The Ron Washington Debacle
Ron Washington applauds during the Rangers' Opening Day ceremony on Monday, April 5th.Anyone who has frequented any Rangers-oriented website for an extended period of time knows well that there are few subjects more provocative than Ron Washington. He's an old-school "baseball man" in a new-school environment, with a job description that entails the performance of his (on-the-field) duties in a highly visible setting and naturally demands heightened accountability. He's one of the more polarizing figures that this franchise has employed in the last decade (owing in no small part to last summer's transgression), and will no doubt remain that way until the date of his dismissal. He also played an unnervingly large role in last night's 13-inning loss, and not in what I would consider to be a good way, either.
According to multiple sources (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News), Washington issued a post-game mea culpa, admitting that he had neglected to order closer Neftali Feliz to begin warming up before the top of the ninth inning commenced. Washington, eager to tilt the matchups in his favor, elected to begin the frame with Darren Oliver on the mound versus the lefty-hitting Eric Chavez, after which a procession of right-handed batters would follow and it would make plentiful sense to summon Feliz ... except Feliz, by virtue of Washington's tardiness, faced the second right-handed batter rather than the first, and ended up being summoned into a sticky two-on, no-out situation. Disaster ensued.
Now, rewind to the bottom of the fifth inning. With the game deadlocked at 2-2, runners on first and second base and no outs and the exemplary-hitting Elvis Andrus standing in against a vulnerable Trevor Cahill, Washington yet again employed the sacrifice bunt -- a play that is useful in certain late-and-close situations, but makes little sense otherwise, given that it reduces your overall run expectancy and dramatically reduces your chances of cashing in with a big inning. Andrus ultimately dropped a successful 0-2 sacrifice bunt of his own volition even after Washington removed the bunt sign (a move which pleased the fourth-year skipper), but Texas failed to plate a single run thereafter.
Let's ignore for the moment the hows and whys of Washington's oversight as far as warming up Feliz; that, in and of itself, is baffling, but what this really does seem to boil down to is Washington failing to put his players in the best possible positions to succeed. Sure, Feliz was rocked after his eventual insertion into the game; he was also forced to rush his warm-up routine and enter an unnecessarily higher-leverage situation. Andrus? He's hitting .296/.415/.343 with some of the most visibly impressive patience and bat control of any early-20s player in the game. Why on earth does Washington continue to insist upon taking the bat out of the hands of one of his current best hitters?
At this point, the manager is who he is. He creates value through hands-on interaction with his players and whatever properties that enable him to maintain a cohesive, functional clubhouse, thereby "extracting the most out of his players." Conversely, he continues to exhibit a disturbing inability to grasp (and apply) some of the most basic principles and nuances of good in-game management, with this now being true to such an extent that it's impairing the team's chances of winning. And if you have a manager who's improperly handling his players and failing to maximize his team's chances of succeeding, aren't you obligated to at least reassess the managerial situation -- regardless of win-loss record?
Maybe I've simply been driven over the edge by last night's debacle (and to be clear, there is blame to be apportioned to the offense and the bullpen as well), but even with Texas sitting three games above .500 and clinging to a share of first place, my level of confidence in Washington is nearing record lows. And my patience is running out. If that makes me a knee-jerking reactionary, I guess I'll just have to learn to live with that.
83 Comments | in Analysis, Game Recaps, The Season
Reader Comments (83)
This isn't the first time he's bunted with Elvis in front of MY. I thought I saw a stat showing that Elvis has the 2nd highest batting average with runners in scoring position. At this point, I trust Elvis hitting with runners on 1st and 2nd with no out more than I trust MY with runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Hopefully this early to mid game small ball crap stops when Nelson comes off the DL and we have a full lineup. I'm afraid it won't though. Sigh...........
All I can say Joey if you really hate Ron Washington you are not a fan of the Texas Rangers & if that is true you need to give this gig up & find another baseball team to root for. You stated your case last week I think you should let it go the little drop in your story today was uncalled for IMO.
WELL, no one had to guess what my comments would be on this "subject"....
how about "AMEN"
the Rangers need a new manager....
enough said.
