Ron Washington signs two-year extension
Ron Washington may not have taken his team all the way, but for the Texas Rangers, a trip to the World Series was good enough. The manager, whose team fell to the San Francisco Giants, was assured that he will be at the club’s helm through 2012 after signing
a new contract on Thursday 4 November.
With Rangers president Nolan Ryan, as well as general manager Jon Daniels present, Washington inked the two-year deal at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The manager, who has accumulated 331 regular-season victories in his tenure with the club, holds a career
winning percentage of .511, ranking second on the franchise’s all-time list.
Furthermore, under his guidance this post-season, the Rangers went on to win their first play-off series in franchise history, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series (ALDS). Texas then bested the New York Yankees in the American
League Championship Series (ALCS) in six games to earn their first World Series berth. And, although the squad fell short in the Fall Classic, Washington hopes to reach new heights next season.
“It was a wonderful year,” the manager said to ESPNDallas.com. “We came together as an organization, came together as a group. We did what we had to do to survive and make it to the World Series. We’re disappointed we didn’t win it, but definitely have a foundation
to build on. We expect to be back.”
Washington’s extension doesn’t come without merit. In a feat that can only be claimed by three other managers, Dusty Baker (Cincinnati), Bruce Bochy (San Francisco), and Charlie Manuel (Philadelphia), Washington has led his team to an increased number of wins
in each of the past three seasons. And it’s something that several people have taken notice of.
“He did a great job,” team captain Michael Young told the Associated Press Wednesday. “He’s the manager of the American champions. People talk about players and write about players, but the manager did [an] incredible job this year. We really fed off of him
and I hope he fed off of us.”
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