ARLINGTON, Texas — When C.J. Wilson starts Game 5 of the World Series, it could be his last outing for the Texas Rangers. The left-hander can become a free agent next month.
Wilson insists that he hasn’t even “really thought” about what might happen after tonight.
“I’m just thinking about the team and where we’re at and being in the World Series obviously, like there’s no extra series after this,” Wilson said Sunday before Game 4. “There’s no galaxy series or universe series or whatever. Just trying to win [Sunday] and win [today] and see what we can do back in St. Louis.”
After going 16-7 with a 2.94 ERA during the regular season, Wilson is 0-3 with a 7.17 ERA in four postseason starts. He gave up 3 runs and walked 2 6 over 5 /3 innings in losing Game 1 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
So, just how does Wilson block out questions about free agency?
“As soon as the question gets up, I start thinking about something else. I don’t even pay attention to it,” Wilson said. “I just picture myself like surfing or whatever, somewhere else. So as soon as you start talking and I hear the word free agency, I just go [hums], and I don’t let it register. You’ve got to think about it this way, right: There’s nothing I can do to control, like, what happens, what any team offers me or what any team wants from me or whatever.”
Sports, Pages 22 on 10/24/2011