The final days of the Ron Washington era may be at hand. - Joe Siegler/Rangerfans.com
Washington’s Future Hangs In Limbo As Rangers Win Walk-Off Thriller
Moments after David Murphy laced a poorly located Juan Rincon fastball over the head of left fielder Delmon Young to cap a dramatic 10th-inning walk-off victory over the Minnesota Twins (a victory which mercifully snapped a horrific seven-game losing skid), manager Ron Washington began walking towards the writhing pile of celebrating players that had amassed near the pitcher’s mound at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
His head was down. His body language was not indicative of a man excited about his team pulling off a critical, desperately needed win.
A short while later, Washington’s customary post-game press conference was aired during FSN Southwest’s “Rangers Live!” show, attended by the usual suspects - beat writers, representatives of the various radio and television outlets contained in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area, and other miscellaneous media types.
His facial expressions were distinctly sad. His words were devoid of enthusiasm. His non-verbal cues were lifeless. He had all the characteristics of a man whose mind couldn’t be farther from the immediate topic at hand.
True, this all completely ignores Washington’s initial reaction as emergency pinch runner German Duran jubilantly raced across home plate into the waiting arms of catcher Gerald Laird, which consisted of an energetic fist-pump and a quick search for a high-five from one of his surrounding lieutenants.
Now, I’m not going to be the one to suggest that brief show of exuberance was contrived in the slightest; regardless of how you feel about Ron Washington’s merits as a big league manager, I doubt anybody’s going to openly question his willingness and desire to see this team succeed, and ultimately ascend to the highest competitive level possible.
What can be openly questioned at this point is whether or not he possesses the precise qualities needed to guide this team to that level, not only in terms of mechanical aspects such as competent lineup construction, adequate playing time distribution and intelligent handling of the pitching staff, but also the non-quantifiable aspects such as being able to handle volatile personalities and invoke clubhouse cohesion.
When team owner Tom Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels agreed to bring the 55-year-old New Orleans native into the fold in November 2006, there was probably sufficient reason to believe that Washington, for any deficiencies he might have possessed at the time, would grow into the manager that Buck Showalter could never become - a dynamic player’s manager, able to easily relate to the men in the trenches by virtue of his own 10-year Major League career, cultivate his forces’ skills through his defensive teachings, and rally the troops through his own unique, enthusiastic style when the chips were down.
Instead, a historically poor start to the Texas Rangers’ 2008 campaign has prompted a series of organizational meetings between Daniels, Hicks and new team president Nolan Ryan, with the intention of determining not only the ultimate direction of the club, but also the ultimate fate of Ron Washington.
A two-hour closed-door conference on Friday afternoon was but the first of what will undoubtedly prove to be several assemblages of the franchise’s brain trust over the coming days. It is behind these office doors, rightfully so or not, that Ron Washington’s future within the organization will likely be decided.
And on Friday evening, Ron Washington exhibited all the outward characteristics of a marked man - a man who knows that his time may well be drawing to an end far more rapidly than anybody quite realizes.
A strong conclusion to this weekend’s series against the Twins will probably grant Washington a temporary reprieve, but it may require a miraculous turnaround in the standings - one that finds the Rangers within spitting distance of the .500 threshold one week from today - to keep Ron in Rangers blue past Memorial Day.
It’s going to take more than one fantastic late-inning finish to keep the flame fueling the Ron Washington era lit.
Quick Hits: Third baseman Hank Blalock, who was removed for pinch runner German Duran after socking a one-out double in the bottom of the 10th inning, has a left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated on Saturday…though a re-examination by team physician Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week again revealed no ligament damage, Brandon McCarthy’s most recent setback in his rehabilitation from right forearm inflammation will prevent him from throwing a baseball for another six weeks…top catching prospect Taylor Teagarden has been promoted from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Oklahoma…veteran right-hander Sidney Ponson is expected to make Saturday’s start against the Twins, with reliever Josh Rupe being the most likely candidate to be optioned back to the minors.