Another questionable, at least I feel, managing decision was pinch hitting Ryan freaking Garko for Smoak. Did Smoak get hurt and I just missed it? I know his batting average is below .200 but his OBP is pretty darn good and I have yet to see him have anything approaching a terrible at bat. Garko on the other hand... If Wash wants the runner to get to 2nd that badly just let Smoak go out there and get a walk like he seems to do 25% of time then we've got runners on 1st and 2nd and I don't have to see a weak grounder to short from a guy who has yet to prove that he belongs on this team.
There were fans sitting next to the bullpen last night were yelling to Feliz to get up and start throwing. Yet, our manager could not figure it out.
The moves he makes are insane. If I made crazy deciions like that in my role, I would be fired quickly.
The slogan this year is "It is time." I agree it is time for Wash to GO.
Zach,
They ran for Smoak earlier in the game.
If you have the time, you should do an article covering how many games Wash has lost because of his boobery these first six weeks. I'm almost positive you can find at least one in every week except last week - and find two in at least 3 weeks of tthe year, already.
It's not like I am making this up to make a point - I dare someone to go back and look. As I count it, that's about 8 or 10 games that you can say Washington made the wrong choice and the wrong choice became fatal.
Kris,
We do not Hate Ron Washington. Any of us that have any sense Hate the way he manages.
nd not only does Andrus lead the league in BAVG with RiSP - he leads the league is Sacrifices. (That's akin to having Jesus die on a cross when there is no sin.)
Thank you Ron, I may look like a moron now but at least I'm not nearly as pissed.
tell him Ron, he is one sided
@ Ron My comment is mearly a joke stemming from two different articles yesterday.
On Topic: Can you DFA a manager?
By the way, what's with all these people (not pointing my finger at anyone in particular at this website) that want to fight for their lives to defend not only Washington but Michael Young's defense and "clutch hitting."? And when you show them the stats - or the situations - they deny it exists.
Kris I thought that sounded like a MY "quote" the other day...
I retract my comment...
@ James I understand the people crazy about Young. He has been with us for so long, even if you think he is hurting the team, you still kind of root for him. I don't understand the defense about Ron. Especially from the guy yesterday. Ron would make an excellent coach in our minor leagues. He could there do what he does best; Develop players skills. These Rangers are good enough skill wise that they are going to improve. I just feel that this manager is holding them back. I am not ready to pull the plug yet, but I have a hold of the chain.
This is the last thing the people upstairs wanted to happen. After sticking with Ron through the cocaine incident they really are put in a position to look bad to the public outside of Texas if he is fired. I am not sure about the whole "bringing out the best in his players" thing when his decisions constantly hamper those players.
Questions:
Has a manager ever been fired when his team is in first place?
If Wash is fired then does Hurdle get the job for the rest of the year?
I have no problem letting Oliver close the game. I have a big problem constantly bunting Andrus and pinch running for Vlad with Blanco who is maybe 1 step faster than him but you loose Vlad's bat for the rest of the game. Warsh overmanages to gain a miniscule current advantage without weighing the rest of the game. He does it all the time. Earlier in the year he replaces Arias with Blanco at 2nd base in the top of the 8th of a close game even though Arias was due up in the bottom of the 8th.
boy, I wish you could pull it kris...
and I have said MANY times, he is a great coach....
but not a MLB quality manager.
There is a first time for everything
nice quote from another site "Why do we have so many rellief pitchers that can only pitch one inning, O'Day was dealing and he could have come in to pitch another inning. Wash needs to help these guys that are out there battling by making better decisions."
Unfortunately Washington is going to last the year because the team is talented enough to contend in a pretty sad AL West. But if the Rangers end up with a win total in the low 80s, I bet his position gets evaluated.
I'm betting a mangerial move gets made once the sale is finally pushed through. Wash is trying to over-manage to keep his job.
Amen Joey for the article and what Mason suggests would be a great followup.
There are already a few examples being listed in these comments, by my count it's 6 games that have been mishandled - grossly.
Ron Washington costs the Rangers 3 to 5 wins per year due to pour game management. Teams spend millions of dollars to get players they think can help them win 2-3 more games in a season. The Rangers can't afford him as a field general. The guy is a great coach and that is where he needs to stay.
