Angels loss after team meeting shows more is needed than Ron Washington’s motivation

You tried, Wash. But it's going to take a lot more than words to fix what's going on in the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse. The Angels suffered their sixth straight loss on Tuesday after having a team meeting before LA was defeated by a score of 6-2 against the Detroit Tigers.

After the game, it was revealed that manager Ron Washington called a team meeting before the Angels took the field. This wasn't a players-only meeting — Washington and the coaching staff were involved as well. The Angels' skipper called it a "come to Jesus meeting" and said that it went well.

LA Angels loss after team meeting shows more is needed than Ron Washington’s motivation

While the meeting itself may have gone well, the results on the field certainly didn't show it. The Angels have scored just 12 runs during their six-game losing streak. The Halos' last win saw them score nine runs in that game alone, but the offense has been abysmal ever since.

Johnny Cueto was the victim of another poor offensive performance on Tuesday night from LA's lineup. That said, Cueto himself didn't help the cause by allowing all six of the Tigers' runs during his five innings of work. Three of the six hits that Cueto surrendered cleared the wall, including two homers that chased the right-hander from the game before he recorded a single out in the sixth inning.

Having a manager like Washington lead the way for a young Angels' roster is a good thing. Washington is well-liked and highly regarded throughout the league. Many of the Halos' young players can learn a lot about being a professional from a guy like Wash, who's been around the game forever.

But team meetings and allowing players to voice their feelings and displeasure openly isn't necessarily going to put wins on the board. Tuesday's loss to the Tigers was evidence of that — after all, Detroit is following a similar blueprint as LA with their promotion of young talent while they try to combat ineffective veteran play.

This is now the second team meeting that Washington has called this season. The previous one came two days into the campaign. The Halos are 54-75 in between those two meetings, so one could surmise the organization needs to find another way to cultivate a winning attitude.

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