For the first time in a number of years, the Atlanta Braves will have some movement among their top coaching staff. The beloved third base coach, Ron Washington has been hired to become the Los Angeles Angels new manager according to Jon Heyman.
Breaking: Angels hire Ron Washington for their manager job
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2023
It was reported by Heyman earlier this week that Washington was a candidate for the job, and now it appears the decision is final. Washington last managed in the big leagues for the Texas Rangers from 2007-2014. He experienced a ton of success in Texas, including back to back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
The Angels are very much in need of a steady hand to lead the way after the roster around superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani has been severely lacking for several seasons now. With former Brave Perry Minasian running things in Anaheim, it's no surprise to see him covet someone so universally respected in the baseball circle and a man who he knows very well, dating back to his time in Atlanta.
Washington was hired as the Braves third base coach in October of 2016 and quickly became a fan favorite in Braves country. His straight-forward quotes and aggressive baserunning sends made him a popular figure in Atlanta, and he is sure to be sorely missed.
His continued work with the infield defense has been routinely noted, and the results speak for themselves. This year Austin Riley got his first ever gold glove nomination and Wash played a huge role in that. In 2021, Washington provided fans with some of the gutsiest sends in game two of the NLCS, moments that will forever live in Braves country.
It's hard to overstate Ron Washington's importance to the #Braves over the past seven years. More than just a typical coach, he was a motivator, a clubhouse and dugout mood-setter, ever-positive but honest with players, and with more energy at 71 than many 21-year-olds.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 8, 2023
Atlanta has some internal options to consider for the 2024 third base coaching role, but the will likely take their time to comb through numerous candidates externally as well. As for Wash, we want to begin by wishing him a well deserved thank you from Braves fans everywhere. We'll put together something longer and more poetic in the coming days, but we had to begin with recognizing the difference he made on this franchise.