The Los Angeles Angels have ended their vacancy for their managerial position, hiring third base coach Ron Washington from the Atlanta Braves. Washington has also brought Atlanta’s first base coach, Eric Young Sr., to Anaheim. The Angels fired former manager Phil Nevin and brought in experience for their vacancy. Washington leaves Atlanta as a beloved figure of the community.
Phil Nevin’s Tenure with the Angels
Phil Nevin was hired after former Angels manager Joe Madden was let go by the organization. Nevin looked to help the Angels make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. For the Angels and Nevin, achieving this goal did not come to fruition. The star power of Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout did not do enough to help the Angels into a playoff spot. In the two years Nevin was at the helm, the Angels had the same record in 2022 and 2023, both going 73–89.
Ron Washington’s Experience
Ron Washington’s leadership skills have been fully displayed over the years with different organizations. Washington started his coaching career at the Oakland Athletics as a first and third base coach for the A’s. Between 1996 and 2006, Washington helped the Athletics in developing talent. Then, after a tight managerial race, Washington had his breakthrough.
Managing the Texas Rangers
After the 2006 season, Washington became the manager of the Texas Rangers, serving from 2007-2014. Washington went to the playoffs three times, from 2010 to 2012, winning the division back-to-back in 2010 and 2011 and going to the World Series in the same years. Unfortunately, the Rangers dropped both series, losing to the Giants in five games and the Cardinals in seven. In 2011, the Rangers were twice within a strike of winning it all, only to have the Cardinals rally. Washington resigned in 2014, giving himself a 664–611 record in the regular season, a .521 winning percentage.
Back to Coaching
Ron Washington’s story could not end there. Shortly after leaving the Rangers, Washington returned to the Athletics in 2015 as an infield coach for two years. Then the Braves hired Washington after promoting Brian Snitker to the club’s managerial position. Washington has served as the third base coach from 2017 until 2023. Washington won his first World Series in 2021 with Atlanta after their 4–2 series victory over the Houston Astros. In time, Washington will take over the Los Angeles Angels in 2024, looking to earn their first playoff berth since 2014.
