“I made a big mistake.” I can still see the prison door closing with GOB Bluth trapped inside his cell in an unforgettable episode of Arrested development About 20 years ago. Around that same time, Ron Washington was the lovable Oakland Athletics infield coach who said poor Scott Hatteberg had no chance of learning to play first base. He should have just left things alone.
While we were all ecstatic to see Wash get his next chance to manage a team, it feels uniquely like Leo Mazzone to leave baseball heaven in Atlanta for a chance to work for a friend or former colleague. Not since Mazzone has a former Atlanta Braves assistant been so beloved. The former star pitching coach left for the Baltimore Orioles, and that was career suicide.
Washington left Atlanta to take over a franchise that hasn’t made the American League postseason since I began my writing career nearly a decade ago. The Los Angeles Angels aren’t going anywhere fast under Washington. They have a 41-55 record at the All-Star break. Washington is one of eight names The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal placed firmly in the hot seat in his latest newsletter. All by Perry Minasian…
The fact that it’s the final year of Minasian’s contract with the Halos likely means Wash is done, too.
Washington may not admit how much he misses the Braves, but Braves Country certainly misses him.
I understand why Washington left. He’s in his 70s and was an incredible manager with the Texas Rangers in the late 2000s and early 2010s. This is the same man who guided the Rangers to their first two American League titles in franchise history. Even though all Bruce Bochy does is win the World Series, I really hoped Washington could redeem himself as a captain after how it ended for him in Texas.
The man had to deal with some personal issues after leaving Texas, but at heart he is a lifelong baseball player. Halfway through the first year of a two-year contract with an option for a third, what is job security? We could all be fired tomorrow, as that is the time we live in, regardless of profession. I just wish he didn’t take the Angels’ bait so shamelessly.
Of all the sad bags of trash in baseball, the Angels are the frozen, dead pigeon that GOB Bluth keeps stuffing into the freezer of the model home in Sudden Valley. This is the franchise that tries to high-five you, waits for you to slap your hand, only to end up pointing at you in an attempt to save face. There is no saving grace in Orange County. The Halos need a new owner like we all need a raise.
Meanwhile, Atlanta promoted former Gwinnett Stripers captain Matt Tiuasosopo to third base coach. The Braves always promote coaches from within like Tiuasosopo. How do you think Brian Snitker ultimately ended up in Atlanta? Unfortunately, as much as Tuiasosopo seems to love baseball, he is not a major leaguer, as evidenced by his inability to read the outfield fences since he coaches third base.
In time, I may succeed, but God, how I miss the one-of-a-kind Washington windmill. It’s the best windmill this side of Holland, more powerful than Pete Townshend playing a powerful string to carry Pinball Wizard The worst part is that Atlanta could have used Wash this season. He’s a defensive genius and a joy to have in the locker room.
Like a box of Cracker Jacks, I don’t know if he’ll ever return to the Braves, but I wish he never left…
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