Report: Angels' Ron Washington Was Blacklisted by Bud Selig Himself
Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington has experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He has been the most respected coach in the league to one begging for a job.
After leading the Texas Rangers to American League pennants in 2010 and 2011, Washington and his club crashed in 2014 with a 67-95 record. With 12 games remaining in the season, Washington left the team.
Two weeks later at a news conference, Washington revealed that he had an extramarital affair. His announcement was perplexing — extramarital affairs in baseball are as common as an infield ground ball — but this one left his career in jeopardy.
In a report by Howard Bryant of ESPN, citing multiple league sources, the matter was so uncomfortable that then-commissioner Bud Selig took a personal interest in the matter.
Bryant reports that in one of his last acts as commissioner, Selig demanded that no team should hire Washington to manage, a claim the MLB commissioner's office has denied. Whether Washington faced an official private ban, or an unofficial one, or if teams simply saw him as too great of a risk after two scandals, the end result was the same: Washington would not be hired to manage for another 10 years.
Now 71, Washington is reviving an Angels franchise with an impatient fan base. He is instilling confidence in a group of young players and getting buy-in from the veterans. The Angels are 6-4 and tied for first place in the American League West.
Even the owner, Arte Moreno, has bought into what the man called "Wash" is doing with his ball club.
"I made a mistake. I want to admit I made a mistake," Moreno says, raising his voice and squeezing Washington's hand. "I hired this man too late. Should have done it sooner."
