Blackmailer Leads To Unearthing Of Texas Rangers Ron Washington’s Cocaine Use
Weezy!!!
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington knew he used cocaine and so did the Rangers front office before the news hit their doorsteps yesterday. The Rangers where well aware of the situation because they had a blackmailer in house.
The blackmailer knew of the positive test on Washington and was making demands which the team has confirmed.
Back in July of 2009 Washington confessed o his bosses that he had used cocaine on the road in California after he took a random drug test. The Rangers then notified MLB immediately, who placed him in a mandatory confidential substance assistance program. Washington stay clean through the program as he continually passed several more random drug tests. A confidentiality thing between employee and boss would have made this to be never heard of except then came the blackmail threats.
A team employee knew and looked to cash in. The team employeewho was fired at the end of last seeason knew the details of the situation. He also had a list of demands for the club.
Some of the demands were met, but the Rangers declined to giving him a flowing recommendation and refused another item on the list. Sometime after January the former employee was putting Washington name in the streets of Arlington. Then all of sudden Washington received a call from SI.com saying they had all the details of his failed test and his enrollment into the drug program.
Questions remain should of Washington been fired in July when the Ranger found out? Some will say yes, I will say no especially since they employee a player who has been giving five chances after his addiction, Josh Hamilton. Manager or not a second chance is in order. If his record speaks that he should be fired then let his record do the talking.
Yes, Washington was on the hot seat last year but a funny thing started to happen the Rangers started to win and even with the Rangers knowing of the situation and watching their employee enrolled into a drug program administered by MLB awarded him with a contract extension.
Almost the entire team attended Washington’s media session as a show of support and that says something about how far his respect level has climbed within the Rangers. Especially Nolan Ryan who did not hire Washington and is now standing by the man he signed off on giving an extension to and even though knowing of his cocaine use.
Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington Tested Positive For Cocaine
Weezy!!!
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine in a Major League Baseball-administered drug test SI.com reported today. Washington confirmed to SI that he did test positive.
The report also notes that he took the unusual step of informing MLB officials that it was possible he’d test positive before the test came back.
“I did make a mistake and I regret that I did it,” Washington said. “I am really embarrassed and I am really sorry.”
The Rangers held a team meeting this morning to discuss the matter before SI’s report went public. Just two years ago, Washington and other managers would not have been subject to testing. But as part of the recommendations made by the Mitchell Report in December 2007, baseball added testing for managers, coaches and clubhouse personnel.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told SI that Washington will keep his job after the manager made assurances he will not use the drug again.
“We asked a lot of questions and worked through Major League Baseball’s program, where Ron had appropriate consultation, support and testing. But for all the reasons we hired him in the first place, we felt and continued to feel that he’s the right guy to lead the club. He made a significant mistake. He also admitted to it and took steps to ensure that it won’t happen again.”
Washington tied for fourth in American League Manager of the Year voting in 2009 and has a career 241-245 record as manager of the Rangers.
Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim Mike Scioscia Wins American League Manager Of The Year
34 Would Be Proud
Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anhiem had to endure the most emotionally season of his 10 seasons as leader of the Angels and that culminated in him selected as the 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
It was Scioscia’s second Manager of the Year award. He was named by the BBWAA in 2002, when the Angels claimed their first World Series title under his direction after entering the postseason as a Wild Card. Scioscia, who is the first manager in Major League history to pilot six postseason teams in his first 10 seasons, received 15 of a possible 28 first-place votes for 106 points.
The Twins’ Ron Gardenhire finished second with six first-place votes and 72 points. Joe Girardi of the Yankees (four first-place votes) was third, followed by the Mariners’ Don Wakamatsu (two), the Rangers’ Ron Washington (one) and the Tigers’ Jim Leyland.
Coping with the death of young pitcher Nick Adenhart in a car wreck on April 9, Scioscia and the Angels emerged from early struggles — they were 29-29 on June 11 — to take flight en route to a third consecutive AL West title, their fifth in six seasons.
In the AL Division Series, the Angels swept their October nemesis, Boston, in three games before falling in six games in the AL Championship Series to the Yankees, who went on to subdue the Phillies in the World Series.
With 97 wins, the Angels continued a run of excellence under Scioscia, whose teams have won 900 regular-season games in 10 seasons. His 567 victories over the past six seasons represent a Major League best — one more than Joe Torre has achieved with the Yankees and Dodgers and two more than Terry Francona with the Red Sox.
