hamilton:

“No it’s not fair. Baseball is baseball and you play it one way. It’s unfortunate that we lost Josh, and we’re going to miss Josh. But we have a very aggressive team, we saw an opening and tried to take advantage of it. As I said, it’s unfortunate that Josh got hurt, and we can’t wait to get him back. But there’s still baseball to play and we’re not going to change the way we play.”

Has he had a chance to talk to Hamilton about the play since he questioned it during his postgame remarks:

“No, I just said what went down. We saw an opening and we went for it. Josh just happened to be the player that was on the bag and he got hurt. It happens in the game of baseball. Like I said, it’s a blow and we certainly we feel bad about losing him, but we still have a ton of games on the schedule, and we have to focus on what we have to do today to win a ballgame.”

On the phenomenal start to the year for starting pitcher Alexi Ogando despite battling some minor blister issues:

“Well right now he’s in our rotation and he’s doing one hell of a job. I don’t see where he’s willing to give it up, and as long as he pitches like that, I think he’ll be in the rotation. I mean, he’s been outstanding. He’s using all his pitches, he’s pounding the strike zone, he’s expanding the strike zone, he’s using all of his pitches, he’s just being one heck of a starter. Right now the blister is fine, he looks like he’ll be good to go for his next start, and we just hope that the next time he’s out there he gives us eight innings.”

On his decision to walk the tying run and face the go ahead run in the ninth inning in Monday’s win against the Tigers, the first time a manager has made that decision since the ’70s:

“Well the way the weather was and the wind was blowing, he was the only guy I felt like could get through that wind. I have all the respect in the world for Victor (Martinez). He’s certainly had him a very good career. But he wasn’t swinging the bat very well that day. So you take a chance, you trust your pitcher and you take a chance. Neifi (Perez) executed the pitch and got us out of the inning. But what I wasn’t going to do was let (Miguel) Cabrera beat us. Tuesday we had no choice — he came up in a situation and he beat us. But that’s the one guy….there’s always one guy during the course of a series that you say you’re not going to let beat you, and I wasn’t going to let Cabrera beat us. Now, it worked because my pitcher executed. If my pitcher don’t execute, maybe it don’t work. Victor certainly had an opportunity and the potential to hit the three-run bomb, but I just felt our chances of getting out of that inning were better against Victor the way he was swinging the bat, than against Cabrera. So I did it and it worked. That don’t make me a genius. The only way a manager is smart is when the players execute. Neifi executed so I looked good.”

On what he’s felt Yorvit Torrealba has brought to the club from the catcher position:

“Well he brings a lot of energy, he works hard at the game plan, he does an excellent job of executing, and he does an excellent job of helping our pitchers get through the game plan. I think it’s an excellent example for the young kids. Both he and Napoli have done a great job of executing our game plan, and they have to this point have done an excellent job of it. Both Napoli and Torrealba have a lot to do with it. They work hard behind the scene preparing with Mike and Hawk, and then they going out there doing what they’re doing and making those guys believe in the signals that they put down. And you know, you can’t ask much more of your catching staff than what Napoli and Torrealba have given us.”

Has he thought much about Josh’s absence this next few months and how he might adjust the lineup while he’s out:

“Well of course I’ve thought about Josh’s absence, but you know, baseball don’t stop. We’ve dealt with injuries before. Last year we had a lot of injuries — Josh was out, Cruz was out, Kins[ler] was out.  I have a group of guys in there who will battle, they will fight, they will play nine innings, they believe in themselves, they believe in each other. I think that’s power right there. We’ll go out there and play the very best game that we can, and hope we put up enough runs up to win the ball game. But as of today, I put Michael [Young] in the third slot, and I moved Cruz up to five, and it will be Michael, Beltre, Cruz. I put Michael there because he produces, and we certainly need some in that area to produce. And when I look at my lineup, there really isn’t that more choices that I have. So Mike is there, we’ll go out and see what happens. That don’t mean one day it may change, someone else may be there according to who we’re facing. But as of today Mike is there and that’s my plan.”

Listen here to Washington with Ben & Skin on ESPN Radio Dallas

Tags: Alexi Ogando, ESPN Radio Dallas, Josh Hamilton injury, Ron Washington, Texas Rangers, who's to blame for Josh Hamitlon injury