Rangers vs Padres Pre-Game Notes: Woodward Willing to Adapt to New Norms Regarding Unwritten Rules

Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward addressed the 3-0 pitch debate that has taken the baseball world by storm.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers finish the first leg of a home-and-home series with the San Diego Padres, and are seeking to avenge the 14-4 beat down they received on Monday night.

San Diego Padres (12-12) @ Texas Rangers (10-11)

Tuesday, August 18, 2020
3:05 p.m. CT
Globe Life Field | Arlington, TX
Roof Closed

Probables
SD: LHP Adrian Morejon (0-0, -.-- ERA)
vs
TEX: LHP Mike Minor (0-3, 5.49 ERA)

Broadcast

San Diego Padres
TV: FOX Sports San Diego
Radio: KWFN, XEMO

Texas Rangers
TV: FOX Sports Southwest Plus
Radio: 105.3 The Fan, KFLC

San Diego Padres Starting Lineup

1. CF Trent Grisham
2. SS Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. 3B Manny Machado
4. 1B Eric Hosmer
5. DH Ty France
6. RF Wil Myers
7. 2B Jake Cronenworth
8. LF Jurickson Profar
9. C Luis Torrens

Texas Rangers Starting Lineup

1. DH Shin-Soo Choo
2. 1B Danny Santana
3. 3B Todd Frazier
4. RF Joey Gallo
5. LF Nick Solak
6. SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa
7. 2B Derek Dietrich
8. CF Scott Heineman
9. C Jeff Mathis

Injury Report

Brett Martin (10-day IL: left rotator cuff inflammation)
In response to activating Danny Santana, the Rangers placed Brett Martin on the 10-day IL retroactive to August 13 with left rotator cuff inflammation. There had been no word of his injury before Sunday.

Robinson Chirinos (10-day IL: left ankle sprain):
Chirinos' ankle is worse than originally thought. He was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to August 11.

Update from Rangers manager Chris Woodward on Friday:

"The last two games, obviously I didn't say anything, but he was not even close to being available. We were in a little bit of a bind there with only one catcher, but we got through it. I think it's the best. Robbie agrees. He needs to get fully healthy. He wasn't contributIng like he wanted to, but that had a lot to do with his health. If we can get him back to full health, we'll get the version of Robbie that we envisioned and that he wants to be."

Nick Goody (10-day IL: back spasms)
Goody had dealt with some back issues over a week ago and tried to pitch through them, but was unable to overcome them. The Rangers placed him on the 10-day IL effective August 12.

Joe Palumbo (10-day IL: ulcerative colitis flare up)
Update from Chris Woodward on Friday:

“He’s doing better. The medication they put him on really worked. He’s really happy about it. I think it’s a few more days of light physical activity and then he can start getting back to throwing. He feels good. He was really worried that nothing was working. He just kept having flare up after flare up. He was losing weight like crazy. He’s not a big guy to start with, so he doesn’t have a whole lot of weight to lose. We were a little concerned, he was as well. Right now, he’s in a good spot. Hopefully, we get him throwing soon.”

Corey Kluber (45-day IL: shoulder tear)
He is three weeks into a four-week shutdown. He went back to his home in Boston during this time.

José Leclerc (45-day IL: shoulder tear)
Leclerc has the same prognosis as Corey Kluber. He is only a few days behind Kluber, roughly a week and a half into a four-week shutdown.

Edinson Vólquez (45-day IL: strained oblique)
Vólquez suffered the injury last Tuesday night in the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners. Chris Woodward says he hope Vólquez can make a return, but the 45-day window leads right to near the end of the season. Vólquez will rehab in Arlington.

Chris Woodward Addresses the Fallout of the 3-0 Pitch Debate

Media isn't allowed in the press room due to COVID-19 protocols. However, when Chris Woodward stepped in there to field questions from the media via Zoom, an elephant of substantial proportions was awaiting him.

For full context, here is Chris Woodward's opening quote on the 3-0 pitch debate that has taken over the baseball world:

"I find it funny that I’m being labeled as the old school guy. I’ve thought about a lot of the gray area in the game when it comes to the unwritten rules. We’ve moved past a lot of these things. The line is one for one person and one for the other. Just because I was upset about it doesn’t mean that was right. Doesn’t mean that it’s wrong that he swung. I’m always willing and open to listen to discussion. It’s kind of fascinating kind of hearing—I haven’t read too many comments but I’ve read enough that some people are on this side and some people are far over here. I’m somewhere in the middle. Did it cross the line? In my opinion, yes. But maybe that’s because I’m scarred from the years I’ve been in the game and what I’ve heard and witnessed from people in the past. That doesn’t mean it’s right though. That doesn’t mean that he was wrong to swing 3-0. Maybe that’s the new norm. Maybe that’s OK. I don’t expect guys to stop swinging the bat. I want to make that clear. Somebody made a comment of me swinging 1-2 and I hit a grand slam in the ninth inning. I find that kind of funny to be honest with you. I expect him to swing 2-0. I expect him to swing 3-1. That 3-0 pitch was always the one that you’d get in trouble for it if you swung at it at certain times. That was just common knowledge in the game. And now that it’s a little bit blurred, whatever. I’m willing to move on and kind of adapt to the new norm if that’s the case."

Woodward is thought to be more of a new age manager. However, he's received a substantial amount of criticism for siding on the traditional mantra of honoring one of the unwritten rules that baseball has unofficially enforced for decades. That criticism hasn't fallen upon deaf ears.

"I think it makes me think about it a lot," Woodward said. "I might be jaded because it was always a no-no. Maybe that's not right. I'm willing to accept that. I'm totally fine with that. I just want to make sure it's consistent throughout."

Fernando Tatís Jr. apologized for the incident after being informed by his coaches and a handful of teammates about what "code" he "violated". Woodward had nothing but praise for Tatís—for his talent and his character.

“He’s a good kid," Woodward said. "He plays the game hard. I respect the way he plays. At no point am I questioning the kid’s character. If he was supposed to take and he didn’t look down for the sign, that may be just a young mistake. The way the kid plays, he doesn’t disrespect anybody. He has some flair to him. He’s obviously a super-talented kid. I’m not questioning the kid’s character, but the fact he did come out and apologize leads me to believe he was given the take sign.”

As baseball continues to move forward, the unwritten rules will continue to be a hot-button issue. Woodward may or may not agree with what Tatís did, but his willingness to listen and adapt are improvements on the stubborn purists that refuse to accept how the game is evolving.

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