Washing Into the Future

Washington's determination and energy have
made him a fixture in the Texas clubhouse.

The franchise's first postseason series win. Check. First two American League Pennants and World Series berths. Check. Check.

These are just some of the accomplishments Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington has achieved during his tenure in Arlington, and was rewarded for his hard work Monday.

Washington, 59, who was in the final year of his current contract, was given a two-year contract extension, keeping the skipper in heart of Texas through the 2014 season. His original contract was also a two-year deal, consisting of two club options for 2009 and 2010, both of which were exercised.

But with no more options, it was time for a much needed extension.

After spending 11 seasons coaching with the division rival Oakland Athletics, 10 of them coming as the club's third-base coach, Washington was hired by general manager Jon Daniels prior to the start of the 2007 season.

In his first year as manager, the Rangers finished 12 games under .500 and last in the AL West. However, management never faltered, keeping their faith in the New Orleans native.

The sixth-longest tenured manager in baseball today followed up that season with the acquisition of future AL MVP Josh Hamilton from the Cincinnati Reds. Hamilton finished his first year with Texas leading the AL in RBIs (130) and playing in a career-high 156 games, but it was Washington's energy that pointed his team in the right direction.

Still under .500, the Washington-led Rangers finished second in the AL West. It wouldn't be until year three that Texas would finish above the .500 mark for the first time since 2004, again finishing second in the division with a record of 87-75.

Possessed with his own demons, Washington admitted to the use of cocaine during the '09 season, but it surfaced during spring training the following year. Daniels and newly appointed team president and CEO, Nolan Ryan, never wavered in their faith with Washington, letting him continue his life long dream when it should have been taken away.

He wouldn't disappoint

2010 brought Washington and Co. their first division title and playoff appearance since 1999. They ran threw the postseason, narrowly defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS and outslugged the defending World Series champion New York Yankees.

In their first World Series appearance in franchise history, they were upended by the surprising San Francisco Giants in five games.

After setting a club-record with 96 wins during the regular season this past year, Washington had to fill the agony of defeat for a second time in the World Series, this time even they could taste it. Holding a two-run lead in the ninth inning, the Rangers were one strike away from capturing their first World Series title before St. Louis' David Freese tied it with a triple and won it with a walk-off home run in the 11th.

Washington has accumulated a 427-383 record in his five seasons as manager, including improving his win total every year.

His 427 wins are the third most in Rangers history, trailing only Johnny Oates (506) and newly hired Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine (581). Washington has finished in the top five of the AL Manager of the Year voting each of the last three seasons, finishing as high as second his fourth year on the job.

Texas as found their guy and will ride him until he's all washed up. 

Here We Go Again

Cruz enjoyed a record-setting ALCS, that saw
him hit six home runs.

It's hard to believe at one point the Detroit Tigers held a 2-0 lead against the Texas Rangers Saturday in Game 6 of the ALCS. After Detroit shut out the Rangers high octane offense for the first two innings, Texas bombarded the Tigers' pitching staff for 15 runs on 17 hits, closing out the ALCS, 15-5.

In a 38 minute bottom of the third inning, the Ranger sent 14 hitters to the plate, recording six hits in a nine-run outburst, setting the franchise record for most runs scored in a single postseason half inning.

Two of those six hits came off the suddenly red-hot bat of All-Star Michael Young. Young hit two, two-run doubles in the inning, driving in four of the nine runs scored. The 12-year veteran added a solo home run in the seventh, giving him a 5 RBI game and totaling 7 for the series.

His teammate, Nelson Cruz, who was honored as this year's ALCS MVP, got out his boomstick once again and continued this unbelievable postseason run. Cruz popped a two-run shot for his sixth home run of the series, driving in his 12th and 13th runs of the series, both are single series postseason records.

With his six home runs, Cruz is now the only player in postseason history to have hit six home runs in two different postseasons. In his first postseason appearance a year ago, the Monte Cristi native also hit six home runs, but that came throughout the playoffs, not one series. If that weren't enough, Cruz hit the first walk-off grand slam in postseason history and had two extra innings home runs in the ALCS, the first time that has ever been done as well.

All eight of hits during the LCS went for extra-bases, that's a lot of production for a guy that bats seventh in the lineup. But it wasn't just Cruz's bat that did the talking.

