Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington admits to cocaine use

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, MLB spokesman Rich Levin and players' association head Michael Weiner declined comment on Washington.

Cocaine was baseball's biggest drug problem in the 1980s, when Dave Parker, Keith Hernandez and several other stars were penalized. Steroids and performance-enhancers have been a far bigger focus in the past decade.

Former Boston slugger Butch Hobson lost his job managing Philadelphia's Triple-A affiliate during the 1996 season after being caught in a cocaine sting.

Washington's contract was extended last year for 2010 before the drug test. His contract expires after this year, which will be his fourth with Texas. The Rangers, out of the playoffs since 1999, stayed in postseason contention until late in the year and finished 87-75.

"Here's the biggest question: How and why did this happen?" Washington said. "That's a question I have had to face in numerous sessions with counselors."

"I recognize that this episode was an attempt to dodge personal anxieties and personal issues I needed to confront," he said. "That was the wrong way to do it. It was self-serving, and believe me, not worth it. I know you will ask, and so here's the answer: This was the one and only time I used this drug."

Asked whether he believed Washington's explanation, Ryan said: "I don't know the circumstances, but after Major League Baseball investigated it, they came back and felt like it was a one-time incident. Ron expressed that to us."

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said team management was initially "shocked, disappointed, angry" when Washington told them about his drug use.

"We felt it was important he acknowledged doing what he did. That was our first priority," Daniels said.

Hamilton, who said he knew nothing of Washington's cocaine use until Wednesday, said the matter was rightly handled privately by the organization.

"Really everything was taken care of like it needed to be," Hamilton said. "Somebody just felt like they needed to run their mouth and caused a stir. At the same time, the stir didn't affect us. You know we're a team. We're pulling behind Wash. We respect him more than anybody. For me personally as a player, I feel real privileged and honored to have Wash as a manager because he is a guy you can trust, a guy you can look to and know he's going to do the right thing."

Hamilton said he thought he knew the source of the initial story.

"Not somebody with the organization anymore," he said, "and it's a good thing they're not."

He didn't elaborate.

Washington has been a supporting figure for Hamilton, who acknowledged his sobriety had lapsed when he drank in a Tempe bar in January of 2009. Hamilton's public confession came last August after a Web site published photos of him cavorting with several scantily clad women.

"Walking in today, hearing what Wash had to say, it really doesn't change how he supports me, how he supports my recovery," Hamilton said. "Like I said before, I look at Wash, Wash is not an addict, he's not addicted to drugs. He didn't ruin his life. It didn't take him in directions he didn't want to go. He made that one mistake, he manned up to it. He's somebody I'm going to draw inspiration from, especially after this."

Washington had been a coach with the Oakland Athletics for 11 years when Texas hired him in November 2006. His only prior managerial experience had been two years in the low minors.

Washington played 10 seasons in the majors, mostly as an infielder for Minnesota in the 1980s.

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