Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington tests positive for cocaine

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Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine last July, SI.com reported Wednesday.

‘I had a very weak moment,’ Washington said at a news conference Wednesday. ‘I did wrong and I take responsibility for that and I’m sorry.’

The Rangers have decided to retain Washington, who has been subject to increased testing since then and has passed every test.

‘Despite the disappointment, we felt that supporting Ron was the right thing to do,’ Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels told SI.com on Tuesday night.

Washington informed both the commissioner’s office and the Rangers about his cocaine use before the test results were revealed. He was not fined by the team.

‘He made a significant mistake,’ Daniels said. ‘He also admitted to it and took steps to ensure it won’t happen again.’

Washington had not previously failed a Major League Baseball drug test and was treated as a first-time offender. He has undergone extensive outpatient counseling and plans to continue more frequent testing even though he has been cleared by doctors to have his tests reduced.

Major league managers have been subject to testing since 2008. No other major league manager or coach is known to have tested positive for cocaine or any other recreational drug, but first-time offenders aren’t made public.

-- Chuck Schilken