Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine during the middle of last season.

Several media outlets reported today that the Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine last season.  Washington claims that he used cocaine one time last year and shortly thereafter  he was tested by MLB.  After the test, he contacted the commissioners office and told them that he would probably was not going to pass the test.  He also immediately let Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels about the situation.

Washington must have been scared out of his mind considering cocaine only stays in your system for approximately 48 hours.  So when he went into the test it was either the night before or two nights before, so pretty recent.  He said that this was a one time deal and that he realized his mistake shortly thereafter and that he wouldn’t ever do it again.

The Rangers picked up his option last summer right before the positive test happened.  As of right now it has been reported that he was not punished at all by the Rangers or Major League Baseball.  He even offered to resign from his position as the Ranger managers, although the Rangers stuck behind him or at least as of right now they have.  He is not signed past this season, so this will have an affect as far as extending his contract with the Rangers.  This transgression will  play a huge part if the Rangers were to struggle and not make the playoffs this upcoming season.  Washington is already on the Hot seat for 2010 and this doesn’t help his case at all.

I do find it humerous that Washington was partying to the point that he decided to do a line of cocaine.  You would think that he understands the affect that drug use can have on one’s career after managing Josh Hamilton for the last two seasons.   Washington seemed very apolgetic and hopefully he will learn from this mistake and it won’t haunt him for the rest of his career.

Here is video of ESPN’s Pedro Gomez interviewing Washington on his mistake.