Ron Washington resigned as the manager of the Texas Rangers on Friday.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Washington has one year left in his contract and said that he needed to attend a personal matter. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in a statement that the team is disappointed but they accept Washington’s decision to take care of a personal matter. He went on to add that this has been a difficult year for the Rangers and that they are looking forward to having Washington as their manager next year.
"Today, I have submitted my resignation from the job I love – managing the Rangers – in order to devote my full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter," Washington said in a statement, USA Today notes. "As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what's best for me and my family. This is in no way related to the disappointing performance of the team this season. We were already discussing 2015 and looking forward to getting the Rangers back to postseason contention.”
He went on to add that he regrets letting the Rangers and their fans down. He also said that it was a privilege to work for the Rangers and that he was grateful for the opportunities that he had there.
Washington was in his eighth season as manager of the Rangers. He became the Rangers 17th manager in team history when he took over as manager in 2007. He had a 664-611 record and leads the Rangers in regular season wins and games managed, according to ESPN. He led the Rangers to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, which were the Rangers first two trips to the World Series. The Rangers have a 53-87 record this season, which is the worst record in the majors.
Tim Bogar, the Rangers bench coach, will be the interim manager for the Rangers for the rest of the season.