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8 Responses to “Washington’s Future Hangs In Limbo As Rangers Win Walk-Off Thriller”
April 26th, 2008 at 4:43 am
If the Rangers had lost, we would be reading about the terrible base running that resulted in a double play on what could have been men at second and third with no outs. Even though the Rangers won, there were the same bad coaching decisions that have dogged this team all year.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:43 am
I hate back-to-back comments, but the more I think about this team, the more steamed I get. Forget lack of hitting in the clutch, lack of pitching, and fielding errors, and look at pure management decisions.
At least once that I recall this year, the Rangers have hit a sacrifice bunt early in the game. The result was to score one run, but but the out helped to make sure that it would’t be a bigger inning. That shows (a) that the mamager believes that the pitching is so good that one run will do it (not very damn likely), or (b) that the manager has no confidence in the team’s ability to score more than one run in the inning. While its entirely possible that this team wastes another inning, do you really want to settle for one run and send the message that you have no confidence in your team?
Now look at last night’s base running mess. There are several possibilities: (a) the players dooged it running (it didn’t look that way, but …) (b) the coaches didn’t know the running abilities of their own players, (c) the team had not properly scouted the Twins, (d) the coaches had not discussed what they wanted to do in that situation, or (f) the manager had no confidence in the team’s ability to score again.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I think Willie Randolph should get fired first. With as much talent as he has on his team, he is the worst motivator I have ever seen. The Mets need a fresh start with a new coach
April 26th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I find this sentence in the article highly amusing: “There was probably sufficient reason to believe that Washington, for any deficiencies he might have possessed at the time, would grow into the manager that Buck Showalter could never become -”
And Washington has become that manager. He’s a manager who loses more games than he wins. He’s a manager who doesn’t improve his team. Hes a manager who relies on veterans with severe limitations but a certain level of consistency, rather than exciting young players who make mistakes, but also do exciting things.
Look, I know why teams get tired of Buck Showalter– he’s a demanding, oppressive jerk who never stops badgering his players about the right way to do things. Eventually you have to get him other of clubhouse, because everyone is ready to kill him.
I knew this was going to happen. 20 years ago, 36-year-old Ron Washington told the writers in Cleveland that he didn’t understand why he wasn’t playing more. He said he thought he could help the team, because he was a steady veteran who had shown he could contribute, and he didn’t know if the guy they were using over him was ready to play.
The other guy was 22-year-old Jay Bell– who hit .218 that year, but became Pittsburgh’s starting shortstop the next year and played most of the next 15 years.
As a rule, managers they tend to like the players who remind them of themselves. And since 70% of a manager’s job is picking the roster and selecting the starting lineup, it’s dangerous to have a manager like Washington. ((20% is getting coaches who help the players improve and demanding that they work hard; 5% is enforcing discipline and commanding their respect, 5% is the strategy decisions so many fans obsess on.)
My perspective– I’m an Indians fan, with no ties to Texas and no emotional loyalty to any of your players– is that I don’t know why the heck Gerald Laird ever started or why Adam Melheuse was on the club. Laird is an obstruction in the way of Jerrod Saltamacchie becoming a star. Melheuse is worthless.
Ben Broussard at first base? This guy I know and he can’t play. He’s a cadaver– a stiff. And he’s starting? With him at first and Frank Catalontto in left and Milton Bradley at DH, the three most important offensive positions are being players by guys who have no power, are old and are inconsistent or just plain bad.
I don’t mean to diss a fan favorite– and I’ve never seen German Druan, so I don’t know if he has the defensive skills to play second (as he has in the minors). But Ian Kinsler isn’t a good enough player to lock up a spot. Two years ago, when he 24, hitting .286 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .801 was a pretty good rookie year. He was a little old for a rookie, but he seemed like he could grow into something.
Last year Kinsler slumped to .263 and his OPS was .781. When a player doesn’t broader his skills or improve his average, you have to wonder if he’s going to keep getting better. And when you have a 22-year-old who hits .300 with 22 homers in AA, you begin to think hard about when you might begin to make a change.
Washington has him playing left field. because Kinsler is exactly the kind of player he’s going to think is valuable.
