Rangers manager Ron Washington: 'I'm concerned about my job'
Ron Washington's Texas Rangers have lost 12 of 14 games this month. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Getty Images)
The Texas Rangers have seen this story before.
They are faltering down the stretch, going 2-12 this month and last season blew a six-game division lead with nine games to go before losing the American League West to the Oakland Athletics on the final day of the regular season.
The Rangers then proceeded to lose the one-game wild-card playoff at home to Baltimore Orioles.
That is more than enough to be of concern to Rangers manager Ron Washington, who isn't sure of his status moving forward, especially if the Rangers fail to make the playoffs.
The Rangers begin Tuesday with a half-game lead over the Cleveland Indians for the second-wild card spot.
"That decision, if it's made, it's out of my hands," Washington said on ESPN Radio. "And yes, I'm concerned about my job. Who wouldn't be. But I hope that I've gained credibility for what all we've accomplished in the past few years. I'm not a finger pointer. I'm not pointing the finger at anyone. We all have to take the blame for our collapse right now if that's what you want to call it. I'm not calling it a collapse. I'm just calling it a slump. But there isn't anything I can do about that. I don't really think about that type of stuff. I know at some point in this game of baseball we all have to look for another job, but it isn't anything I'm concerned about."
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Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said the whole thing is a "distraction."
"There is no substance to it. It's not something remotely being discussed," Daniels said of Washington possibly losing his job. "The bottom line is we need to go out and have a good at-bat, a good inning and a good game and get this turned around. Everything else is a distraction