CASPER
New member
Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson has relished following the lead set by fellow left-hander Cliff Lee this season, a masterclass he plans to build on in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants.
For his start in Thursday's Game Two he will try to learn a lesson from a rare struggle for Lee in Wednesday's Series opener, which was taken 11-7 by the Giants.
Lee floundered due to a lack of his usually precise control rather than blaming a faulty game plan against the hitters, and Wilson said he would stick confidently to his own approach.
Asked how he would prepare to pitch against a rag-tag Giants lineup known for their free-swinging, Wilson replied: "I'm not going to change. I have a certain set of rules that I'm going to try to go out there and live by.
"If I do that, then I'll be okay. There are a lot of free swingers and some of them I've faced before so there's a little bit of a memory bank working there for me. But obviously that's a two-way street; they've seen me, as well."
Although Lee suffered a rare postseason setback, Wilson said following the premier pitcher in the rotation had been a great benefit to him.
"Getting to follow Cliff is a big deal because we have enough similarities that whatever successes he has, I can try to follow," Wilson told reporters before the opener. "Why wouldn't you try to follow the guy that's the best?"
POUND THE STRIKE ZONE
Wilson has leaned heavily on Lee's expertise and advice since the ace lefty came to Texas in a mid-season trade with the Seattle Mariners.
Lee had been sensational in the playoffs, recording a 3-0 record with a tiny 0.75 earned run average before falling to the Giants on Wednesday.
Wilson has already come a long way in his development with the Rangers, having initially been pegged as a reliever before becoming a top-flight starter.
For his start in Thursday's Game Two he will try to learn a lesson from a rare struggle for Lee in Wednesday's Series opener, which was taken 11-7 by the Giants.
Lee floundered due to a lack of his usually precise control rather than blaming a faulty game plan against the hitters, and Wilson said he would stick confidently to his own approach.
Asked how he would prepare to pitch against a rag-tag Giants lineup known for their free-swinging, Wilson replied: "I'm not going to change. I have a certain set of rules that I'm going to try to go out there and live by.
"If I do that, then I'll be okay. There are a lot of free swingers and some of them I've faced before so there's a little bit of a memory bank working there for me. But obviously that's a two-way street; they've seen me, as well."
Although Lee suffered a rare postseason setback, Wilson said following the premier pitcher in the rotation had been a great benefit to him.
"Getting to follow Cliff is a big deal because we have enough similarities that whatever successes he has, I can try to follow," Wilson told reporters before the opener. "Why wouldn't you try to follow the guy that's the best?"
POUND THE STRIKE ZONE
Wilson has leaned heavily on Lee's expertise and advice since the ace lefty came to Texas in a mid-season trade with the Seattle Mariners.
Lee had been sensational in the playoffs, recording a 3-0 record with a tiny 0.75 earned run average before falling to the Giants on Wednesday.
Wilson has already come a long way in his development with the Rangers, having initially been pegged as a reliever before becoming a top-flight starter.
