texas rangers General manager Chris Young appeared on Monday's show. GBag Nation on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) To discuss the Rangers' start to the season. An exciting opening weekend 22 year old rookie topic Wyatt Langford.
Here are some highlights, edited for clarity.
Question: Congratulations. You said last week that your only goal is to win the series. And the Rangers did it on opening weekend against the Cubs.. If you drop the last one, do you still feel like a success?
Chris Young: “Well, it's a long season, so if we can win two out of three games, it's going to be a great year. That being said, we're competitors and we want to win every night, but realistically that's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. If we win two out of three games, we'll feel pretty good.”
Q: You know everyone. The hype and excitement surrounding newcomer Wyatt Langford. What have you thought of him so far in his short major league career?
young: “Wyatt was very impressive. He was great and looked like the right guy. With quality at-bats, he handled the environment, the emotions, the adrenaline. He also made some nice plays in left field.
“So, all things considered, I think it was everything we hoped for. And we think the best is yet to come.”
Q: Travis Jankowski seems to be in the clutch, what do you think about this guy who figures so prominently in this moment?
young: “Well, he's a veteran player who doesn't let the game speed up, so we feel very comfortable putting him in those situations. We know he's not going to stand up and let the pressure of the situation take over. He's going to go up and have quality at-bats and really handle the environment, which is difficult for any player, but for a veteran player like Travis who's been around a little bit, the ability to really close down the strike zone. , and understand that you don't have to try too hard in those situations. Just take a good swing at the ball and don't spread out.
“Travis ran it and took it out with the barrel of a gun. It was really, really great. It was a great night for the fans. We definitely welcome Travis back. He was huge for us in the World Series. You know, it was really cool to see him come out and do that in the opening game.”
Q: Now that Jankowski is “El Blondie,” does Wyatt Langford still have a nickname?
young: “No, I don't know what everyone calls him yet. I'll have to ask around and find out. So far, it's just 'Wyatt.'
“He was quite formal with me, a very shy and polite person. He sometimes calls me 'sir', but I don't like that. ”
question: Ring Night was really great? Beyond just getting a World Series ring, what was that experience like for you?? But then you get there while everyone else is lining up. How to get theirs?
young: “Receiving the ring was incredibly special, but what was even more special for me was seeing the smiles on everyone else's faces. Seeing our players celebrate. , the look of bewilderment, joy, and happiness on their faces. It was truly an amazing ring, beautiful and so well designed for an heirloom ring. The whole experience couldn't have been better. It was a really great weekend, from the banner raising on Thursday to the ring presentation on Saturday. Everyone was so happy to celebrate 2023.”
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