Ron Washington

Ron Washington Pinch Hit Leonys Martin Over Lance Berkman Yesterday, Just So You Know

A few days after the Rangers sputtered into last off-season, running on fumes and whatever was left of Josh Hamilton's CRUNK!!! stash, manager Ron Washington said what many fans and pundits had already said: "Maybe I played them into the ground." Seven of his starters played 147 games or more last ... More >>

The Five Best DFW Honky-Tonks

To call a place a honky-tonk is almost as nebulous as labeling a place a dive bar. Ask five different people what one is, and you're more than likely to get six different answers. Of course, North Texas has dozens of places that complement any of them. The earliest published mentions of the term h ... More >>

Hope Springs Eternal as Yu Darvish Makes His Bow at the Ballpark in Arlington

Late into the evening yesterday, the sun was sinking over Arlington, but it was still warm out -- 77 degrees, far more spring than winter, perfect first-pitch weather. And the Ballpark in Arlington was open too, of course, to introduce the score of the off-season: Yu Darvish, the 6-foot-5 would-be a ... More >>

"Last Night Was a Bitch," Other Mothereffing Moments From Rangers' Pre-Game 7 Pep Talks

For sports bootleg collectors, this is pure gold: six minutes of motivational cursing from the Texas Rangers' locker room in the moments before Game 7 World Series. Dozens of copies, all from Joe Sports Fan, landed in the Unfair Park in-box overnight, and for most the takeaway is skipper Ron Washing ... More >>

This Week in "Dewey Defeats Truman," FOX4

​I didn't sleep a wink last night -- kept replaying over and over the myriad mistakes made by Ron Washington and the Texas Rangers last night, twice one strike away from Winning It All. They're recounted below, blow by painful blow; how Sam gets it up for tonight's Do-or-Die preview and open threa ... More >>

The Unfair Park Auction: One and Only One of This Year's Very Rare Ron Washington T-Shirts

​Speaking of fashion statements printed on tees ...Last year, round this time, Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington's face graced many an unlicensed T-shirt, most of which also featured his then-inescapable catchphrase. But for whatever reason -- the threat of cease-and-desists from the ball club ... More >>

Do The Wash: 12 Songs We're Pretty Sure Ron Washington Hears In His Head During Games

World Series fever has pretty much taken over around these parts again. And for good reason: Having the hometown team participate in the Fall Classic in back to back years is somewhat of a rare treat -- especially for a team that, until recent years, had been as perennially bad as our own Texas Rang ... More >>

Moneyball's Jonah Hill Is Looking Forward to Finally Meeting the Real Ron Washington

​What you see here, courtesy his Twitter account, is Jonah Hill throwing out the first pitch at yesterday's Chicago White Sox game at US Cellular Field. When we spoke a little while ago at his Uptown hotel, he insisted: The stands were empty because it was a day game, and because it was raining. " ... More >>

Going, Going ... Yawn. How to Fix Baseball's Broken All-Star Gala.

​Not appearing tonight at baseball's All-Star Game: Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, David Price and Albert Pujols.Injuries can't be helped, but the mid-summer classic needs to be fixed. From last night's boring home run derby to tonight's exhibition, ... More >>

If This Doesn't Get You Fired Up for Tonight's Game 5, Please Stay Home

They've been showing this video at American Airlines Center during The NBA Finals and it's awesomely badass. Says Mavs' general manager Donnie Nelson, "I'm sitting in a suite and by the time that thing ends everybody in there is standing up and cheering and they've got that look in their eye. It's ... More >>

Was It Over When the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor, or: Local Sports Greats Urge on Mavs

Cash Sirois just sent this local sports-star-studded pep talk, which played on the American Airlines Center's big-screen before the second quarter of Mavs-Heat Game 3. This proved much easier to watch than Mavs-Heat Game 3. Among those making an appearance: Troy Aikman, Mike Modano, Roger Staubach, ... More >>

Even Ron Washington is Making the Right Calls During Rangers' 9-1 Start

​The Rangers are 9-1, their best start in franchise history. They've outscored their opponents a ridiculous 60-26. They've beaten the aces of Boston (Jon Lester), Seattle (Felix Hernandez) and now Detroit (Justin Verlander). They're hitting homers, getting immaculate starting pitching and winn ... More >>

