Wednesday was a bittersweet day for Braves Country, as Ron Washington was officially named the next manager for the Los Angeles Angels.
On the one hand, not having him around the clubhouse in the future will be a tough loss for everybody, but especially the younger players who he has significantly impacted during his tenure with the Braves. On the other hand, it’s a lot like watching a child — a much older child — reach the pinnacle of his field. For the first time since 2014, Washington is the lead man in the clubhouse again, and Angels fans should be ecstatic about their new manager.
But Washington will not be alone. Joining him in Los Angeles will be Braves first base coach Eric Young Sr. and Ryan Goins, who was in the Braves minor-league system in 2021 and 2022. Tori Hunter, Clint Hurdle and Chili Davis are also expected to join Washington’s staff.
Nightengale’s right. That’s an incredible staff Washington has put together, and they’ll have a tough challenge ahead of them in getting the Angels back to relevance. They have a dismal farm system, and Shohei Ohtani appears to have one foot out the door. There seems to be no sense of direction with the Halos, but if anybody can give them one, it’s Ron Washington and this coaching staff.
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