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Texas stunner: Washington steps down as manager

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ron Washington gathered his players for what they thought would be another team meeting in a surprisingly dreary season.

Instead the Texas manager delivered the biggest shock of all: He was stepping down immediately.

Washington resigned Friday, saying he needed to devote his full attention to an “off-the-field personal matter.”

The announcement came a day after the injury-ravaged Rangers (53-87) lost their sixth straight game and became the first team in the majors mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Only three years ago, Texas reached its second consecutive World Series under Washington.

“It’s like losing your dad,” pitcher Derek Holland said. “I was extremely close with him. He’s taught me a lot both on and off the field and I didn’t see any of this coming at all. I’m lost for words.”

Washington issued a statement in which he said his resignation had nothing to do with the team’s record. He did not disclose any details of why he was leaving, but did give general manager Jon Daniels permission to say at a news conference that the move “was not drug-related.”

During spring training in 2010, it was disclosed that Washington had admitted to using cocaine once the previous year, but team executives stood by him. The manager got a two-year contract extension in 2012, then during spring training earlier this year had another season added through 2015.

“As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what’s best for me and my family,” Washington said. “This is in no way related to the disappointing performance of the team this season. We were already discussing 2015 and looking forward to getting the Rangers back to postseason contention.”

Tim Bogar, who is in his first season as Washington’s bench coach, will be the interim manager. Daniels said the club “most likely” would open a managerial search after the season.

“It’s obviously not exactly how you want to become a manager for the first time, especially when you take over for a really good friend,” Bogar said. “He coached me in Triple-A, he basically taught me how to get to the big leagues, and then I was a colleague.”

Third baseman Adrian Beltre said he hadn’t noticed anything different in Washington in recent weeks, the time frame offered by Daniels for when Washington’s issue arose.

“It’s difficult trying to separate what was going on with him or the team,” Beltre said. “If you see a guy not being himself or not being happy, we’ve got plenty of reasons for not being happy here. So I couldn’t pick up if something was going on with him and I have no idea.”

When asked if people should be concerned for Washington or someone in his family, Daniels again would not get into specifics. The 62-year-old Washington is married, but has no children.

“I certainly think well-wishes and thoughts for him and his family are appropriate,” Daniels said.

The Rangers have been out of contention for months in a season so filled with injuries that they are the first team in major league history to use 60 players. That total reached 63 after two more pitchers made their major league debuts in a 10-2 loss to Seattle on Thursday night.

Of the primary additions last winter, slugger Prince Fielder missed most of the year after neck surgery and leadoff hitter Shin-Soo Choo was slowed all season by an ankle injury before an elbow issue shut him down for good.

Ace pitcher Yu Darvish is likely to finish the season on the disabled list because of right elbow inflammation. Left-handers Matt Harrison (back) and Martin Perez (elbow surgery) also are sidelined, and Holland didn’t make his first start until this week after injuring his knee tripping over his dog.

“This has been a difficult season for the team on the field for a variety of reasons, but it was very clear throughout the organization, publicly, privately, and with Ron, that he was coming back,” Daniels said. “We were planning on him to be back as our manager for 2015, and the bottom line is that you don’t have a season like we had without a number of things going wrong.”

Washington was hired after the 2006 season, replacing the fired Buck Showalter. The team’s winningest manager and the only one to lead the franchise to the World Series, Washington leaves with a 664-611 record (.521 winning percentage).

The hiring of Washington came a year after Daniels had become the youngest GM in major league history. Washington had been a coach the previous 11 seasons in Oakland, where he had been credited for developing the organization’s top infielders.

Washington was a skinny middle infielder who had more than twice as many games in the minors than the majors in 20 seasons as a professional player. He then spent four years as a minor league coach before his 11 seasons in Oakland.

“He means everything,” said shortstop Elvis Andrus, who made his big league debut at 20 without playing a game above Double-A. “I think he’s actually the reason that I always feel so comfortable here in the big leagues. He always had my back no matter what.”

Bobby Jones, an assistant hitting coach who has been with the organization for 27 years, will be Bogar’s bench coach.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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