Why ex-Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington hasn’t had another chance to lead MLB team
Ten years after the Texas Rangers split open the hearts of its fan base with one of baseball’s most painful World Series defeats, the manager of that team is one win away from winning a ring.
Ron Washington is the third base coach of the Atlanta Braves, which took a 3-1 series lead over the Houston Astros Saturday night in the 2021 World Series.
Of all the people associated with the 2011 Texas Rangers, which were one strike away — twice, no less — from winning the World Series, it would be nice to see “Wash” enjoy that moment.
It would also be nice to see Ron Washington named a manager of a big league club again. He would win games, win over fans, players, the media and the front office.
Much like the guy on the other side of the World Series field, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker, baseball has known few better or more genuine people.
Any team would be within its right mind to name Wash their full-time manager.
He may finally win a ring, and if he is never named a big league manager again he can only blame himself.
Pro sports will forgive encyclopedia sets full sins, but Wash did something that the current list of owners and GMs may not be able to see past.
It’s not because he’s 69. It’s not because of the color of his skin. It’s not because he admitted to having used cocaine (once) back in the ‘70s.
It’s because he quit during the season, and put management in a position to speak for him when they couldn’t provide the answers.
In 2014, the Rangers were stuck in a dog year. Nothing was going right. On Sept. 5, Wash briefly met with the players in the clubhouse to tell them he was leaving the team immediately.
A few hours later, Rangers GM Jon Daniels, and co-owners Ray Davis and Bob Simpson looked sick as they sat in front of reporters explaining why a beloved figure they intended to return the next season just vanished.
It was one thing when the Rangers stood by Washington when an angry ex-employee leaked a story that Wash’ had failed a drug test for cocaine in the ‘70s. That situation was awkward, but everyone put it in its proper perspective.
But when Wash quit on his team for reasons beyond his personal health, that can permanently damage a resume.
Wash quit because he got involved in a messy personal situation that wasn’t exactly good for his marriage. While he came forward and apologized for all of it, he put management in a terrible spot.
The wiser decision would have been to let Wash take a leave of absence to deal with what needed to be handled.
Did the Rangers offer Wash that chance? Likely no.
Did he ask them to? Likely no.
Panic causes us to do dumb things.
Despite his popularity, this all happened after former team president Nolan Ryan was run out of Arlington.
Wash quitting handed Daniels the chance to find his own guy, which turned out to be Jeff Banister.
However, while it was clear Washington was always more of a Nolan guy, equally evident was Wash could survive a nuclear blast.
No matter the roster, no matter the front office dynamic, the man could survive anything.
Does any of this change the fact that he’s a good baseball man who would be a good manager? No.
While MLB teams have gone through a cycle of hiring “young” former players who are relatively fresh from done playing, and more amenable to working with GMs on lineups and “game plans” based on analytics, there is room for the traditional baseball man who can work with people.
Guys like Astros manager Dusty Baker, who is 72. Guys like Braves manager Brian Snitker, who is is 66.
Wash is 69 and has plenty of good baseball left in him.
He was a candidate to be named the manager of the San Diego Padres, whose GM is former Rangers assistant A.J. Preller. But Preller went with A’s manager Bob Melvin, which means there is an opening in Oakland.
Oakland is where Wash worked for years before he came to Texas.
Hopefully, the Braves win the World Series and Wash gets the ring that the Rangers should have won 10 years ago.
Hopefully, some MLB team, like the Padres, look beyond Washington’s sins and give him a shot to do what he did so well in Arlington.
But if he doesn’t get that opportunity ... well, that’s the way baseball go.
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
