Woodward still positive despite bumpy year
The Rangers are having a season to forget. They are losing consistently, partly because they are the worst team in OPS and their pitching staff is near the bottom of the league.
But leave it to manager Chris Woodward to continue to have a positive attitude. He is dealing with one of the youngest teams in the league, so he knows there are going to be some frustrating moments.
“When it comes to being positive, I’m not always smiling,” Woodward said. “I’m always optimistic about moving this thing forward. I have to be. That’s my responsibility to the organization, players and the team.
“They brought me here to win and we haven’t done that, and I take full responsibility for that. I’m always going to push these guys to figure out what it takes to win on an individual note, but also as a team.”
For the rest of the season, he would like to see the team become more consistent on both sides of the ball. He acknowledged that the lack of consistency has bugged him the most.
“Being in this game, whether you are the manager or a coach, you want to win games,” Woodward said. “Early on, we were in a lot of games before the [All-Star] break. [But] we couldn’t make the play or make the pitch that we needed. That’s the thing that probably bugged me the most. But these guys have learned from it.
“… As we move forward, anybody that is on this team currently, I expect them to grow and get a little more consistent. … Some of these guys are playing for the first time every day all year long. It’s tough to put together a solid full season. There are a lot of demands that come with being a big league ballplayer. That’s the thing I would like to see them take away from this is how to be consistent. That’s every pitch of every game. You are not always going to have the results, but you can maintain a consistent style of play. For the most part, I have been impressed with the effort all year -- on and off the field.”
Shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa is one guy that needs to be more consistent. Entering Thursday’s action against the Indians, Kiner-Falefa is hitting .266 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs. He hit a wall in July, hitting .188 for the month, but he has picked it back up in August, going 29-for 93 (.312) with a homer and six RBIs.
Woodward pointed out that this is the first time Kiner-Falefa had played an entire 162-game schedule while playing a demanding position. Prior to this season, Kiner-Falefa played 17 games at shortstop, but played the majority of his career as a third baseman. He even played 73 games behind the plate.
"Right now, he is in a good place,” Woodward said. “He is swinging the bat really well and hitting the ball hard. Hopefully, he can finish on a positive note, finish with a solid last month and end up having a good year.”
Kiner-Falefa admitted the losing affected him and he lost track of what he was doing on the field.
“I have to remember that I still have a great opportunity and I still love what I do,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Being out there despite the wins and losses, it’s a opportunity to be a big leaguer.”
Bill Ladson has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2002. He covered the Nationals/Expos from 2002-2016.