Former Boss of New Angels Manager Breaks Down What Makes Him Great

Great hire by the Angels here!

The long search for the new manager of the Los Angeles Angels ended in the team hiring former Atlanta Braves coach Ron Washington to take over. Washington brings a lot of experience to the table, keeping with the veteran manager theme that the Angels wanted this offseason.

He helped the Texas Rangers reach the World Series twice in 2010 and 2011 and is generally seen as a brilliant baseball mind. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos spoke very highly about Washington and even said that his joining the Angels is a major loss for the Braves.

“It’s a huge loss for us. I emphasize that in caps, bold, italicized, all of it. Huge, huge void. I had six years with him, and I can’t imagine I’ll be around another guy like that in my entire career”

Per Alex Anthopoulos via USA Today

Washington is a well-respected person across Major League Baseball, and many believe that this is a great hire for the Halos. He will try to bring some stability to this organization that has lacked it for a long time now.

If Washington can even get the Angels to have a winning season, the hire will be seen as a successful one. The team hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2014, so there is some urgency to change that next season. Anthopoulos continued with his assessment of how Washington impacts a team.

“Presence, intellect, respect, work ethic, integrity, off-the-charts ability to lead. I mean, that guy walks in a room, it’s over. He’s got it. He’s special. I’ve been in baseball since 2000. I’ve never been around someone like this before.”



Per Alex Anthopoulos via USA Today

Washington isn’t likely the long-term option for the Angels, especially given his age. But he can be a solid stop-gap manager for this team, and he can help them build good habits that they can then use going forward.

This team has been stuck in the mud for a long time, and there isn’t a lot of positivity within the organization. This hire may be the first good news for the team in quite some time, and the Angels should be very happy with their decision to hire him.