By Ron Washington on Leaked Game 7 World Series Speech: “People just got an opportunity to see what Ron Washington is truly like.”
November 17, 2011 – 7:30 am by Steven Cuce
The last time we heard from Ron Washington, he was doing his best Samuel L. Jackson impression in the clubhouse before Game 7 of the World Series. After listening to the impassioned, profanity-laced speech he gave his Texas Rangers club, he could have had anyone fired up before that game.
For the second year in a row the Rangers fell in the World Series, but this time it was a crushing blow. Texas was one out away from their first World Series title twice in game six, but couldn’t finish off the St. Louis Cardinals job thanks to a combination of poor relief pitching [Neftali Feliz and Darren Oliver] and shaky outfield play by Nelson Cruz.
One of the most bizarre moves of game six was Washington going with Darren Oliver to close out the World Series after the Rangers regained the lead in the top of the 10th inning. The Rangers skipper explains in the following interview with ESPN Dallas the reason for why that decision was made. Wash also feels very strongly regarding the status of Rangers free agent pitcher C.J. Wilson and his future.
Ron Washington joined ESPN Radio Dallas with Ben & Skin to discuss his thought process after the crushing game six loss in the World Series, his initial feeling when his pre-game speech before game seven of the World Series was leaked on the internet, the reaction he got from the public regarding his pre-game speech before game seven of the World Series, why Neftali Feliz didn’t come back out for his second inning of relief after he blew the save in game six of the World Series, C.J. Wilson being a free agent and the possibility of C.J. Wilson going to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
[Editor’s Note: Ron Washington’s pre-game speech before game seven of the World Series includes language not suitable for work]
What were you thinking going into game seven of the World Series? Did you think you guys blew your chance after the game six loss?
“I felt like we had lost an opportunity right there to win the World Series, but I also felt like it’s a seven game series. We didn’t get it done in six. We will get it done in seven [games] because I also felt like we was capable of bouncing back and put another great game together, but it just didn’t happen. We jumped out 2-0 and my own opinion it just wasn’t meant to be because once we got those two runs we gave them right back and then things got out of hand from there.”
What was your initial feeling when you found out there was a leak in the clubhouse and your pre-game speech for Game 7 of the World Series was all over the internet? How did you process all of that?
“When I initially heard it I just said well they got an opportunity to see what Ron Washington is like behind the scenes. Other than that I am a little upset that it got out because that was a closed door meeting and that’s why you close the door because what is said in there is suppose to stay in there, but it got out and I don’t take it back. It was definitely what I felt. It was what we felt as a group, and as I said, people just got an opportunity to see what Ron Washington is truly like in the behind the scenes.”
What was the reaction to that like? What was the aftermath of that for you when people heard your pre-game speech for game seven of the World Series?
“I got phone calls from friends that happened to hear it on the Internet and they were excited for me. They were ready to go out on the field and play some baseball. That was the real purpose of it. But, it was us, it was the Texas Rangers in there talking and trying to get fired up and understand what was at stake. We went out there and as I said jumped on them [the Cardinals] right away, we just couldn’t hold them down. As it turned out the St. Louis Cardinals are truly the world champions.”
I gotta ask you about this. After game six when Neftali Feliz wasn’t able to lock it down a lot of us wondered why didn’t Feliz come back out again after that. Can you explain why Feliz didn’t come back out?
“We’ll just say that he was really upset and his state of mind at the time wasn’t where we felt like he could go out there and get it done. And the lineup set up perfectly for Darren Oliver and he didn’t get it done. So, it wasn’t like we didn’t get it done because Neftali didn’t go back out there. I still feel like that lineup set up perfectly for who we put out there, and the job just didn’t get done, and the end result is we just didn’t get it done.”
What is your approach regarding C.J. Wilson’s free agency?
“Well my approach is the same. We are going to make a legitimate offer. He’s at the point where he can look around and see what’s best for him and I think we want to give him that opportunity, but I also know that he knows how important we think he is to us. But, that decision is up to C.J. Wilson and I do think Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels and me included are going to do the best that we can to see if we can keep C.J. in the fold. But, in the end that decision is really up to C.J.”
Is the worst place for C.J. Wilson to end up in Los Angeles with the Angels from your perspective?
“If C.J. ends up not being a Texas Ranger – this is only Ron Washington talking – I don’t personally care where C.J. goes. We will continue to move forward.”
Listen to Ron Washington on 103.3 ESPN Radio Dallas here
Tags: Ben & Skin, C.J. Wilson, ESPN Radio Dallas, MLB, Neftali Feliz, Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
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