Angels Manager Ron Washington Defends Anthony Rendon
The Los Angeles Angels enter the 2024 season ready to prove a lot of people wrong. With Shohei Ohtani now elsewhere, the Halos will be relying on their other two stars to carry the load.
Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon will be counted on heavily, but it seems that Rendon is already making unnecessary waves. He came under fire recently when he said that baseball isn't a priority for him but rather a job.
“It’s never been a top priority for me,” Rendon said. “It’s a job. I do this to make a living. My faith and my family come first, before this job.”
Fans didn't take too kindly to this from Rendon, and he has dug himself into a hole within the fanbase. However, new Angels manager Ron Washington seemed to defend Rendon about his comments.
“He was asked what was important and all he said was his family and faith,” Washington said. “He’s here. He’s getting there to take this journey with us through this 162-game baseball season. He wasn’t saying he doesn’t care about baseball. He’s here. He’s fired up. He’s ready to go. Let’s just watch him and see how it goes. Because he’s ready to go, man. I miss my family. I care about my family. He said his family and his faith is first. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that.”
Washington likely wasn't a fan of the comments, but he has a duty to protect his player. It's not what Rendon said but rather who said it.
He has been scrutinized in the past for reportedly not caring about things, so this doesn't help his case. Rendon can make all this go away if he can have a productive season.
For now, he will go about his days to try helping the Angels to win. But if he struggles, fans will use his own words against him.
