Rangers manager Ron Washington resigns

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington resigned Friday afternoon, hours before the team plays the Seattle Mariners. 

Washington issued the following statement:

Today, I have submitted my resignation from the job I love — managing the Rangers — in order to devote my full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter. As painful as it is, stepping away from the game is what’s best for me and my family.

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.

I deeply regret that I’ve let down the Rangers organization and our great fans. Over the past eight seasons, it’s been a privilege to be part of some of the best years in club history, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here and for the great management, players, and coaches who have made our time here a success.

Thank you for respecting my privacy.

The Rangers are a dismal 53-87 entering play Friday, but Jon Daniels, team president of baseball operations and general manager, had nothing but kind things to say about Washington.

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.

Ron has guided the Rangers franchise to more victories than any manager in club history, including four straight 90-win seasons, three playoff appearances, and back-to-back American League championships. He has left his mark as a teacher, motivator, and leader on this organization. We wish Ron the best as he deals with this matter.

Washington offered his resignation in July 2010 after admitting he used cocaine the previous season. 

The Rangers front office rejected the offer and put Washington through team and league substance abuse programs. It doesn't appear that incident is related to Friday's sudden announcement.

Bench coach Tim Bogar will serve as the interim manager.