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The Wash Cycle: Looking at the Moves Made by Rangers Manager Ron Washington

Posted on September 11th, 2009 8:00am by Evan Grant
Filed under AL West race, Baseball, Ron Washington, Texas Rangers

Rangers manager Ron Washington has stood tall all season in the dugout and in the clubhouse (Photo: R.P. Washburne)

When pressed, even Rangers officials would probably admit the weakest part of Ron Washington’s managerial resume may be his in-game strategy.

But here’s the dirty little secret about in-game strategy in today’s modern baseball world: It ain’t that important.

In the areas that really count, like the quality of effort displayed all season and the record, Washington has been head-and-shoulders above just about every manager in baseball this season.

If you sliced and diced a modern manager’s job up, you woul’d find that the biggest responsibility is figuring out the best way to get the most out of a roster over the course of a 162-game season. That means managing the clubhouse, delegating authority, soothing egos, occasionally kicking someone in the butt and knowing when to lay low.

Second, sorry to say, comes dealing with the media. Not that we’re all that important to the club’s success, but what the manager says in print and on-the-air can often be dissected, parsed and analyzed until what he said and the context are two wholly different things. You’ve got to know how to walk a fine line with the media – the conduit to the fan base. You can’t seem untrustworthy or fake because your players and the fans will see right through it. You can’t seem defensive because the media will seize upon it. And you can’t seem condescending because, quite frankly, that’s just insulting to everyone.

Then, after delegating the handling of the pitching staff to the pitching coach and consulting with the bench coach, comes the actual making of decisions in the game. And these days, you and I often have as much statistical data available to us as any manager, so it’s not like there are any great secrets out there. What’s so-and-so hitting against what’s his name? No problem. Is this lefty-lefty matchup a good one? Yes? OK.

Yeah, there have been slip-ups along the way. Just in the last 10 days, I’ve scratched my head about not using Chris Davis as a defensive replacement late in a game at Minnesota, about not pinch-hitting for Julio Borbon in the same game and about sitting a hot David Murphy on another occasion.

Then I look at the record.

The Rangers are 19 games above .500 and back in 2007 when the team fell 19 games below .500 less than halfway through the season, a lot us in the media screamed for Washington’s head and screamed that Jon Daniels had made a terminal gaffe by not hiring Trey Hillman when he had the chance. Now, that things have turned around here, there seems to be some gentle applause and praise about Washington getting the team to play hard, and certainly no mention of the fact that while the Rangers have gotten better in each season under Washington, the Royals have gone backward under Hillman.

Two things: Getting the team to play hard day in and day out – and to do so with a focus – is a huge step.It’s the biggest compliment you can pay a manager. And year-over-year improvement, no matter what the starting point, is all you can ask from a manager. It means he’s getting more from his team than the year before.

If you really want to consider the job Ron Washington has done this year, consider these key decisions:

The care and feeding of Scott Feldman: Certainly, you can lay blame somewhere that Feldman wasn’t in the opening day rotation, but that’s long ago and far away. What matters now is that in the heart of a pennant race, Scott Feldman has been as good as any pitcher in the majors. He’s not going to win a Cy Young award – he’ll lack the innings or strikeouts to do so – but at the end of this month, it’s very likely that Feldman will be the most important starting pitcher to a team’s playoff hopes in baseball. For most of that, you can thank Scott Feldman. But a significant chunk of credit has to go to Washington. Washington has believed Feldman is a capable starter, but that he was best used for five or six innings and not exposed to hitters a fourth time through the lineup. It wasn’t until late July that Washington permitted Feldman to go seven innings. What’s happened? Feldman has gotten stronger as opposing hitters have worn down. His cutter is sharper, his curveball has more twist. And, counting that first seven-inning outing, Feldman is 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA over his last 10 starts. Nobody in the AL has more wins.

Resting Elvis: Washington has kept to his preseason thought of resting rookie SS Elvis Andrus once a week. He didn’t want to see Andrus wear down at the end of the season like so many rookies before him, especially since he was playing a premium defensive position. Washington felt a day a week would help keep Andrus fresher, longer. He’s started 118 of the Rangers 139 games. He’s had 21 games off in 23 weeks. That’s consistency. And what do you know? He’s hitting .382 in September and riding a 12-game hitting streak. No Ranger rookie has ever hit better than .351 for the final month of the season.