Rangers 26, Red Sox 11: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​10. That, my friends, was about as thorough a three-game sweep as you can produce. The Rangers out-scored Boston by 15 runs and slugged 11 homers. And that wasn't the Royals, remember -- it came against the team most experts predict will represent the AL in the 2011 World Series. 9. Mos ... More >>

You've Got Questions, Ron Washington Has Answers

​Let's make this simple, shall we? Sat down with Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington yesterday here in Surprise and asked him what I thought were some pertinent questions. Allow me to paraphrase, in the spirit of keeping this short and sweet in the wake of last night's 3.5-hour, come-from- ... More >>

Texas Rangers Spring Training: My Top 10 Observer-ations

​10. Pitchers and catchers report today. Means backyard pool parties and bikinis can't be far behind. 9. Whatever happens the first week of camp, it can't be more shocking than a year ago when manager Ron Washington announced that he had snorted cocaine the previous season. 8. Last year' ... More >>

Very Cool Move by Your Texas Rangers

​No, they didn't sign Josh Hamilton long-term or acquire Cliff Lee in a trade from the Phillies. But during last weekend's mid-winter banquet out at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine your Texas Rangers went out of their way to put a smile on the face of manager Ron Washington. During Hurricane K ... More >>

Stop it. Ron Washington Did Not Get Hosed.

​Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington deserves credit. But not a trophy. I was neither surprised nor disappointed yesterday when Minnesota Twins' skipper Ron Gardenhire was named American League Manager of the Year. While he led his team to 94 wins and a division championship despi ... More >>

Tomorrow, a Rangers Rally. Better Late Than Never? Also: A Look at the Low, Low Ratings.

​On the other side are details for tomorrow's Rangers Rally, scheduled for 6 p.m. outside the Ballpark in Arlington. Long story short: Chuck Greenberg, Nolan Ryan, Jon Daniels, Ron Washington and a few players will get together for an hour to remember the "magical" season that was. Because, see, t ... More >>

The Circle Is Now Complete. Once, I Was But the Learner. Now I Am Ron Washington.

Courtesy MLB Advanced Media​Just returned from a long night of trick-or-treating to find the Rangers down by two and this picture in my in-box, courtesy the friend of a friend who works for MLB Advanced Media in NYC. That, of course, is 7-year-old Liam Roybal of Keller with The Real Ron Washington ... More >>

Liam Roybal, Just Blame Gordon Keith

​Yesterday -- thanks to Gordon Keith, thanks to Midwest Sports Fans, thanks to Deadspin, geez -- we met Lil' Ron Washington, otherwise known as Liam Roybal of Keller, poor feller. Turns out, the 7-year-old had no intention whatsoever of going as the Rangers' skipper's Mini-Me for Halloween. He was ... More >>

That's the Way Halloween Costumes Go

​At the very top of Deadspin at this very moment you'll find the photo of mini-Ron Washington at left, which began with a tweet from one Gordon Keith. I asked Gordon where he got it: "Someone sent it to me," he reports from San Francisco. And then Jerod at Midwest Sports Fans picked it up; then, D ... More >>

That's the Way T-Shirts Go, Redux: The Other Great Ron Washington Fashion Statement

​Last week we bought a few of the DropWear.com fellas' Ron Washington tees. And, despite rumors and reports to the contrary, the Texas Rangers have not officially commissioned anyone to do a "That's the Way Baseball Go" tee. Says spokesman John Blake via e-mail, "This is actually an unlicensed pro ... More >>

That's the Way T-Shirts Go, or: What to Wear to the Ballpark in Arlington Tomorrow Night

Norm Hitzges models the latest Ron Washington fashion statement. Heh.​A Friend of Unfair Park directs our attention this late afternoon to DropWear.com -- can't believe someone didn't think of this sooner. In short, it's a tee-shirt company run by Ticket listeners who plan on turning those catchph ... More >>

Major League Baseball Players All Agree: Josh Hamilton Is the 2010 Player of the Year

Sam Merten​This just in: Sporting News has named its 2010 Major League Player of the Year -- and it's a certain Anchorman-quoting center-fielder for Your Texas Rangers. And as SN is quick to point out, that's the consensus among 326 major leaguers -- this isn't no sportswriters' award, keep in min ... More >>

No-Hitter = No Biggy

​I always TiVo the Texas Rangers. But last night when I got home my roommate already had the game on and when I got home I heard TV voice Josh Lewin exclaim:    "Hit record on your DVRs, you're about to witness history!" Whoa, I exclaimed back, the possibilities running through my m ... More >>

Liverpool FC, Like Your Texas Rangers, Will Also Be Auctioned Off. That Should Be Fun.