It is so easy to second guess. That's what makes all sports writers so intelligent. Oddly enough, Andrus is also the most reliable bunter on this team. And there are more ways of scoring a runner from third than second. If you don't believe in your pitching staff I can understand the big inning philosophy. And if you have no faith in Michael Young and Josh Hamilton it makes too much sense.
Which is it Joey? The pitching or #2 & #3 hitters?
"He's one of the more polarizing figures that this franchise has employed in the last decade (owing in no small part to last summer's transgression), and will no doubt remain that way until the date of his dismissal."
Hammer - Nail - Head.
I think that you have to go back to A-Rod to find an equally polarizing figure.
Setting aside a 57 year old man using cocaine and the head scratching coaching decisions I can not get past the consistently terrible April starts. They just never seem to be ready to play.
I stuck by Wash for his first three years, but.....................
It's Time!
In my mind Washington thought he could save Feliz last night since he worked three of four games vs KC. Otherwise, your closer is coming in to start the 9th with a lead regardless of lefty/righty. When Oliver struggled, then he threw the only card he had left but it was obviously too late. I blame Oliver/Feliz for that one.
However, I do agree that all the sacrificing is getting old. I also have to mention that I don't have confidence in Borbon's hitting. His production is improving, but his swing just doesn't look sound to me.
Few comments:
1. You would think that if Wash missed getting Feliz warmed up for the 9th that someone (Maddux/Moore/Captain) would make a suggestion to him. Who knows what actually happened in the dugout but the ultimate responsibility is Wash's. Could it be his coaching staff has lost confidence in Wash letting him hang?
2. Will MLB allow the firing of Wash? Wouldn't it mean added expense if the Rangers wanted to pull the trigger?
It's time
I agree with Jfitz - Wash is making moves that a desperate manager would make; like laying down a sac bunt in the 5th inning. That's just ridiculous.
I'm not sure whether or not a managerial shake up would be the recipe for success right now. If it was a team full of 5+yr vets, then I'd say go for it, fire him. But since were dealing with a VERY young, inexperienced team... there may be players that look up to Wash and appreciate what he's done for them... and consequently may fall apart if he's fired. I don't know, maybe everyone hates him... who knows! All that I'm saying is that a coaching change, at this point in the season, could prove catastrophic. So, maybe we should be careful what we ask for.... I'm just saying!
The man (washington) has no business being a ML manager, he has no clue how to run this team, and in fact is running it into the ground, Clint Hurdle would be the best choice as manager.
BTW - I'm not sure I'd use "polarizing figure" when describing Wash. We may see it that way only because of our Ranger fandom. Jerry Jones is a polarizing figure... as is Mark Cuban, etc... but apart from the 09 incident, there may be thousands of DFW residents that have no clue who Wash even is... (the same people probably have no clue that the Rangers even exist... but you get my point).
@Radu - what in the hell are you talking about?
I'm all for Bobby Valentine coming back.
Who says you can't hate the players/managers of "Your" team? (besides Kris) I hated TEX...frign douchebag, the guy can play but he's a douche.
Can we all not agree that WASH is not a good to possibly great MLB Manager?
If so, we need to understand that he will not take'em to the next level (playoffs and beyond).
I believe that why Hurdle was brought in and it will be his team by the break.
Managers impact teams and more importantly organizations (Gardenhire, Torre, Larussa)
I also believe that our management needs to make these decisions as soon as possible.
I've got a couple of thoughts on this topic. First of all, Ron is a bad tactician. As many games that we believe were lost because of piss-poor decisions by Wash, think about how many games we still won in spite of his decision making. I've defended the man for a while, but I can't do it any more. The problem is that we can't afford to fire him right now. Until this sale goes through, I believe we are stuck with Wash.
Perhaps he might get a little better if Nolan tells him to take some of the pressure off and rely more upon Maddux, Hurdle, Moore, and Pettis. Heck treat Maddux like Wade Phillips treats Jason Garrett. Give the man complete control of the pitching staff. Listen more intently to Clint Hurdle and Jackie Moore in the dugout. He needs to relax and put a little more faith in his staff. It really does feel like he's pressing and trying to make too many decisions. Maybe he should be reminded that he's in the AL; he really doesn't have to do that much.
