Ron Washington Resigns

Well, today is a day that many of us thought we wouldn't see, especially during or in the aftermath of this tumultuous and injury-filled season.

Ron Washington has resigned as the manager of the Texas Rangers, effective immediately, citing a need to devote his full attention to some sort of personal matter.

While it isn't clear at the moment what the issue at hand is, it's at least clear that whatever it is, it was enough to push the winningest manager in franchise history to resign.

Just yesterday, I was having a private conversation with someone that was told big changes were coming before the weekend. This, I'm sure all of us can agree, was not what I was expecting, and it wasn't something I felt comfortable writing about at the time due to the comment being very vague.

In any case, from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, here's the statement from Wash:

“Today, I have submitted my resignation from the job I love — managing the Rangers — in order to devote my full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter. As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what’s best for me and my family.

This is in no way related to the disappointing performance of the team this season. We were already discussing 2015 and looking forward to getting the Rangers back to postseason contention.

I deeply regret that I’ve let down the Rangers organization and our great fans. Over the past eight seasons, it’s been a privilege to be part of some of the best years in club history, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here and for the great management, players, and coaches who have made our time here a success.”

Obviously, it seems easy to look at that last paragraph and wonder what he means by letting down the organization and fans. Given his previous positive test for drugs, many fans are going to be quick to jump to the conclusion. Furthermore, given the way this season has gone, injuries or not, many will have a tough time believing it had nothing to do with on-field results.

To that, I say I'm not one of those people. I've felt all along that Wash would be given a pass for this season, and he would be back and given a chance to manage again with a full and healthy roster in 2015. I still believe that to be the case, but it certainly does give me pause now that the resignation has happened.

According to Jon Daniels, Wash has given the Rangers permission to acknowledge that his resignation is in no way drug-related, and for Wash's part, he says it has nothing to do with the on-field performance season. Whatever the reason is, the organization has apparently had an idea that this was a possibility, and it's something that was serious enough to force Wash to step down. On that note, it is my hope that Wash and his family find peace during this tough time.

In the end, it's just too bad that Ron Washington and the Rangers came so close to winning the whole thing back in 2011, and now, he's leaving like this. We may not have always agreed with his strategic decisions or the way he filled out a lineup card, but he was on the bench for the most successful era the Texas Rangers have ever had. Thanks for all the great memories, Wash.