Ron Washington, a Man Extended

Yesterday afternoon Ron Washington was handed a 2-year contract extension, meaning he will be the Rangers manager through the 2014 season.

A lot of people in the fanbase have a problem with Wash, but I am not among them. I like the man. I like what he’s all about.

While it’s true that he isn’t the greatest on-field tactician, I believe that his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses.

First and foremost, he loves the game. His unbridled joy is unparalleled and infectious. He asks his players to respect the game first and never comes down on anyone without reason.

In turn, the players respect him. They love playing for him and he does a fantastic job of keeping them loose. How many teams are there that bounce back from losses better than the Rangers? It’s got to be a short list.

To this point, he is the 3rd winningest manager in Rangers history. He has won 4 postseason series (when all previous managers combined have won 0) and has taken the Rangers to back-to-back World Series. The team has won more games every season since Wash took over, including a franchise record 96 wins in 2011.

Why he hasn’t won a Manager of the Year award is beyond me. He has done more in the last two seasons than either Ron Gardenhire (2010 MOY winner) or Joe Maddon (2011 MOY winner).

Wash is a genuine and humble person. The players love him and a lot of the fans (myself included) love him too. There aren’t many guys in the game that I’d rather have steering the ship.

So, he will be here for at least 3 more years. Hopefully those years will include more success, more playoff runs, and another trip or two to the World Series. If there is a man that can make it happen, I believe it is Ron Washington.

Press on, Wash. Press on, Rangers fans.

(You can find me on Twitter @BleacherSeatsTX.)