As the Texas Rangers endure yet another September swoon that could eventually cost them a postseason berth if it keeps up, manager Ron Washington isn't taking it lightly and may even be worried for his job.
The Rangers (81-68) entered September with a two-game lead over the Oakland Athletics (88-62) in the American League West, but now trail them by 6.5 games and are clinging to the second wildcard spot in the AL with the Cleveland Indians (81-69) hot on their trail and just a half-game back after the Rangers have lost seven in a row.
Washington told ESPN on Tuesday that he fears his job may be in jeopardy and he isn't sure what the future holds for him and the club if the team's losing ways keep up.
That decision, if it's made, it's out of my hands," Washington told ESPN Radio. "And yes, I'm concerned about my job. Who wouldn't be? But I hope that I've gained credibility for what all we've accomplished in the past few years."
He continued: "I'm not calling it a collapse, I'm calling it a slump."
The Rangers haven't held a lead in 63 innings during the seven-game slump that has spanned for nine days, but despite the lackluster play Texas general manager Nolan Ryan doesn't believe Washington needs to go and said that the responsibility falls on the players for not stepping it up.
"Ron is not the guy out there standing on the mound or in the batter's box or fielding a position," Ryan said per ESPN. "Ron has done everything within his power to try to motivate his club, and I just think we have some people having sub-par years, and we've had some injuries, and we just, we brought a lot of young players into our organization that don't have a lot of experience."
The team has lost four one-run games during the stretch and hasn't been hitting the ball well at all while the pitching has gone 1-12 with a 5.99 ERA, according to ESPN.
The Rangers are 2-12 this month just one year after a September collapse that saw the team lose a six-game lead with nine left to play and caused the team to lose the AL West division crown on the final day of the season after Oakland completed a sweep over them last year. The slump led to Texas dropping to the wildcard game against the Baltimore Orioles at home and being eliminated.
"I look at it in the big picture. What we've done here since I've been here, that should mean something," Washington said. "If a blip at the end of the year makes people decide that Ron Washington isn't the guy for the job, there isn't anything I can do about that.
Washington has done a lot in Texas, including leading the team three consecutive playoff appearances and back-to-back World Series trips in 2010 and 2011, though Texas has never been able to win that final game to claim the World Series title, despite being one strike away from it in 2011. Washington also surpassed Bobby Valentine as the winningest manager in franchise history in August and has won 601 games with the franchise.
These days though, the wins aren't coming that easy, and Washington said he's worried, however believes the team will turn it around in its final 13 games.
"We're going to find a way to get out of it because Ron Washington isn't a loser and Ron Washington is not a quitter and never has been and never will be," Washington told ESPN.
If the team wants to turn it around, it better do so fast as Cleveland is on its heels. Texas will hope to begin righting the ship when the team takes on the Tampa Bay Rays tonight on the road.
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