Giving ‘em the Byrd: OF Marlon Byrd often swings at the first too much. For his career, he’d had significant experience in the leadoff position, the sixth spot, the eighth spot. He’d never hit more than 10 homers in a season. He was not what you’d call a typical middle-of-the-order guy. But when the lineup stalled, Washington, citing his “gut,” turned to Byrd to hit third or fourth depending on the day. Of all things, Washington cited Byrd’s numbers with two outs and runners in scoring position. The sample size had been low. Yeah, well, how has he looked lately with runners in scoring positions and two outs? Or with one out? Or with nobody on base, for that matter? Byrd has carried the Rangers offense since Michael Young went out with a strained hamstring on Sept. 1 and Josh Hamilton left with a pinched nerve in his back the next day. Byrd is hitting .542 in the six games since with a pair of homers and 10 RBIs and he’s 7-for-10 with runners in scoring position. He’s been as money as money can be.

The Rangers wouldn’t be where they are right now, which is the thick of a playoff race with 23 games to go, if any of those components of the team hadn’t delivered. Washington has let the players do the work, but over the course of the season, he’s prepared his players to be ready to perform when the team would need them most.

So, yeah, if you want to say he doesn’t do such a hot job of managing certain game situations, go right ahead.

But I’ll take the guy who does the much tougher job: Managing a team. That’s what Washington has done this season.

37 Comments to “The Wash Cycle: Looking at the Moves Made by Rangers Manager Ron Washington”

Tom B @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:09 am

When the Rangers hired Wash, I said he is a good baseball man and he still is. He has grown consistently in decisions that maybe he never had to make before. He does some things that call into question, like “What were you thinking?” As much as I like him, questioning the manager’s decisions is as old as the game. Wash is doing Okay but he still needs to read I.C. so he can get a better handle on decisions as we see them. That should about ruin his career. I’ll say this. If the Rangers let him go, he wouldn’t getr home until his phone would be ringing with another MLB job.
micky [not Tettleton] @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:21 am

Amen. I have been in the Wash corner for 3 years. And I personally love his dealing with the media, he just talks like he talks, I don’t think he BS’s you guys, but he does keep it positive. I’d be interested in hearing what the media folks think about him and his interviews etc.
And Evan: SMOOTH ties last coupla weekends on Rangers Live !
how soon we forget @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:25 am

with the possible exception of the late, great Johnny Oates (who did have an impersonal, alien side to him), Wash is best manager and greatest breath of fresh air we’ve had around here in a long time. Sure he has been on a learning curve, but he admits that and gives us a manager we fans (not to mention the team) can get behind and cheer (or play) for. Maybe its just because he’s the underdog, but you WANT him to do well. Anybody do that with Buck???
Ross @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:26 am

Great stuff as usual, but I just wanted to throw out there that Elvis historically gets better as the season goes on. If you look at his month-by-month numbers in the minors you see that trend. Stay Hard!
mike @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:31 am

evan, i agree. it is a people-centric position and if it were simply an x’s and o’s job, the computer from the movie “2001″ named Hal would suffice.
michigan mike @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:31 am

Living in Michigan provides some perspective on Wash since I don’t hear the Dallas media. What is do hear is the Detroit media question the same moves by Leyland even questioning throughout most of the summer if he should receive the contract extension he now holds. Hard to imagine that someone with Leyland’s track record would be subjected to the same level of criticism of a new manager like Wash. Seems it is a sign of the times with access to stats and media need to discuss.

Have a friend who lives in KC that says Hillman is a strange dude! It seems the Rangers made the right call.

Bottom line: look at the record and the clubhouse harmony!

Go Rangers!
JP @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:49 am

I’ve questioned Wash as much as anybody regarding some of his in game decisions, but at the end of the day Wash can simply point to the scoreboard…
Tom @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:52 am

Wash is the first manager since Oates that has been able to walk the fine line between being able to motivate the players and have their respect.
Think of the clubhouse unity he’s fostered. You don’t get that without being liked by the team.
But he’s also managed the clubhouse well. A two game losing streak is followed by a series sweep. Not sure what he says to them, but they bounce back every time.
Jack Daddy @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:58 am

For some reason, I was under the initial impression that Jeff wrote this piece and was about to post a note that this was his best piece all year. Then looked up and saw it was Evan’s.

Evan – I wish EVERY SINGLE Ranger fan would read this, 2 times. Great piece.

Give me the great baseball man with the poor subject/verb agreement over the perfectly spoken baseball moron.

My only complaint with Wash this year was his insistence on using Jones and Guardado for much of the year. But, even then, that wis power righty bat and his bullpen lefty. You use the clubs in the bag.
gordosan @ September 11th, 2009 at 10:23 am

Washington, like every other manager, will make in-game decisions that can be dissected afterwards, but the results of this team speak volumes. Look back to April 1, when all of the pundits were projecting a 75 win season. Now we are in the second week of Sept, and project to 91-93. That credit has to go to the manager. He has done a great job.
Tsing Sao @ September 11th, 2009 at 10:47 am

I give Wash credit, I also give credit to veteran players like Eddie, Omar and Young… they probably have as much influence in the clubhouse as Wash. And yes, there’s a side of him that make’s me go nuts, as you can imagine I’m talking about Hank, Jones and some of that no sensical stuff regarding pitching matchups. He’s ok, but far from great.
jcAustin @ September 11th, 2009 at 10:56 am

I’m not a Wash-hater, and i do give him credit for a lot of the things that have gone well this year, but I give him 0 credit for Feldman’s success. Fair or not, I blame Wash’s veteran-love for the decision to go with Benson instead of Feldman out of ST. That same veteran-love guides decisions like playing Andruw Jones over Nelson Cruz so often. Wash seems to be out of sync with the youth movement until his hand is forced, and while veterans, especially Young, have surely lent a guiding hand this year, it’s been the kids who have got us here. That’s kids, plural, and if you’re pointing to the standings and giving an MVP, my opinion, it’s got to go to JD. Wash didn’t bring in Darren O’Day and Ivan Rodriguez, Wash didn’t draft Tommy Hunter and Julio Borbon or trade for Elvis, Neftali or Nelson Cruz. JD not only hired Wash, but he built this team. It’s winning sooner than expected, and it’s set up to win for a long time with or without Wash as the manager. Despite what Dallas media continues to write, it’s not Wash, not Maddux, not Nolan, it’s JD.
MB @ September 11th, 2009 at 11:04 am

I’d rate in-game decisions ahead of the media. For example, the Rangers have been playing small ball rather well. Steals and hit-and-runs have been a big part of the game that confounds the opposing battery and makes for many more opportunities to score. I have to put that part of the Rangers’ game, especially this year, ahead of talking with you guys. Great article as always, Evan!
MB @ September 11th, 2009 at 11:10 am

Throw Crush Davis in with Byrd on first-pitch swinging. Unfortunately, Davis has a horrible record when he is 0 and 2 at the plate. Pitchers know to get him there then Davis has to struggle to survive. This week he got a walk or two but he still needs to be much more patient. Cruz, too, especially of late. Maybe both need to take a cue from Elvis or Murphy.
Gastronome @ September 11th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

Thanks Evan for having the cahones (sp?) to speak the truth about Wash. The team he manages has out performed all expectations at the beginning of the season. His even keeled temperment has prevented any over sized egos from flaring up in the dugout and that alone makes going to the game more enjoyable (although every win over 500 this season helps too).
Fanal @ September 11th, 2009 at 12:31 pm

Wash has exceeded expectations. Rate him a 1. I love a team that runs. I also expect him to get better with experience. This team is a year ahead of schedule. They just won’t quit.
Kaisersoze @ September 11th, 2009 at 12:40 pm

I strongly object to this sentence above:

And you can’t seem condescending because, quite frankly, that’s just insulting to everyone.

Clearly Evan doesn’t know what it takes to manage a MLB team and should stick to other pursuits.

Sincerely,

Buck Showalter
Interesting look at manager Ron Washington @ September 11th, 2009 at 12:42 pm

[...] Grant over at Inside Corner took a look at some of Ron Washington’s key decisions this season. Not the in-game strategy stuff as much as personnel calls. Part of Grant’s article: When [...]
Fanal @ September 11th, 2009 at 12:45 pm

BTW, kudos to JD. Sure he made a few mistakes, but he didn’t create the disaster that great bb mind John Hart left behind.
Also, Maddox, Pettit and the rest of the staff, plus everyone involved with the farm teams. Did I just say great organization??
DW @ September 11th, 2009 at 1:21 pm

Wash definitely deserves praise for the success of the ballclub this season…One issue that bothers me when everyone heaps praise on Mike Maddox for the pitching staff success is what about Andy Hawkins??? His contributions in the prep of the pitchers and running of the bullpen never seem to get the slightest mention…
JustSaying @ September 11th, 2009 at 1:22 pm

i thought the hiring of wash was a great hire and he has brought a knowledge of the division that has definitely been positive as shown by this year’s record…….
he has also let the rangers run and that has been a very exciting change…..
that said he still makes some really squirrelly decisions that makes me need medication to calm down………
but some of the pieces he uses is definitely not his decision but quite clearly a front office choice so i think he deserves “some slack” on that front……..
i also think we don’t know all the details of how the owner’s financial mess has effected wash….maybe made him more tentative about his job and i think he displays that tentitiveness at times in his moves…….i mean remember how crazy hicks made kenny rogers? who knows who he is making crazy in the background this year………
Texas_Rocks @ September 11th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

I question Washington’s in game decisions as much as anyone, but I love to cheer for anyone that can actually point to the score board and say “stick it up your ying yang”
Longhorn Matt @ September 11th, 2009 at 2:34 pm

When Washington was hired, I must admit that I was skeptical due to his lack of experience. Then after the 2007 trade deadline, the Rangers started to play well the rest of the season, and I started to get very excited about the Rangers and about what Wash was accomplishing with what was left of the team. Then after a disastrous start to 2008, the Rangers went on to a great May and a decent rest of the season. This season, just when it looks like the Rangers may be ready to fall apart, they string together wins to get back into the thick of things.

Simply put: the Rangers play hard and do not seem to quit on Wash. Wash may sometimes make questionable decisions, but who doesn’t? I would rather have a manager who gets his players to play hard but sometimes makes questionable in-game decisions than a manager who makes all of the right in-game decisions but is unable to inspire his team. While the latter may make in-game decisions that allow his team to win a few more games than a manager who makes mistakes, the former will probably win more total games, even if he occasionally blows a game due to a bad decision. I think that Wash has done a great job overall, and his record speaks for itself. Wash deserves serious consideration for the Manager of the Year award.
john in clearwater @ September 11th, 2009 at 2:50 pm

I think Washington has continued to improve as a manager. There have been just a couple questionable things for me from a bullpen perspective, but some times I say “oh, I get it now” after the game is over. Washington gets my vote for manager of the Rangers.
leftybp @ September 11th, 2009 at 3:04 pm

Sorry Evan, are they paying you?
I think he has cost us several games with dumb actions and lineups.

I dont believe he is a winner on snap decisions.

I hope I am wrong, and I have my crows already lined up and my good teeth in..

enjoy your articles, but wonder where you come up with this stuff…..

cheers!!
Juboon @ September 11th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

@lefty: Dude. Take a look at the other comments. No reason to be ugly to Evan when you are clearly stating an opinion that not everyone agrees with. In fact, no reason to be ugly at all.
JustSaying @ September 11th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

the perspective that is not mentioned is that wash is working for a bankrupt company with an owner who has defaulted on his financial obligations, had to have mlb help meet payroll, and is almost certain to be removed from ownership at mlb’s first opportunity……so how many of us would continue to function at 100% if that was the leadership our company provided? all in all i do think that has affected wash “some” but he has still shown an amazing resilience in a pretty screwed up ownership team………..maybe it’s that nawlins spirit……….
badspellr @ September 11th, 2009 at 5:00 pm

Wash should be the unanimous choice for AL Manager of the Year.
Bennie @ September 11th, 2009 at 5:01 pm

Evan, which of these players do you think would not play just as hard for another manager? Maybe these guys play hard because they are professionals. How hard did Bradley play last August before he decided to make a run at the batting title? How hard did Padilla play during those games over the last 3 years where he looked like he was begging to come out?

