It's been almost seven years since Ron Washington managed the Texas Rangers to the cusp of a World Series title. Washington, now the third-base coach in Atlanta, still ponders how things might have turned out differently in Game 6 of the 2011 Fall Classic.
With two outs in the ninth inning and the Rangers leading, 7-5, Cardinals third baseman David Freese hit a two-run triple over the head of right fielder Nelson Cruz. Two innings later, Freese tied the Series with a game-winning home run.
If he had to do it over again, Washington said he would have had Cruz play deeper in right field.
"We had the Cardinals in no-doubles [defense] all the time," Washington said in the Newsmakers podcast. "Freeze was slicing the ball to the right side. That's the one time I didn't check on my right fielder. He was thinking. He was coming in a couple of steps and got beat and that's where it happened. Other than that, I think we did everything we were supposed to do. It just didn't happen."

Washington may have lost to the Cardinals in that World Series, but he had a successful run with the Rangers from 2007 to 2014, going 664-611 and guiding the team to two World Series appearances. Washington cited personal reasons when he resigned as Rangers manager during the final month of the 2014 season.
"Once you sit in that seat, there is nothing like being in charge," Washington said. "There is nothing like implementing the things that you think are very creative, very effective in the game of baseball. There is nothing like it. I'm certainly interested [in managing again], but we have to wait and see what happens.
"You just have to wait and see if there is a general manager who can convince an owner that you are the guy. ... When I got the job in Texas, that's what happened with [Rangers general manager] Jon Daniels. We'll see what happens."