When a team wins prolifically as the Atlanta Braves do, lesser organizations are going to want to poach their top talent. Usually this happens by signing away marquee players in free agency, but sometimes top assistant coaches get elevated to sitting in the big chair somewhere else. This is exactly what happened when the Los Angeles Angels hired third base coach Ron Washington.
Washington is every bit the baseball lifer. He was part of Art Howe's Oakland Athletics coaching staff, the one that was portrayed in Moneyball. Washington then became arguably the most successful skipper in Texas Rangers history, winning back-to-back AL pennants in 2010 and 2011. Although he did not win a World Series in Arlington, he helped Atlanta win its first title in 26 seasons back in 2021.
I had the opportunity to speak with Braves legend Chipper Jones last week ahead of being honored with the Rally for Research Award for the great work he has done combating pediatric cancer for years as a staunch supporter of the Rally Foundation. Jones may not have played for Washington, but he has worked with him on the Atlanta staff, as well as admired him from a distance in Atlanta.
Jones agreed with me that Washington is irreplaceable, but elaborated on what made him such a great third base and infield coach for the Braves for so many years. Wash made everybody better.
"1000 percent. You could say that the entire Braves staff is one of the hardest working staffs I've ever been around, been a part of, but they are. The ringleader is Wash. He leaves no stone unturned. He is tedious. He is there every day. He is on those infielders every single day. He wants to have the best defensive ballclub, especially from an infield standpoint in Major League Baseball. And he sets a tremendous example."
Washington's commitment to excellence on defense helped transform the Braves from a bottom-feeder in the mid-2010s into a national juggernaut by the end of the decade, and beyond.
From Austin Riley, to Orlando Arcia, to Ozzie Albies, to Matt Olson, Washington made them better.
"I think that you will find every single one of those infielders will reach out to him if they haven't already to make sure that he knows that they know how much of an impact he has had on their careers. And when that happens, you know you're doing things right."
It took way too long, but we are so incredibly happy that Washington gets to lead his own team again.
Chipper Jones reflects on what Ron Washington meant to Atlanta Braves
As a lifelong fan of this team, the only other assistant coach I can compare to being universally beloved by Braves players and Braves Country abound was former iconic pitching coach Leo Mazzone. He was the long-time pitching coach under Bobby Cox, a man largely responsible for guiding the greatest rotation ever featuring Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz in the 1990s.
Washington already had a great baseball legacy from his coaching days in Oakland and Texas prior to coming to Atlanta. Not to say that he reinvented himself in Atlanta, but reaffirmed to everyone what he is all about and who he has been. Few coaches across the majors truly love the game of baseball like Washington does. It is why I fully expect that the Angels will be ultra-competitive in a year or two.
As far as the legacy Washington leads behind in Atlanta, Jones said it perfectly. Every infielder who played for him in Atlanta will reach out to him and congratulate him on getting the Angels gig, if they haven't done so already. It may be the players who are making the big bucks these days, but it is great men like Ron Washington who are molding the minor league clay and cultivating it into champions.
Los Angeles got a real one, but Braves Country could not be happier that Washington got his due.
Chipper Jones spoke to FanSided on behalf of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.
Atlanta Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones received the prestigious Rally for Research Award on Friday, Nov. 10 at the 16th annual Benefit Bash Gala benefiting Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.
"Chipper has been a steadfast Rally supporter for nearly two decades, since our very beginning in 2005," says Dean Crowe, Rally's founder and CEO. "One of our first fundraisers was Money in the Mitt, a bubblegum-blowing contest in partnership with the Braves. Since then, Chipper has been a true hero for Rally, playing in many Celebrity Softball Games, attending and giving generously at Benefit Bash events year after year, and even donating a number of goldendoodle puppies for our Live Auctions.
"Over the years, he has quietly gifted ten Rally Kids with their own dogs as well! His unwavering commitment to Rally's mission of raising funds and awareness for childhood cancer and his dedication to these families personally is inspiring. We are so thrilled to be presenting the 2023 Rally for Research Award to Chipper Jones."
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