So you think that how a manager deals with the media is more important than his in-game decisions? That is a bit self-centered. Why do foks in the media always think they are so important? More important than in game decision making. Now that’s funny.

So Evan, which players do you think would not play just as hard for their mext manager?
Evan Grant @ September 11th, 2009 at 5:41 pm

@leftybp: Just happen to think that Washington’s value over the course of the season far outweighs any perceived weaknesses in game-situation strategy. It’s hard for me to find fault with the work of a manager whose team is 19 games over .500, who is a better-than-.500 manager for his career and whose team has improved year-over-year. There’s a lot of credit to go around and I’m not suggesting Ron Washington deserves credit for the Rangers’ record. I’m simply saying I believe the guy has done a good job of managing.

@Bennie: It’s not just about playing hard. It’s about playing with focus. This team has been a far better fielding team than at any point in the last decade. There have been some important position switches, sure, but I think they are also more focused. I hold up Ian Kinsler’s improvement as a second baseman as one example. I think for the most part all players play hard. It’s playing hard with focus and efficiency that counts. And I’ve seen progress in those areas from year to year.
David in Cleburne @ September 11th, 2009 at 6:02 pm

As Evan said, all Wash has to do is point at the scoreboard.

Every single time I think for a second, “Oh, here we go. They won’t rebound from this” they do. This, as all sports, is a results oriented business. What’s not to like about the results so far? In-game decisions or not, how does 19 over .500 look on the resume? In other words, Scoreboard.
Bennie @ September 11th, 2009 at 6:06 pm

Evan whose fault was it last year when the fielding was much worse?
Josey Wales @ September 11th, 2009 at 6:26 pm

So what were Evan’s thoughts about Wash as a manager in 2007-2008?

His failures in those years make me wonder how consistent he will be in the future.
Win's Dad @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

EVAN: Agreed on the importance of in-game strategy, and agreed that Ron Washington’s three editions of the Rangers have played hard for the manager. Agreed this is an important quality and is not to be dismissed lightly. BUT;

Fact: RW selected his pitching coach during the first two years as manager. The team’s ERA was dead last in the Majors last season. This year, Nolan Ryan picked the pitching coach, and the team’s ERA is fourth in the A. L. Not only did RW not select Mike Maddux, but he complained in an ESPN.com article about not being allowed to pick the pitching coach he wanted instead of Maddux.
Fact: The defense was awful last season leading the Majors in errors committed. Art Howe was the infield coach last year. Nolan Ryan insisted that Howe be fired, and RW complained in the same ESPN.com article about having to fire Howe. Ryan hired Dave Anderson as infield coach this year, and we’ve seen the results. The Rangers have allowed just 30 unearned runs.
RESULT: RW is getting a lot of credit this year for things he didn’t do.
Craig Wall @ September 11th, 2009 at 9:31 pm

Evan

Great article in the substance and I agree.

I just cannot understand why a professional writer such as yourself cannot do simple grammar and spell-checking. It’s beyond juvenile for an otherwise great writer.
Weekend In Review @ September 14th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

[...] The Rangers’ long, wet weekend finally came to an end with a disheartening 5-0 loss at the hands of Felix Hernandez last night. And after spending more time waiting out rain delays than actually playing baseball, the M’s departed Arlington having taken two of three from Texas and pushing the Rangers from two back to four back in the wild card standings. The inclement weather not only meant the Rangers had to get creative with rescheduling and rearrange the rotation, but it also left us with plenty of time to contemplate Ron Washington’s decision making. [...]
Boomer @ September 21st, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Here’s my favorite quote about the art of managing; I think it was from Casey:

“Look you’ve got 25 guys on the team; 10 are going to love you; 10 will hate your guts; and 5 will be undecided……Your job as the Manager is to keep the undecided away from the 10 that hate you!”

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