In the rotation, he’s been spot-starting Kason Gabbard (who is 26), Luis Mendoza (24) and Scott Feldman (25), so Kevin Millwood (33), Jason Jennings (29) and Vincente Padilla (30) stay on their regular turns. Other than Millwood– who can pitch– how does that help you?
I look at the roster and I understand why Mark Texeira wanted out. It’s a bad team, and because it’s filled with players who are past their primes, it isn’t going to get any better. It’s got a few decent players (Blaylock, Hamilton), some guys past their prime and then guys hoping to hang on for another year, some of whom are having fluke years and most of whom are not..
I have a lot of sympathy for Rangers fans– we had clubs like this in Cleveland for 30 years. You’d see a Joaquin Benoit have his first decent year in five seasons and think “maybe he’s finally put it together” And then he has an ERA of 6.80 next year and you realize he hasn’t– jus6t another fluke year.
I don’t have any quick fixes to get out of the rut (hire good scouts, let them find players, in about five years you start getting good players). But I can tell you that a manager who is down with players who are just OK will kill you, because he’ll be reluctant to play the guys who can help
Guys like Washington will also be able to detect some deficiency in a kid’s game that needs more work, and he’ll remind you that good old Marlon Byrd is someone we know we can count on to deliver.
You need to have someone like Showalter, who sees bad players as a mote in his eye that needs to be plucked out. Hopefully with better people skills.. which really shouldn’t be hard to find.
April 26th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
So far, the Rangers have not made any moves yet, but based on some of what JD said yesterday, I thing it’s only a matter of time before Washington gets the heave-ho.
I just wish they’d quit dragging this out - as I wrote in my latest entry on my site, I think last night would have been the perfect time to start the rest of the 2008 Rangers season.
Patience can be a virtue, but so is knowing when to make the needed change - I’m hoping they’ll fire Ron soon, instead of continuing to jerk his (an our) chain around.
April 27th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Unfortunately Mr. Washington days maybe no. as reported here but the reality is to what extent is he responsible for what has happen there in Texas. From all report this guy is and has always been a players manager unlike Showalter. The Ranger have now tried two opposing styles of manageing and the results continue to be the same. Hello is it not time to wake up and smell the coffee Ranger fans and start to apply the pressure and place fault where it truely lies, on ownership and upper-mangement!
The bottom line is that the Ranger have had a decent offensive team for years especialy when Texiera and Rodriguez were their but due to the lack of pitching
they have never been able to take it to the next level
Consequently A-rod became frustrated and decided to leave and Texeria didn’t want to have anything to do with resigning with the Rangers.
Hicks for his billions seems to be a owner in the Angelos mode of operation, its my way or the Highway guys. Unfortunately professionalism and coherency has been lost. His hire of Nolan Ryan as team president may or may not be a good move but for me it sounds like more of a publicity stunt than serious attempt at installing some one who is a professional low key manger whoes only activities would involve the building and managing of Texas Brand. Jon Daniels was hired as the youngest GM. and has been mediocre at best. Ivy league grad with association with the Theo Epstein crew seemingly good pedigree but unfortunately Pedigree is not everything. Very questionable moves. Need I say more. There is an old adage when the fish rots it start to stink form the head first and unfortunately we can’t chop the head off and dine on the fish so Washington removal is the only answer in managements eyes. The culture of losing is a fact of life in this organization, besides the its financial riches and Texas bullheadedness is all that is left.
April 27th, 2008 at 7:28 am
do you think that even tony larussa or bobby cox could get more out of your pitchers? or the position on the team?
who is this genius you have in mind who could turn THIS team into winners?
the manager picks the lineup all right, but these days, he isn’t the only one who selects the roster
April 29th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
MWindsor: Sacrifice bunting early in the game is virtually always a terrible play in terms of run production. Why Washington has continually reverted to this is a question that I wish I had the answer to.
Geoff: Thanks for the perspective. I may not agree with each of your contentions, but you make a very well-constructed argument. Lots of really great discussion on this one.
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