ANAHEIM — The Angels were trailing by two runs in the eighth inning of an April game, and José Cisnero was digging a hole. The right-hander issued a walk and gave up a hit to the first two batters he faced in the inning.
Ron Washington headed to the mound.
The Angels manager was not bringing a hook with him, though. Instead, he had a message for Cisnero.
After Washington returned the dugout, Cisnero got a flyout and then back-to-back strikeouts, punctuating the third out by pounding his chest.
Washington said later that he was encouraged to see some “bulldog” out of Cisnero, while refusing to take any credit for his role in summoning that attitude.
That moment in that April 14 game, however, was the first example of something Angels pitchers have come to expect from Washington. Most major league managers only go to the mound to make a change. They leave the other visits for the pitching coach.
Washington is the exception.
“More so than most managers, if he wants to get his point across, he’s going to be the one to relay it,” right-hander Hunter Strickland said. “He’s not going to beat around the bush. He goes straight to the point. … You never know what is going to come out of Wash’s mouth. It’s all honesty and the way he feels. You’ve got to respect that.”
Washington said that’s who he has been ever since he started managing in the big leagues with the Texas Rangers in 2007. He has never abided by the standard protocol that the manager only goes to the mound to make a pitching change.
“When it’s something that I want to deliver, I can’t tell the pitching coach to deliver it because I know he’s not gonna deliver it the way I would,” Washington said. “I want them to hear it directly from me. That’s why I do it.”
Washington said he never wants to regret that he sat in the dugout without even trying to say something that could help the pitcher.
“I like to be proactive, especially when I feel like something is getting away,” he said. “I just want to remind them who they are and what they’re capable of doing, and whose shoulders all of this is on right now. You can handle this. Just give him some encouragement, rather than sit over here on pins and needles, thinking about something.”
As pitchers recalled their visits with Washington, they said that the message is never about pitching mechanics or strategy. That comes from pitching coach Barry Enright.
“I don’t know (expletive) about pitching,” Washington quipped. “All I knew with pitching was how to knock the (expletive) out of it.”
Instead, when Washington comes to the mound, it’s going to be a pep talk. The exact tone – stern, supportive, funny – is determined by the pitcher and the situation.
“When he goes out there, it’s purposeful, to motivate you or hold you accountable,” Enright said. “It’s ‘Hey, get your (expletive) together. You can do this, and this is why.’”
Left-hander Amir Garrett got his first visit from the 72-year-old Washington during the reliever’s second game with the Angels. Garrett suddenly had a flashback.
“My grandfather taught me baseball,” recalled Garrett, who is now at Triple-A. “When Wash was talking to me in that moment, it was like I was seeing my grandfather. It was wild. I’m like, I got to get this (expletive) done.”
Washington waved off the catcher and other infielders so he could have a one-on-one with Garrett.
“We brought you here to get these three guys,” Washington said, recalling his words to Garrett. “Of all the guys down in that bullpen, we chose you, man. Because we know you can do it. So what are you gonna do?”
Garrett responded by striking out the next two hitters on his way to a scoreless inning.
“He blew them away,” Washington said.
Washington’s “record” after his visits has some blemishes. On Sunday he came to visit starter José Soriano as he tried to coax one more out from him with two outs in the eighth, but Soriano issued a walk and gave up a hit and needed to be replaced.
Mostly, though, the pitchers seem to get the job done after Washington’s visits.
“Ron Washington’s got a lot of weight in this game,” veteran left-hander Matt Moore said. “He can maybe wake you up to a situation. It’s definitely a nice tactic to deploy.”
Washington visited Moore just after he’d allowed a two-run homer to cut a four-run lead in half on in the eighth inning on April 15 against Tampa Bay.
“He just came out to let me know that’s behind us, so let’s get these next three and we’ll be alright,” recalled Moore, who did retire the next three hitters.
To some pitchers, the words Washington says aren’t as important as the message he sends by leaving the mound without making a change.
“If he comes out and doesn’t take you out, it shows the confidence he has in you,” said left-handed starter Patrick Sandoval, who stuck around to record the final out of the seventh inning after a Washington pep talk on May 7.
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On Wednesday, Washington came to visit Tyler Anderson with dangerous Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman due in a tie game. Washington stuck with Anderson and the left-hander retired them both.
Washington’s visits have become so routine that no one who has watched the Angels is surprised when he pops out of the dugout instead of Enright.
And that’s fine with Enright.
“To have someone who is fully tuned in to the pitching staff and wants to be involved is really special,” Enright said. “He’s a guy that has spent his entire career inspiring people and motivating people. He has not only a message, but a great message. He goes off of feel. And that’s awesome. I love it.”
UP NEXT
Guardians (LHP Logan Allen, 5-2, 4.91 ERA) at Angels (LHP Patrick Sandoval, 2-6, 4.59 ERA), Friday, 6:38 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM