Melmart1
11-06-2006, 11:18 AM
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have picked Oakland Athletics third-base coach Ron Washington as their new manager.
Washington will be introduced as the 17th full-time manager in club history at a 5:30 CT news conference Monday at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
He replaces Buck Showalter, who was let go at the end of the season after the Rangers finished with a record of 80-82.
Washington was given the job after a Sunday afternoon interview with Rangers owner Tom Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels. He had previously interviewed with Daniels, assistant general manager Thad Levine and A.J. Preller.
"He was very impressive," Hicks said. "He's a real winner."
General manager Jon Daniels declined comment.
"I feel great," Washington said late Sunday night. "It's an opportunity I've been looking forward to. Mr. Hicks, Jon Daniels, Thad Levine, and A.J. Preller, those are the guys I met and they were very nice. They really made me feel welcome. I'm looking forward to working with them."
Washington, 54, has spent the last 11 seasons on the Oakland Athletics coaching staff and has two years of Minor League managerial experience in the New York Mets system.
"The Rangers have a very good nucleus," Washington said. "With the nucleus they have, they are very capable of taking it to the next level and with the guys in charge, I think I can help them take that to the next level. They are right on the edge."
Washington was selected over four other candidates, including Don Wakamatsu, who was the Rangers' bench coach over the past four years. The Rangers also interviewed Mets third-base coach Manny Acta, Phillies Triple-A manager John Russell and Trey Hillman, who managed the Nippon Ham Fighters to the Japan Series championship last month.
Washington spent parts of 10 seasons as a player in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. He finished his career in the Rangers organization as an infielder at Triple-A Oklahoma in 1990.
He began his coaching career in 1991 with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Tidewater. He managed the Class A Columbia Bombers in 1993-94 with a record of 123-153 before returning to Tidewater as a coach in 1995. He was hired by the Oakland Athletics in 1996. He was their first-base coach for one year before moving over to third base.
He has also been working with the Athletics' infielders, and third baseman Eric Chavez credited Washington with turning him into a five-time Gold Glove winner.
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061105&content_id=1733731&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex (http://)
I like what I have read about him so far.. sounds like the anti-Buck. There is also something very satisfying about a stealing a well-liked member of a divisional rival's staff and bringing him here.
Washington will be introduced as the 17th full-time manager in club history at a 5:30 CT news conference Monday at Ameriquest Field in Arlington.
He replaces Buck Showalter, who was let go at the end of the season after the Rangers finished with a record of 80-82.
Washington was given the job after a Sunday afternoon interview with Rangers owner Tom Hicks and general manager Jon Daniels. He had previously interviewed with Daniels, assistant general manager Thad Levine and A.J. Preller.
"He was very impressive," Hicks said. "He's a real winner."
General manager Jon Daniels declined comment.
"I feel great," Washington said late Sunday night. "It's an opportunity I've been looking forward to. Mr. Hicks, Jon Daniels, Thad Levine, and A.J. Preller, those are the guys I met and they were very nice. They really made me feel welcome. I'm looking forward to working with them."
Washington, 54, has spent the last 11 seasons on the Oakland Athletics coaching staff and has two years of Minor League managerial experience in the New York Mets system.
"The Rangers have a very good nucleus," Washington said. "With the nucleus they have, they are very capable of taking it to the next level and with the guys in charge, I think I can help them take that to the next level. They are right on the edge."
Washington was selected over four other candidates, including Don Wakamatsu, who was the Rangers' bench coach over the past four years. The Rangers also interviewed Mets third-base coach Manny Acta, Phillies Triple-A manager John Russell and Trey Hillman, who managed the Nippon Ham Fighters to the Japan Series championship last month.
Washington spent parts of 10 seasons as a player in the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. He finished his career in the Rangers organization as an infielder at Triple-A Oklahoma in 1990.
He began his coaching career in 1991 with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Tidewater. He managed the Class A Columbia Bombers in 1993-94 with a record of 123-153 before returning to Tidewater as a coach in 1995. He was hired by the Oakland Athletics in 1996. He was their first-base coach for one year before moving over to third base.
He has also been working with the Athletics' infielders, and third baseman Eric Chavez credited Washington with turning him into a five-time Gold Glove winner.
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061105&content_id=1733731&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex (http://)
I like what I have read about him so far.. sounds like the anti-Buck. There is also something very satisfying about a stealing a well-liked member of a divisional rival's staff and bringing him here.