Diamondbacks Dismiss GM Towers; Washington Resigns as Rangers Manager

By Francisco Romero.-

As the regular Major League baseball season comes to an end, several teams are making changes at the top.

Picture Courtesy of MLB.com

Earlier in the week the Houston Astros relieved manager Bo Porter of his duties and the Arizona Diamondbacks dismissed General Manager Kevin Towers.  In an unpredictable move, Rangers’ manager Ron Washington resigned.

Towers was hired by the Diamondbacks in 2010, during his tenure, the team posted a record of 320-317 and won the 2011 West Division Championship in his first season.

“Over the past three months, I have had the opportunity to evaluate all aspects of our baseball operations and have decided to restructure our staff in order to improve our decision-making process,” said D-backs Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa. “I have the utmost respect for Kevin and a friendship with him that dates back many years which has allowed me to appreciate his talents and experience.”

A press released by the Arizona Diamondbacks states the Towers has been offered to stay with the organization.

Ron Washington Resigns

In an unexpected turn of events, Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington resigned.

The Rangers are going through a tough season plagued by injuries.  As of Friday September 6^th, the Rangers record stands at 53-88.

Washington was appointed as the Texas Rangers 17th full-time manager on November 6, 2006. His record at the helm is 664-611, and he is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular season wins and games managed (1275). He has also compiled an 18-16 record over post-season appearances in 2010 (A.L. Champs), 2011 (A.L. Champs), and 2012 (A.L. Wild Card).

Picture Courtesy of MLB.com

“While we are disappointed, we accept Ron’s decision and are grateful for his many contributions to the Rangers organization over the last eight years. This has certainly been a difficult season for our major league club in terms of on-field performance, but we were looking forward to moving ahead with Ron as our manager in 2015,” Said Rangers President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jon Daniels through a press release.   

Tim Bogar stepped in as the interim manager for the rest of the season.