Rangers president Nolan Ryan is denying the notion that the heat in Texas may hurt the team's chances of re-signing pitcher Cliff Lee. "That's part of playing in Texas: You've got to figure out how to deal with the heat," Lee said after his shortest outing of the season on Wednesday. "It was definitely a hot one, but it was hot for both sides. That's an excuse. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. It was a even playing field and both teams had to deal with it. You can't change the weather. You can't change the environment. It is what it is and you have to deal with it." Lee will be a highly coveted free agent this winter. "The heat is what it is," Ryan said Thursday. "What your attitude is about the heat is a personal thing -- how you view it, how you use it, if it's a distraction for you. It depends on the individual. "As far as Cliff's concerned, it was one of the hottest games because it was extremely hot and there wasn't a breeze. I'm a believer that you use that to your advantage. He outlasted the other pitcher." The temperature at first pitch Wednesday was 99 degrees.