Andrus retires as Ranger, Wash by his side

This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ARLINGTON -- Elvis Andrus knew he wanted to retire as a Ranger. The club’s longtime shortstop hasn’t been a member of the organization since the 2020 season, but Texas always had a special place in his heart as the place where he grew, both on and off the field.

So when he signed a one-day contract to retire as a Ranger, he also wanted his longtime manager Ron Washington to be there as well. Washington was Texas’ manager during Andrus’ first six Major League seasons.

Washington, now the manager of the visiting Los Angeles Angels, was more than happy to be on hand for Andrus’ retirement press conference on Friday afternoon.

“I think going back to the beginning of his career, Elvis did come into a really good spot with Wash as his manager,” said longtime teammate Michael Young of the relationship between Andrus and Washington. “Wash has a really high bar for work. He makes you work, but as a young player, he also understands that it's a progression. You're going to develop, you're going to make mistakes, and he stays with you and talks about it.

“Ultimately, I think a lot of times people see Elvis as this young kid who had had all these mentors, and he did. But he did it. No one else did it for him. He didn't do it because we were there. He did it because he was good.”

Andrus was signed by the Braves out of Venezuela when he was 16. But on July 31, 2007, Andrus was traded to the Rangers as part of a package that sent Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay to Atlanta. He made his MLB debut at 20 years old, joining a jam-packed Rangers infield with the likes of Young and Ian Kinsler. Hall of Famer Adrian Beltré would join in 2011.

Andrus was an exciting young prospect who would finish second in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2009. He was an All-Star in 2010 at 21 and again in 2012 at 23. He helped the Rangers to a pair of AL Pennants in 2010-11 all the while holding his own in the middle of powerful Texas lineups.

“I often answer the question of how I was able to play in the big leagues at such a young age and perform so freely and relaxed in the World Series,” Andrus said. “My answer to that question has been Ron Washington. …What I’ve learned from Wash is just working hard. Talent can get you to the big leagues, you have to work at it and want it to keep you there for a long time. I learned that at such a young age.”

Washington praised Andrus for always being a winner and a leader early in his professional career, even when he was surrounded by veterans -- many of whom were the best in the game. He admits to riding Andrus hard at times throughout their partnership. But all of that led to the person and player Andrus is today.

“What a player,” Washington said of Andrus. “A very, very special player, and I'm honored and humbled to be up here with him. ... He was a tremendous teammate. Once again, everything that Elvis accomplished, he had to learn how to do it. He didn't come in with all of that on his resume. He had to learn how to do it. He had people around him that made certain that he recognized what he was capable of doing.

“Right now, I look at him ... and he deserves where he is, and he was the biggest part of it. All we were was guidance. We just got him. You can guide people to the water, but you can't make them drink. You can give a lot of people information about things that are right, but until they decide that is right for them, you never know. But he always knew that it was right because it was love from the beginning.”