Rangers' C.J. Wilson Endears Himself to Oakland A's Fans

Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson is set to start the opener of a three-game series at Oakland's O.co Coliseum Friday night, but he doesn't sound happy about it.

Speaking to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Wilson had some caustic comments about the Coliseum, its pitching mound, and even the few intrepid fans who come to watch the A's.

"I hate pitching there," Wilson said. "The mound sucks. The fans suck. There are no fans there. The fans who are there are really adamant, but sometimes you'll go there and there's 6,000 fans. I just wish the fan base supported them a little more."

Wilson's former teammate Brandon McCarthy had a mild, measured response to Wilson's rant, saying, "The people that should be angry are the fans. They can choose to respond how they want. If the fans are on him, then I'm sure he knows that that's what he leaves himself open for."

Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki was even less riled, claiming it was unfair to criticize the fans. "It's unfortunate to hear with the way thigns are going in this economy," Suzuki said.

This isn't the first time Wilson has savaged the A's this season. In May, he accused the team of playing "lawyer ball," defining it as not swinging and letting the umpires decide the game. That criticism came on the heels of Wilson walking four in a loss to the Athletics. The A's responded by sending him an autographed ball signed "From the law office of..."

Wilson is a free agent after the season, but has crossed this potential destination off his list already, claiming "you don't have to worry about me signing there after the season. The players on their team hate me."

--Scott Henry (@4QuartersRadio)