If he does get canned mid-season somehow, count me amongst the crowd that thinks Jackie Moore is the guy to take his spot (at least in the interim).
Wasn't it said the other day somewhere that Maddox was either helping Washington with pitching decisions or was telling him when to make changes or warm up pitchers?
If this is the case then where was Maddox last night when Washington needed him most?
Also I agree Pete that Rangers Captain should be whispering in Washingtons ear, that might actually be an improvement. HAHA.
Just a heads up: All ad hominem attacks will be deleted.
This isn't the DMN blog.
A lot of great points.
I think Joel nailed it. Kreg too.
He's not a very good in game manager and will always cost you a few games.
However how are they going to be able to let Washington go when they are winning and believing in themselves? I think the players would riot. When asked to do something that was clearly better for himself and the team, the captain initially demanded a trade. Multiply that attitude by 25.
Wash is enormously frustrating but as to his not warming Feliz I think he may have been right. If Maddux wasn't on it I'd be fairly certain it was intentional. Hadn't Feliz pitched in 3 of 4 games? With an off day that would be pitching him in 4 of 6 days. He's already shown to have some resiliency issues. It's understandable he'd want to avoid even warming him there. I think you take the reduced percentages of winning with a lesser reliever there. They are taking a terrible chance in over-extending him. I'd probably even argue the desperate managerial decision was to use Feliz at all.
All I can say Joey if you really hate Ron Washington you are not a fan of the Texas Rangers & if that is true you need to give this gig up & find another baseball team to root for. You stated your case last week I think you should let it go the little drop in your story today was uncalled for IMO.
Very true, and very well put, Kris.
The Ron Washington hatred is so ridiculous and irrational at this point (and very obviously fueled by more than just baseball with many involved in it). Especially when it comes from people who claim to be fans of Sabermetric numbers and logic in place of such emotion-driven extremes.
Ron Washington led the Rangers to more wins last year than they have had in all but 5 other seasons. He has his team 3 games above .500 and 10-4 in its last 14 after finishing the toughest April schedule the club has had in years. And doing all this with the 27th lowest payroll in MLB.
Anyway, thanks Joey for a good keeper post. It will be nice to remind you that you wanted the manager fired when he becomes only the 2nd of 19 Rangers managers to win the division this year.
@Rangers100 You are defending a joke post.
If Wash is fired then does Hurdle get the job for the rest of the year?
Wow. What a scary thought that is.
Clint Hurdle was a .457 manager with the Rockies. (Ron Washington is a .500 manager with the Texas Rangers (seriously, the Texas Rangers; very possibly the worst franchise in all of American professional sports over the last half century)).
Hurdle won more than 76 games with the Rockies once in 8 tries. 76 games. Once. 8 tries. And he was so bad at his job by the end that he was 10 games under .500 with the same group Jim Tracy led to 32 games over .500 after Hurdle was mercifully canned.
And now, with Hurdle as the Rangers hitting coach, the Rangers offense is off to an even worse pace than the 2009 Rangers, one of the weakest Rangers offense ever and an offense many Rangers fans wanted Rudy Jaramillo, a 15-year veteran of the club, widely respected as one the best hitting coaches in the game, fired for.
And people want that track record over a manager who is only the 2nd in Rangers' history at .500 or better after 500 games? Yeah. Please, tell me something more isn't going on there.
You are defending a joke post.
Not surprising it was a joke, but that's too bad. Because the statement was absolutely correct.
Wash is enormously frustrating but as to his not warming Feliz I think he may have been right. If Maddux wasn't on it I'd be fairly certain it was intentional. Hadn't Feliz pitched in 3 of 4 games? With an off day that would be pitching him in 4 of 6 days. He's already shown to have some resiliency issues. It's understandable he'd want to avoid even warming him there. I think you take the reduced percentages of winning with a lesser reliever there. They are taking a terrible chance in over-extending him. I'd probably even argue the desperate managerial decision was to use Feliz at all.
Exactly.
Washington and Maddux didn't forget to warm him up. He was trying to get through the game without having to use him, and rightfully so. Unfortunately Andrus booted the ball from Chavez and put the A's in a great place to tie the game.
