Texas Rangers’ Ron Washington: I’m ‘a fundamentalist’

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There is nothing special about saying the Texas Rangers emphasize fundamentals. But the way Texas Manager Ron Washington put it, you might think the Rangers embrace them with, well, religious fervor.

‘I grew up being a fundamentalist,’ Washington said, ‘and that’s the style of baseball I like to play.’

In trying to explain how the Rangers are not just power and pitching, Washington said his team could lay down a bunt, advance a runner with a ground ball to the right side of the infield and tag up from first base on a deep fly ball to the outfield.

‘Whatever the game asks you to do, that’s Rangers baseball,’ he said. ‘We’re multifaceted.’

Vladimir Guerrero, who played two games in right field for the Angels last year and 17 there for the Rangers this year, is scheduled to start in right field in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday. The San Francisco Giants are the home team, so National League rules are in play and the designated hitter is not.

‘Vlad played right field for 14 years,’ Washington said. ‘He’s not a slouch out there.’

Still, AT&T Park might feature the most challenging right field in the major leagues. There are two angles in right-center field, and the ball can bounce off brick, gate or padding.

‘If something happens off that wall and gets away from Vlad, it could be Roberto Clemente out there and it’ll get away from him,’ Washington said. ‘So that’s nothing to be worried about.’

-- Bill Shaikin in San Francisco