ARLINGTON, Texas _ Rougned Odor was spotted Wednesday afternoon in the Texas Rangers' clubhouse doing what has become commonplace for him and many of his teammates _ playing table tennis.
Odor, whether he knew it, was also playing a game with the media.
The mix of reporters, print and electronic, local and Canadian, had to wait patiently until after the match before Odor would head to his locker and take the questions that had to be asked.
Odor reignited the drama lingering from the 2015 postseason with the Toronto Blue Jays when he cold-cocked Jose Bautista, arguably their best player and a world-class flipper of bats.
So, Odor was asked about facing the Blue Jays again, if he wanted to face them again, about the bad blood between the teams, about the possibility of seeing Bautista at second base, and about Blue Jays fans' knack for throwing items onto the field.
Odor wasn't the only Rangers and Blue Jays player asked those questions. They pretty much all were, including Carlos Beltran. He was playing for the New York Yankees on May 15.
Such is the hype that has been built for the Rangers-Blue Jays American League Division Series rematch, which begins Thursday at Globe Life Park. Cole Hamels will start Game 1 for the Rangers against Marco Estrada, but all eyes will be on Odor and Bautista.
"It's obvious you guys were going to talk to me," Odor said. "I'm just focused on the series and help my team to win the series and play how we play. It's just a series. We're just going to try our best. I don't care who's going to face us. We're ready to play against I don't care which team. Now, it's Toronto. We're ready."
A rivalry was created in the seventh inning of Game 5 last year, when the Rangers took the lead on a controversial play that led to Blue Jays fans littering the field with water bottles and beer cans.
The Rangers then made errors on three consecutive plays in the bottom half, and later Bautista launched a three-run homer to snap a 3-3 tie. Before he took his tour around the bases, he launched his bat high in the air.
So exaggerated was Bautista's bat flip after his series-deciding homer that it didn't sit right with the Rangers. When Matt Bush plunked Bautista on May 15, it didn't sit well with Bautista, who on the game's next play took a hard slide into second base.
That didn't sit well with Odor. After an exchange of pushes, Odor punched Bautista in the jaw to start a benches-clearing brawl. Fourteen players and coaches were suspended or fined, including a seven-game ban handed to Odor.
Bautista questioned the Rangers' leadership after the brawl, which some perceived as a swipe at third baseman Adrian Beltre. Bautista was restrained/propped up by Beltre after the Odor punch.
Bautista received a one-game suspension.
"Unfortunately, it got out of hand last time, but it did and it's in the past. Hopefully, it stays there," Bautista said. "I'm not looking for revenge, I'm looking to win ballgames. That's entirely what my focus is on. Hopefully, I get to keep it there.
"They might have their reasons to dislike me, if they choose to do that. I think I have a couple more reasons to dislike them. Again, I'm not thinking about that. I'm not focused on that. I'm looking to beat them and move onto the next series."
Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar avoided a suspension despite being an active participant in the on-field shenanigans. He said that there is a dislike among his teammates for the Rangers, but he doesn't believe there will be another incident in the best-of-five ALDS.
"Ultimately, for us it's getting past where we finished last year. I know they feel the same way over there," Pillar said. "Is there some dislike, is there some sort of feelings between the two teams? Of course, but we're all professionals in here. We've played the game long enough. We know how to control our emotions."
Hamels, who started twice in the 2015 ALDS, said that too much is at stake for the Rangers and Blue Jays to rekindle the antics from last Ocotber and May. Hamels, who thought that Bautista's bat flip was disrespectful to the Rangers and baseball, acknowledged the hype factor but said the Rangers won't get caught up in it.
The same goes for both managers, Jeff Banister and John Gibbons.
"I don't want to speak for the Blue Jays, but I think their main goal, too, is to win a World Series," Hamels said. "So, I think we're both very focused on knowing that we need to beat each other to advance, and that's the main focus.
"I know there's going to be a little bit more excitement surrounding it, but I don't think we mind."
Beltre said that there isn't a need to talk to the younger players on the team, like Odor, and remind them keep their cool. But if things begin to get chippy, the club's unofficial captain said that he will speak up.
Estrada and Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said that if something were to happen, the clubs will deal with it.
"We'll see," Andrus said. "We're not worrying about it. If it happens, it happens. We're all men. Whatever happens along the way, we'll stick together as a team like we always do."
The Rangers-Blue Jays ALDS rematch begins Thursday. All eyes will be on Odor and Bautista.
