Ron Washington talks about C. J. Wilson as Game one of American League Division Series nears
The American League Division Series is expected to kick off on Friday, September 30 and the Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington had a lot to say about his first choice pitcher, C. J. Wilson, who will be facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays from the mound
in Game one. The skipper talked to the reporters on Thursday, September 29 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
C. J. Wilson has grown with the Texas Rangers for over five years and he has gone from being a bull-pen reliever to becoming a regular pitcher in the rotation. Last year, when the Rangers entered the World Series, the hurler went 15-8 in his regular season.
He was paired with the likes of Cliff Lee and that showed the fans how important he is to the club.
Now in 2011, Wilson has ended his regular season with a 16-7 standing and there has not been much change noticeable in the starter. The manager said the same thing when he was asked about a difference in Wilson since last year.
"I don't think C.J. changed his way of doing things," Washington said. "He never lacked confidence. He's always believed in himself. He's always believed in his teammates. And failure is not something he expects. And so what you saw up here is the same thing
I saw in C.J. last year."
Rangers will be putting Wilson up against the Tampa Bay Rays’ rookie starter Matt Moore. Though experts favour Wilson for the win, the Rangers are not taking the challenge lightly. Washington believes strongly in the hurler and it is expected that he will
bring in the performance needed to ascend to the American League post-season ladder.
"Going down the stretch, C.J. has been our lead horse from the beginning," Washington said. "And he hasn't disappointed."
The skipper concluded his statement by stating that he will expect Wilson to do one thing that is expected of him– keep the Rangers in the game. With his immense talent and competitive drive, Wilson will be looking to make an impact against the Rays in the
play-offs.
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