Washington was taking the blame because he's a stand-up guy who regularly takes the fall for his players. Which is why he is so heavily respected by his players and has a very young team (whose youth was on serious display in the 9th with Andrus and Feliz last night) playing better baseball than all but a few teams in this club's history.
Washington is full of crap. He didn't forget to get Feliz warmed up. Even if he did forget to warm Feliz up, he should never admit that. It makes him sound completely incapable of being a major league manager. l'm sure the bullpen coach, pitching coach, and bench coach are there to ask "Should Feliz start getting loose?" He thought it was best to leave Oliver out there for the ninth (terrible). When Oliver struggled it was too late.
Earlier in the year, everyone was demanding that Feliz should have pitched an extra inning when Francisco was blowing saves. Oliver pitched a good 8th inning so he left him out for the ninth. It seems as though RW will adjust his managerial decisions depending on the criticism he receives, which is a terrible way to manage a baseball game.
It's fashionable to blame the manager when teams lose. The right decisions could have been made and the team still loses. The fact of the matter is Ron does not put the team in the best position to win as much as an average manager, and in that case should be replaced.
Wash and Tracy both have something Hurdle didn't, young and developing talent. Tracy is a solid tactical manager tough.
The thing that everyone who brings up the records misses is that it's not that Wash won't win games with these guys. He will. Anyone could. Talent wins games. The point is that tactically he will lose games that could otherwise be won.
@Rangers: "100 Washington and Maddux didn't forget to warm him up."
Hate to tell you this because in all seriousness Wash needs at least one defender (and it's not me), but Wash himself disagrees with you.
"That's where I messed up," Washington said. "I didn't tell [pitching coach] Mike Maddux to get Feliz up. I wanted Oliver to face Eric Chavez. I thought that Chavez was getting good swings against our right-handed pitching. But I didn't have Feliz ready.""
- DMN
Washington is a prime example of the Peter Principle. He is a tremendous coach, gifted at connecting with players and getting them to respond to his teaching. His people skills are excellent and if his game tactics weren't so bad he'd make a terrific manager. Perhaps the Rangers front office has felt that he could improve his tactics over time and they'd have a complete package (after having a brilliant tactician but terrible personality in Buck Showalter).
The time has come to admit that Washington's tactical skills are poor enough to outweigh his positives.
I'm going to refrain from diatribe and simply say that you all should beware what you wish for, since firing Washington very well might turn this team south in a second. I'm at the point where I'm actually kind of hoping they do fire him, and that the team quickly goes in the tank because Washington turns out to be an integral part in whatever winning's been happening around here the last couple of years. And then all you ungracious armchair managers will be left with no one to point the finger at except yourselves.
@ tball: "Perhaps the Rangers front office has felt that he could improve his tactics over time and they'd have a complete package (after having a brilliant tactician but terrible personality in Buck Showalter). "
Nail - Hammer - Head
To reinforce your point the Rangers early on have tried to support Ron with strong, experienced bench coaches that he could learn from. It just hasn't happened.
I think being on a one year contract with a FO that has decided It's Time! and is radiply replacing players who fail to perform pretty much has put Wash on notice. I think the pressure is to much. He has started playing small ball with all the nnsense bunting in early innings and I think he is just trying to over mange like with Oliver and Feliz. if he had just gone with his closer instead of trying to finesse one batter we wouldn't be talking about much of this.
All that said I think the new management will quietly non-renew his contract at season end unless there is a major slump which is a possibility, but considering how poor the AL West is performing not likely. Of course, if they win the division and perform decently in the play-offs then we will still be discussing Wash's moves same time next year.
as difficult of a loss as that was, it was impressive to see our young guys (andrus and borbon) and hambone come through in big situations. although i agree feliz should have been in to start the 9th, the way he was pitching, i don't know if he would have got the save anyway. pitch after pitch up in the zone, then he goes offspeed and thigh high at 88, even if hes hitting 96 with his FB, most major league hitters will make you pay with that. It wasnt his night, but he will be fine next time out. The next time Wash has Andrus bunt with a runner in scoring position, he should be fired right then. You simply dont bunt in that situation; he has shown that with RISP he is money and deserves the right to swing away, especially after his clutch hit in the 9th last night.