The retooled Los Angeles Angels have turned their attention to 71-year-old Ron Washington as they prepare for the next season.
Washington's hiring surprised many, but many are optimistic he can turn the Halos around after another failed season.
Most talked about his age, though, because some are seeing patterns. The average age of an MLB manager has been declining this century, which is why the former Atlanta Braves bench coach's hiring is uncanny.
The talking point is not exactly negative. Some view age as an advantage, given how older MLB club head coaches conquered the league in the last few seasons.
Dusty Baker did it at 73 last 2022 for the Houston Astros, while Bruce Bochy clinched his fourth title at 68 just last season.
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"It's kind of like older pitchers, you know, there's instincts, they're there for a reason," the Astros player said last month.
"And you can trust your gut. And I think a lot of times it works out."
Washington's task with Angels is to become the next septuagenarian to win a World Series. It is not impossible.
Here are the oldest MLB managers to win the World Series:
1. Dusty Baker, 73 years and 143 days - 2022
Baker broke the record of the oldest MLB manager to win the World Series in 2022. He is also the oldest to appear in the penultimate series of America's top baseball league. He first won the world title in 1981 as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
His wife was not even convinced he could do it again at that age after battling sickness.
"It's unbelievable. I have no words," Melissa, Baker's wife, told FOX 26 after Astros' victory.
"This job almost killed him. He's had a stroke...prostate cancer. All he wants to do is win and finally, it's happened. It's a beautiful thing."
2. Jane McKeon - 72 years, 11 months, and 2 days old
McKeon held this record for almost two decades. He and the Florida (now Miami) Marlins won it all in 2003, making him the oldest manager to win WS.
3. Bruce Bochy - 68 years old, 8 months, and 17 days
Bochy joined this prestigious list on November 1 this year after leading the Texas Rangers to their first-ever World Title against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The feat also made him the first-ever manager to win the world trophy for and against one team.
What is impressive about Bochy's last title is that he was not managing any teams before GM Chris Young hired him.
Washington is 71 years old, and if things fall in the right places and his team wins the trophy, he will be the third oldest manager to do it in baseball's rich history.
Lots of work is waiting for him as Angels will come from a precarious situation as the trade saga on its star player Shohei Ohtani remains to be settled.
Related article: Angels Hire Ron Washington as Manager for 2024
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