Ron Washington: Coke Is It

Randy Galloway has a column today. Apparently, a fired Rangers employee released the news to the media after several blackmail demands weren't met.

startelegram.com/sports

 

He's not getting fired because the people who are now running baseball — many of whom were players in the 1970s and 1980s — sure as hell don't want to face the scrutiny that comes with digging up bodies long-since buried. Those guys remember well the Pittsburgh drug trials and the last thing they want is a fired Ron Washington going all Jose Canseco on them.

Washington will eventually get fired for losing. And then he'll go back to being a bench coach for somebody and will never get another ML managing job again. He'll have a well-paying job for so long as he shuts the fuck up.

 

Lester...
I agree with your post but letting him keep his job seems to be telegraphing the fact it's OK for a face of the franchise to take an illegal narcotic. It probably blows over (no pun) and is forgotten shortly into the season; the optics aren't good for baseball in the eyes of at least some fans. Pot, maybe, coke, no.

If he were a straight up guy he would have resigned. I believe others who have posted here that there's no way it was a one off event.

I realize times have changed since I was a kid fan in the 60's and early 70's and later when the Blue Jays had a contender but I don't think there is any explanation that can excuse Washington's behavior. Isn't the game bigger than any one individual?

 

He's tested clean every time since then. I'm not naive, but I don't think it's the worst thing in the world for someone to get one second chance. One.

 

Randy Galloway writes today that a former Rangers' employee was blackmailing the team - - Galloway's choice of words - - threatening to out Washington.

 

Someone who knows more about employment law can probably better answer this but, if an employee - before he's been caught - comes to his employer, admits a substance abuse problem and asks for help with treatment, I don't think you can fire him.

 

Oh, and Galloway needs to out the blackmailer.

 

Wonder if Galloway will out the guy on his radio show in about an hour. Randy is always good for the flair of the dramatic on his show.

 

Washington is quite a character in Moneyball.

 

Somebody write this date down.

I love Ozzie Guillen a little.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/ozzie-as-long-as-they-dont-check-for-vodka-and-corona-ill-be-fine.html.php

 

I do not disagree with you at all, but baseball plays by funny rules. In my mind, this is worse than steroids, especially from a guy who teens and pre-teens look up to, but baseball plays by funny rules and Washington's been a good soldier. He won't be under a bus anytime soon. His punishment will be a career that isn't as good as it could have been. He'll never again be a big league manager after his time in Texas ends ... unless of course he wins like a son of a bitch and makes this all go away.

Armchair, while they might have issues with a straight termination, they would have no issues with reassignment. He would still have a job and would not have the basis for legal action, but I'm no lawyer.

 

Hope he doesn't mix those two.

But knowing him he probably does.