Spirit of Shankly​Sam's back in a Fort Worth courtroom this morning, where Judge Michael Lynn's trying to decide just when to auction off Your Texas Rangers. Among those in attendance: Chuck Greenberg, Nolan Ryan and, for whatever reason, Rangers GM Jon Daniels and skipper Ron Washington, who, fro ... More >>

As Rangers Look to Add Another Game to Division Lead Tonight, a Reminder of the Architect of This Surprising Bunch

Photos by Sam MertenAll-Stars Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus​As Richie mentions in this week's paper version of Unfair Park, the Texas Rangers could be headed toward their winningest season in franchise history, as they nabbed their 50th win of the season last night and increased their lead to ... More >>

Praising Josh Hamilton While Solving the Claw

​A nod to old Dallas wrestler Fritz Von Erich? A psychological ploy by hitting coach Clint Hurdle? Fallout from last year's swine flu? After seeing two more Texas Rangers smack extra-base hits last week and then make bizarre hand gestures -- Ian Kinsler did a wide-arm double claw and Josh Ham ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.25.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Don't understand why some folks around here can't stand Mark Cuban. And that includes you, Ross Perot Jr. In Thursday night's NBA Draft the Dallas Mavericks owner wrote a check for $3 million to m ... More >>

Why, Ron Washington? Why?!?!

​I like Ron Washington. Really do. It's just that I ... Hey, if this feels/sounds like deja vu all over again it's because it is. Bottom line: I honestly don't think the Texas Rangers' manager is good enough to go with his gut instincts. I'm a quirky, color-outside-the-lines guy, b ... More >>

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4: My Top 10 Observations

​10. Nothing better than seeing Roger Staubach and Nolan Ryan interacting before the game. Kind of gives us hope that - Ron Washington and Tiger Woods be damned - there are great role models who don't, in fact, make mistakes. 9. Typical Scott Feldman, huh? Made a couple of mistakes, but for t ... More >>

Everything Old is New Again in Arlington, On the Brink of a New Rangers Season

Patrick MichelsMichael Young takes a few cuts before Friday night's exhibition.​For the first time since fall, the smell of hot dogs on the grills overtook the Ballpark in Arlington Friday afternoon, as the stadium came rumbled back to life for an evening exhibition against the Royals -- ... More >>

Welcome to the Day After March 31

​*Ron Washington's first and only experience with cocaine came at age 57? Of course I believe him. Why wouldn't I? *Okay, I admit it. I secretly, desperately wish I wrote for the Dallas Morning News and talked for 1310 AM The Ticket and admit that my jealously bleeds through into my sub- ... More >>

Whitt's End: 3.19.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway - who's forgotten more Rangers' baseball than I'll ever learn - says a disgruntled former employee blackmailed the organization and ultimately&nbs ... More >>

Ron Washington Apologizes, and We Talk to MLB About "Drugs of Abuse"

Before posting anything about Sports Illustrated's breaking story about Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington's positive test for cocaine last July, I wanted to clarify one question: How often are managers tested for drug use? Because initially, the SI story didn't say, though now it's been updated t ... More >>

The Texas Strangers

Seriously, who are these guys? With generally the same cast of characters that has face-planted out of the gate the last two seasons, the Texas Rangers are off to a dream start. Granted 2-0 gets only a subtle nod in Boston or New York or Anaheim, but in Arlington it's cause to get Laura Mi ... More >>

Rangers Spring Training Grades

TexasRangers.com The kid's catching on pretty fastOnly 19 days until the Texas Rangers open the 2009 regular season at home against the Cleveland Indians. In other words, time for some mid-spring training grades. So far, so good I'd have to say. No major injuries. Josh Hamilton is pound ... More >>

Obama v. McCain: Round 2

Status Woe

Insane Rangers again take similar path to identical destination

Your 2008 Texas Rangers: Progress?

Human Rain Delay: Part Deux

Rangers’ Shortstop Just Five Games Shy of Being Halfway to Baseball’s All-Time Hitting Streak

Ron Washington for Manager of the Year

To Hell with the Mavericks. How 'Bout them Chaparrals?

Monday Morning Meanderings

You Could Use Some Baseball? Yeah, So Could You.

Only One More Shopping Day Till Football Season

Sounds Like Richie Could Use Some Baseball

Washington Monument