Ron Washington Still Believes Angels Can Turn Things Around

The Los Angeles Angels enter Monday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers with a record of 28-43. It's the fifth-worst record in Major League Baseball.

However, manager Ron Washington believes this team can turn the franchise around. If he didn't think so, he would have stayed in Atlanta and collected his paycheck from the new three-year contract he had just signed. But, he told Atlanta that if a manager's job came knocking, he was going.

Here he is leading a team missing stars like Mike Trout (meniscus knee surgery, out until after the All-Star break), Anthony Rendon (strained hamstring, potential July return), and Brandon Drury (strained hamstring, likely late June return). Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason and the current lineup is filled with young players learning at the MLB level and veterans trying to remain relevant.

"If we play solid baseball, we have a chance," Washington said to USA Today. “It’s not like teams are just coming in and waxing our ass. We’ve had opportunities, we just didn’t come through. We’ve been missing that one hit. One base hit.

“We just have to learn how to win. It takes time. It’ll be different next year."

Washington signed a two-year contract with an option to lead the Angels. Hopefully, the Angels' front office believes in his process and gives him the three years or more needed to produce a winning team.

“I remember when I took this job," Washington said to USA Today, “some people thought I would be out by the All-Star break. I ain’t going anywhere. This is where I belong. I know this is going to change going forward. I have no doubt. We’re not going to be losers. That [expletive] is going to change. “’m telling you, “I’m going to turn this [expletive] around with my coaches and players. You just watch."