Ron Washington submitted his letter of resignation to the Texas Rangers' front office on September 5 and walked away as manager of the team. Speculation has been swirling in regards to who will succeed him, and it looks like the Rangers have narrowed it down to a few candidates.
Interim manager Tim Bogar is one of those being considered. He was previously hired as the Rangers' bench coach last October after spending time under Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon and former Red Sox managers Terry Francona and Bobby Valentine. Since taking over the Rangers' job on September 5, Bogar has a 7-4 record with the team, including six consecutive wins after sweeping the Atlanta Braves and Oakland Athletics. However, general manager Jon Daniels isn't ready to hand over the job to him just yet.
That's likely because former Rangers player Michael Young has surfaced as a potential candidate. Young spent 13 seasons with the Rangers, seven of which he was an All-Star, and played in at least 155 games in 10 of his 11 full seasons on the roster. The former infielder also won the AL batting title in 2005 with a .331 average and the AL Gold Glove as a shortstop in 2008. Nothing is for certain, but Daniels hinted one of the candidates may include a guy "just off the field," likely referring to Young, who retired in the offseason. The two have spoken over the past year regarding the makeup and direction of the Rangers, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Other names that have been linked to the manager position include pitching coach Mike Maddux, FOX Analyst Gabe Kapler, Triple-A Round Rock manager Steve Buechele, and first base coach Bengie Molina.
While the manager search continues, Washington addressed the media about his reason for leaving. He initially cited an "off-the field personal matter" but it was unclear what it actually was. Washington previously had problems with substance abuse, most notably cocaine, which many speculated to be the case this time around. Then on September 11, it was reported that Washington may have resigned due to sexual assault allegations he was facing, but not much more has come out of it. Instead, Washington shed some light on his reason for leaving and then asked for his privacy.
"I was not true to my wife, after 42 years," Washington said at the news conference on Thursday. "I broke her trust. I'm here today to own that mistake and apologize to her, and to those I disappointed, and those who have trusted in me, and I let them down. All I ask is for your forgiveness and your understanding. I also ask that you respect our privacy as we go on with our lives. This matter is certainly personal and we are trying hard to put it behind us."
Based on the allegations and the timing of Washington's news conference, there may be more to the story.
