Ron Washington Not Angry With Angels' Young Players' Mistakes

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jun 17, 2024

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

When Ron Washington took over as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, he couldn't know he would spend a good amount of his first season without some of his team's biggest stars. He's experienced enough to know the team could go only so far without Mike Trout, and with Anthony Rendon neither playing nor playing to his potential.

Now, Washington must meld his own philosophy with a young clubhouse that has never experienced his style up close. He has high expectations for the Angels despite their inexperience, but doesn't get angry when his young players make a mistake. He's choosing to view it as part of the game and their development.

That's why one of the biggest points of emphasis for this clubhouse is on accountability, and each man holding the other responsible for their actions both on the field and off. It doesn't matter if they are a veteran, a rookie, or a coach.

"I’ve just got to stay in the process, stay the course," Washington told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Every day when they get to the ballpark, I want them to see the same guy busting my ass, trying to get people better and having fun. I want them to feed off me and my coaching staff.

“Every day our goal is to win, but if we don’t win, he’s a big believer in the process and building culture. He knows it’s not done overnight. Despite our record, we have put ourselves in a position to win a lot of games. We just don’t know how to win those games. We have a lot of young guys here. Some of these guys are being relied on to drive the bus when really our lineup is made up of a bunch of passengers right now.

“Culture is a huge part of it, but you can’t win without superstars."