Q: What do you know about how to go about keeping a guy (like Robbie Ray) making his MLB debut calm out on the mound.

A: I don’t know if I know anything about it, other than you try to be a calming influence to him. Do everything you can to not let the game speed up on him. That’s what happens to young players. Everything starts moving really fast. It’s Ball One, then Ball Two. Then all of a sudden, it’s first and second, and Ball One on the third guy. So you try to slow the game down, keep him focused on this pitch. Don’t be concerned with what the last pitch did, or what the last hitter did. Just the next pitch.

Q: Did you tell him anything, give him any advice?

A: "I told him he was allowed to be in uniform today, because he wasn't yesterday."

Q: Could Ray put added pressure on himself, given the knowledge he was the centerpiece of a less-than popular trade?
A: "It could, yeah. If it’s in his mind, yeah, it could. Don’t ask him about it. Because if it’s not in his mind, if you ask him now it will be."