Patrick Reusse: Steady approach is working for Rangers and manager Washington

Ron Washington played 564 big-league games, and 452 of those were for the Twins from 1981 through 1986. There was a three-year period (1982 to '84) when the club continually looked for another shortstop and wound up back with "Wash."

Greg Gagne arrived in 1985, and that turned Washington into a utility infielder. He was in Class AAA for part of the 1986 season. In the spring of 1987, there was a spot on the roster for one backup infielder and three candidates: Washington, Al Newman and Ron Gardenhire.

The Twins had traded for Newman. Late in spring training, Washington was released, Gardenhire went to Class AAA Portland and Newman became the all-purpose infielder on two World Series winners.

The losers in that competition -- Washington and Gardenhire -- were running teams in opposite dugouts at Target Field on Friday night.

This is Gardenhire's ninth season as manager of the Twins. He has won five division titles in the previous eight. Washington is in his fourth season as the Texas manager. The Rangers have improved through the first three and now have a real shot to return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

Gardenhire's position in Minnesota could not be more secure. Washington was asked about his status with the anticipated new ownership group in Texas and said: "Being put into bankruptcy will give this group a chance to take care of the Rangers' $75 million debt. When that's cleared up and the sale is done, the new owners will make their decisions."

Washington paused and looked around the visiting manager's office. "Whatever happens, I'm doing great. I'm managing a collection of good people who care about each other and about the game."

Yet, Washington knows that with the falloff of the Angels, there is pressure for the Rangers to win the AL West in 2010, and there also is the possibility new owners will have a different view of Washington's upfront reaction to his positive drug test in July 2009.

Washington has chosen not to explain the circumstance publicly, but around last year's All-Star break, he took cocaine. He was scheduled for a drug test after the break. Before that test, he informed the Commissioner's Office and the Rangers' hierarchy what had occurred and said he anticipated failing the test.

His response included an offer to the Rangers to resign. The Rangers hung with him.

"I didn't run," Washington said. "I went to the Rangers and to the Commissioner's Office. We dealt with it. I thought it was behind me. I didn't want it to become public.

"Someone felt they should put it out there. I felt a lot worse for Major League Baseball, for the Rangers and for my family than I did myself."

It has been 10 weeks since Washington's embarrassment became public. He was asked if there were any changes as a baseball man -- in how he ran his team, in how players or the public reacted to him.

"Not a thing," he said. "The relationship with the players hasn't changed. The Texas fans have been great. Actually, everywhere we've gone, the fans have not made an issue of it. I haven't run into one jerk."

With Friday's 2-1 loss at Target Field, Texas is 26-22 and leading the AL West by a half game.

"We're like most teams: We've had good stretches, and not-so-good," Washington said. "I do believe we're going to get better as the season goes along. Our hitting is OK but not what it can be. Our rotation can be more consistent. And the bullpen is good right now.

"One reason I'm lucky to be managing this club is we brought in a special guy in Vlad Guerrero. All I knew about him from the years he was with the Angels was how he kicked our rear end every night.