In 1977, Ron made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played with four other clubs before retiring in 1989 with the Astros. 

Following his retirement as a player, he worked in the Mets' organization for five years. From 1996-2006, Ron served as the first base, infield, and third base coach. In November of 2006, the Rangers hired Washington as their new manager. He led the Rangers to back to back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.