In the eighth inning of Game 4, Cruz fired a perfect game-saving dart to nail the not so fleet of foot, Miguel Cabrera, at the plate, keeping the game tied.

While Cruz continues to exemplify an October legend, the Rangers are headed to their second straight World Series. After losing to the San Francisco Giants in last year's Fall Classic in five games, they have come back with vengeance and fire in their eyes. After capturing both their two straight division title and American League Pennant, Texas is the first AL West team to accomplish that feat since the Oakland Athletics did so from 1988-'90. They did in three years in-a-row.

Those Oakland teams were led by future Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, and with his Cardinals one win away from their eighteenth trip to the World Series, Texas could oddly enough face the last manager to do what they have achieved in 2011.

Texas accomplished all this without the power of last year's ALCS MVP, Josh Hamiltion, who didn't hit a home run in this series and has yet to hit one this postseason after hitting four in last year's LCS against the New York Yankees.

Showered in Ginger Ale for the second straight year, the Rangers hope to have one last celebration in them.

ALCS Preview: Detroit Roars Into Texas

After one of the most exciting first rounds in recent memory with three decisive Game 5's, it's on to the League Championship Series with some of baseball's most historic franchise's.


Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers:
The last time these two teams were in the ALCS, they both advanced to the World Series, but came up short in five games. In 2006, the Tigers launched to the Fall Classic thanks to the bat of Magglio Ordonez, but it was the inability of their pitchers to make plays off the mound that saw the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate their tenth World Series title. As the Rangers, they are the defending American League champions and trying to have avenge last seasons World Series loss to the pitching packed San Francisco Giants.

Detroit battled through a tough five game series with the New York Yankees, who had the AL's best record in 2011, much like they did in '06. Manager Jim Leyland chose not to pitch his ace Justin Verlander in a decisive game, which would have quite a stir if the Tigers would have lost in the Bronx. Instead, Leyland's decision looks genius as this flame throwing right-hander is set to pitch Game 1 of the ALCS.

Leyland clearly out managed Joe Girardi in
the ALDS and could do the same to Ron
Washington.

It will need to be the pitching that carries this Tigers team through the postseason's second round if they want to slow down the Rangers' high octane offense. Detroit had yet to lose a game this season when leading after eight innings. That can be contributed to arguably the best closer in baseball this season, Jose Valverde. "Paper Grande" as they call him was a perfect 49 for 49 in save opportunities during the regular year and has saved both games asked of him this postseason.

The Rangers will need to score early and often if they want different results at the end of games.

Don't forget about the Tigers offense which was one of the best in the majors in 2011. After yet another MVP caliber year by Miguel Cabrera and a late September surge that won him his second career batting title, he will be the main focus of the heavily left-handed pitching staff in Arlington. Victor Martinez was among the best in the majors with runners in scoring position and the rejuvenated bat of Jhonny Peralta could loom large in this best-of-seven showdown.

Despite all their recent offensive success, it's the bat of late season acquisition Delmon Young, who hit a franchise record three home runs in the ALDS, that will be sorely missed. Young was left off Detroit's roster after suffering an oblique injury late in Game 5 against the Yankees.

Texas is coming off their thrilling series with the Tampa Bay Rays in which they beat them for the second straight year in the ALDS. With their offense struggling most of the series, offseason acquisitions Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli caught fire. In the series-clinching Game 4, Beltre hammered three home runs while Napoli became the first catcher in postseason history to hit a home run, steal a base and throw a runner out in the same game, that coming in Game 3.


The Rangers survived the first round after a relatively quiet series from three of their main sluggers, Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, and Nelson Cruz. Maybe with a trip back to World Series in their sights will ignite their unusually subtle bats.

Ogando is one of the few pitchers that had

success against the Tigers in 2011.

Ron Washington's bullpen is even stronger than last season with the addition of Alexi Ogando. The hard throwing righty, who was responsible for all three of Texas's wins this season against Detroit, started most of the season for the Rangers, but has translated well back to the bullpen and could be a difference maker with Neftali Feliz still slamming the door shut in the ninth.

Poised with three young talented left-handed starters, the Rangers rotation will need to be on their game to hold down a heavy right-hander hitting offense in the Motor City.

Detroit won the season series with Texas six games to three, taking two out of three in all three series they played in 2011. But the postseason is a whole new season where anything can happen.

DET X-Factor: Jim Leyland


TEX X-Factor: Alexi Ogando


Detroit in Six