The Los Angeles Angels haven’t made the postseason since 2014.
They have had Mike Trout since then, and had Shohei Ohtani from 2018 until last year.
Now that the latter, who is MLB’s best and most complete player, has signed with another team, the future of the Angels is extremely murky.
These Angels have the sad potential to be one of the worst teams in MLB this year.
But you won’t say that it’s because of a lack of hustle or dedication.
That’s the new manager’s message: play hard, do your part, or you won’t have a spot on the team.
It’s simple, yet very effective.
“Everybody on the team’s gonna pull their weight, and if they can’t pull their weight they’re not gonna be on the team – it’s that simple,” Foul Territory tweeted, with Ron Washington’s remarks.
"Everybody on the team's gonna pull their weight, and if they can't pull their weight they're not gonna be on the team – it's that simple"
Ron Washington is not here to F- around.
▶️ https://t.co/NEU4ma6KCL pic.twitter.com/rBUOPB93A7— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 15, 2024
Washington, who had been coaching for the Atlanta Braves since 2017, was hired as the Angels manager after it became public that Phil Nevin wouldn’t be back in 2024.
A former MLB player and manager, Washington knows what it’s like to lead a team to the World Series.
He did it in 2010 and 2011 with the Texas Rangers, but couldn’t secure the win in either of those Fall Classics.
Still, he led one of the strongest teams in the American League back then and is no stranger to being an effective manager.
He knows the game like few others, and appears to be as motivated as ever.
It’s too bad the Angels don’t appear to have what it takes to consistently win roster-wise.
Maybe Washington and the Angels can shock the baseball world and compete.
Who knows?
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