Ron Washington Comments on Resignation from Texas Rangers

Ron Washington surprisingly resigned as manager of the Texas Rangers on Sept. 5, citing personal reasons. He spoke to the media on Thursday to address his decision and the reason he stepped down from his job.    

Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News provided a running feed on Twitter from Washington's press conference in which the former Rangers skipper admitted to having an affair

Grant also noted that Washington has asked for another chance:

Washington released a statement after resigning earlier this month, via Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors, saying that he was grateful for the opportunities he's had:

I deeply regret that I’ve let down the Rangers organization and our great fans. Over the past eight seasons, it’s been a privilege to be part of some of the best years in club history and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here, and for the great management, players, and coaches who have made our time here a success.  Thank you for respecting my privacy.

While many people likely will not have sympathy for Washington given what he's admitted to, Grant also made a point to note how much courage it takes to stand in front of the media and say what Washington said:

The 2014 MLB season has been a disaster in every way for the Rangers. It started out looking positive with the addition of Shin-Soo Choo last winter. Washington was even given a contract extension in February through the 2015 season. 

Regarding Washington's extension, general manager Jon Daniels said, via T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, that he was an integral part of the Rangers franchise. 

"We feel as strongly as we ever have about Wash and we expect that to continue for a long time," Daniels said. "He's a big part of who we are and what we are all about and is everything you would want in a leader."

Less than seven months later, when the team announced Washington's resignation, also via Sullivan on MLB.com, Daniels said the team's belief in Washington as a manager was never in doubt: 

I hold Wash in high regard as a manager. His record speaks for itself. There is an opportunity in this game to pick anything apart, but, on the whole, Wash did a tremendous job for the organization. At the end of the day, it was about Wash needing to address a personal matter in his life.

Injuries tore the Rangers apart in spring training as they lost Derek Holland and Jurickson Profar before playing a real game. Choo, Prince Fielder, Yu Darvish, Martin Perez, Matt Harrison, Tanner Scheppers and Engel Beltre all ended up on the 60-day disabled list. 

Washington's resignation was the cherry on top of a season that everyone in Texas wants to forget. The speculation about what led to him stepping down should now cease, though there will be more questions to follow that may never get answered.