Mariners

ARLINGTON, Texas — Ron Washington felt he was the right man for the job when the Texas Rangers hired him as manager, despite his inexperience in that role and the team's rebuilding effort that was just getting started.

"I knew that through time things would fall into place," the 59-year-old Washington said Monday after getting another two-year contract extension. "And things have certainly done that."

Washington's latest extension, which goes through the 2014 season, came after he led the Rangers to the World Series for the second consecutive season. They had not won a postseason series before taking the last two American League pennants under Washington, who has a 427-383 record over five seasons in Texas.

Washington is the first manager in major-league history to increase his team's victory total in four consecutive seasons after his first year with a club.

"He's become a great manager, and a good personal friend and partner in all that we do," Texas general manager Jon Daniels said. "And obviously a huge part of our success, in my mind, is his ability to set the tone in that clubhouse to continue to teach the game to guys at the big-league level and to demand a lot from our players."

Team president Nolan Ryan, Daniels and the Rangers stuck with Washington late in the 2009 season after he admitted to using cocaine once, a revelation that became public a year later.

Notes

• Brooks Robinson, 74, a Hall of Fame third baseman, remains hospitalized in Florida with a shoulder injury after falling from a stage Friday during a player reception in Hollywood, Fla., the night before the Joe DiMaggio Legends Game in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Robinson is "resting comfortably," said Diane Hock, his representative.

• Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez had surgery on his left knee Friday and will need a second operation on the knee in about six to eight weeks. Team officials said Martinez, 33, is expected to be out for the season.

• Jim Crane, new Houston Astros owner, said he won't change the team's name; he said last week he was considering a switch.

Crane emailed a video message to season-ticket holders that said "one thing that we are not going to change is the name." Crane said he decided to keep the name after receiving "strong feedback and consensus among season-ticket holders and many fans."

Houston was 56-106 last season.