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Ron Washington coaches third base for Oakland A's for first time since 2006

By Alex Hall
It was like this, but with a helmet.
It was like this, but with a helmet.
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Ron Washington was named the Oakland A's new third base coach on Monday, retaking the job that he held from 1997-2006. But we all know the rule: Pics or it didn't happen. We don't make the rules, we only follow them.

Wash looks excited to be back in the coaching box!

Waving home a runner!

The debut wasn't perfect, though. Staring at a 5-0 deficit, with the bases loaded and two out in the fifth, Billy Burns doubled into the right-field corner to score the two lead runners. It appeared that Eric Sogard could have scored from first base as well, and that Wash was indeed waving him to do so, but at some point Wash turned his attention from Sogard to give Burns a stop sign at second base. Unfortunately, Sogard did not turn his attention from Wash and must have thought the stop sign was for him, because he held up and missed a great chance to score.

Fortunately, it didn't end up mattering, because the A's kept on hitting and went on to plate five more runs in the frame to take a 7-5 lead. It's also possible that Sogard didn't score for some other reason and that his communication with Wash was perfect, but one way or other the A's have a new 3B coach today and they had a runner hold up at third when he should have scored. At the moment it's an isolated incident and more likely it was just a new coach shaking the rust off after nine years -- let's not forget, coaching third base is incredibly hard.

Here's a video of the play.

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Welcome home, Wash!

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