Rangers fans are going to feel conflicted with Ron Washington in enemy dugout

Ron Washinton will return to Arlington at the helm of a division rival for the first time since his perplexing decision to depart the Texas Rangers towards the end of the 2014 season. The LA Angels are coming to town for a three-game set this weekend.

It will be tough for Rangers fans to show any animosity towards Washington, however, due to the remarkable tenure he had during his seven years as Texas' manager. He was the first Rangers manager to get the team to a World Series back in 2010, and returned the following year only to endure the heartbreaking defeat against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Washington also happens to be the winningest manager in Rangers history, finishing with a 664-611 record throughout his tenure.

Aside from his success on the field, Washington was beloved by Rangers fans because of his fun and charismatic personality. He became famous across the MLB due to his one-liners and optimistic nature, which attracted fans and gave the Rangers some public notoriety across the nation for the first time since they moved to Arlington.

After resigning in 2014, Washington remained active in baseball. He initially returned to the Oakland A’s and served as their third base coach. He then went on to join the Braves coaching staff and was able to win his first World Series when Atlanta made its run in 2021. During his time with the Braves, he was praised throughout Atlanta for being such a strong defensive coach, helping several Braves, including Ronald Acuña Jr., develop into some of the most respected defensive players in the league. 

This past offseason, Angels owner Arte Moreno decided to roll the dice and give Washington another shot at managing a big league club. Unfortunately, Washington has had a few bad breaks so far with the Angels, including Mike Trout once again hitting the injured list with the expectation he will be missing a significant amount of the season. The Angels are currently carrying a disappointing 16-28 record at the bottom of the AL West. 

Even if Washington is returning to Arlington as an opponent, Rangers fans should be excited to see him back where he belongs as a skipper. He remains one of the most genuine and entertaining personalities in baseball.