:U. L. Washington

{{Infobox baseball biography

|image=U.L. Washington - Kansas City Royals - 1980.jpg

|caption=Washington in 1980

|name=U. L. Washington

|team=

|number=

|position=Shortstop

|bats=Switch

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1953|10|27}}

|birth_place=Stringtown, Oklahoma, U.S.

|death_date={{Death date and age|2024|03|03|1953|10|27}}

|death_place=Atoka, Oklahoma, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 6

|debutyear=1977

|debutteam=Kansas City Royals

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 4

|finalyear=1987

|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.251

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=27

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=255

|teams=

Kansas City Royals ({{mlby|1977}}–{{mlby|1984}})
Montreal Expos ({{mlby|1985}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1986}}–{{mlby|1987}})

}}

U. L. Washington (October 27, 1953 – March 3, 2024) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 to 1987 for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Washington played mostly as a shortstop during his career, and was well known for having a toothpick in the corner of his mouth while on the field and at the plate.

Early life

Washington was born in Stringtown, Oklahoma, as one of 11 children born to Ora Lee and George Washington Jr.{{Cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/u-l-washington/|title=U.L. Washington – Society for American Baseball Research}} The U and L are Washington's legal given name and were not initials of other names.{{cite web |last1=Baldwin |first1=Mike |title=The Toothpicks Always Stuck Out U.L. Wants Fans to Remember His Playing |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1988/06/14/the-toothpicks-always-stuck-out-ul-wants-fans-to-remember-his-playing/62649078007/ |website=The Oklahoman}}{{cite news|first=Craig|last=Muder|title=#CARDCORNER: 1986 TOPPS U L WASHINGTON|date=March 5, 2024|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/CardCorner-1986-Topps-U-L-Washington|access-date=March 5, 2024}}

Washington attended Stringtown High School, graduating in 1971. He attended the nearby Murray State College and played college baseball for the Murray State Aggies for one year.

Playing career

=Kansas City Royals=

After one year at Murray State, Washington was admitted into the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy after his older brother, James, convinced Lou Gorman, the Royals' general manager, to give U. L. a tryout. Washington is one of only three MLB players, along with Ron Washington (no relation) and Frank White, to have been products of the Royals Academy.[http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article940797.html Mellinger, Sam. "Forty years later, Royals Academy lives on in memories," The Kansas City (MO) Star, Saturday, August 2, 2014.]

Washington played for the Royals from 1977 through 1984. His best offensive season was 1982, when he batted .286 with 10 home runs and 60 RBIs – all career highs. Washington was on first base and scored on George Brett's "pine tar" home run in 1983.{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1983/B07240NYA1983.htm |title=Kansas City Royals 5, New York Yankees 4 |website=Retrosheet |date=July 24, 1983}} In his eight seasons with the Royals, Washington hit .254 with 26 home runs and 228 RBIs. He was in four postseason series with the Royals — the 1980 ALCS, 1980 World Series, 1981 ALDS, and 1984 ALCS — batting 12-for-43 (.279) overall.{{cite web |title=U L Washington |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/washiu_01.shtml |website=Baseball Reference |access-date=March 4, 2024}}

=Montreal Expos=

In January 1985, the Royals traded Washington to the Montreal Expos for Mike Kinnunen and minor leaguer Ken Baker.{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/01/07/The-Montreal-Expos-have-acquired-veteran-infielder-UL-Washington/8064473922000/|title=The Montreal Expos have acquired veteran infielder U.L. Washington... – UPI Archives|website=UPI}} He played in 68 games for the Expos as a utility infielder, batting .249 with one home run and 17 RBIs. In November 1985, he became a free agent.

=Pittsburgh Pirates=

Washington signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 1986.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-pirates-sign-ul-washi/142591606/|title=Pirates sign U.L. Washington|newspaper=The Miami Herald |date=April 26, 1986|pages=226|via=newspapers.com}} During his two seasons with the Pirates, he appeared in a total of 82 games, batting .207 with no home runs and ten RBIs, again in a utility infielder role. He was released by the Pirates in October 1987.{{cite web |title=Washington Released by Pirates |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1987/10/09/washington-released-by-pirates/62675240007/ |website=The Oklahoman |access-date=March 4, 2024}} "I won't go back to the minors, but I haven't said I've officially retired. If someone called and said they wanted me to play in the majors I'd go. I spent nine straight years in the majors, so going back to the minors was the toughest thing for me the past two years. At my age it got to where every time out, I was fighting pain off here or there anyway. I really admire the guys who play until they're 40," Washington said early in the 1988 season.

=Senior League=

Washington played for the Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-gazette-orlando-juice/116875510/|title=Orlando Juice|newspaper=Star-Gazette |date=October 26, 1989|pages=30|via=newspapers.com}}

Post-playing career

In 1989, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Washington as the manager of the Welland Pirates in the New York-Penn League.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-star-former-royal-moves/142591813/|title=Former Royal moves to Class A manager|newspaper=The Kansas City Star |date=March 13, 1989|pages=8|via=newspapers.com}} Washington also coached and managed in the minor league organizations of the Royals (1991–98), Los Angeles Dodgers (1999), Minnesota Twins (2001–02), and Boston Red Sox (2003–14). Working for the Greenville Drive in 2013, Washington worked with Mookie Betts, helping him change his swing to become more of a power hitter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2016/06/02/how-mookie-betts-went-from-homer-less-slugger-two-moves/Tzg8qvYHJ7I5fFlobBVx5K/story.html|title=How Mookie Betts went from homer-less to slugger – The Boston Globe|website=BostonGlobe.com}}

In 1992, while coaching the Memphis Chicks, Washington appeared in one game as a shortstop, going hitless in two at bats.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/774036604/|title=The Commercial Appeal 04 Sep 1992, page 38|website=Newspapers.com}}

Personal life

Washington and his wife, Sandra, had two children.

Washington died of cancer in Atoka, Oklahoma, on March 3, 2024, at the age of 70.{{Cite web|url=https://pittsburghbaseballnow.com/former-pirates-shortstop-u-l-washington-dies-at-70/|title=Former Pirates Shortstop U.L. Washington Dies at 70|first=John|last=Perrotto|date=March 3, 2024|website=Pittsburgh Baseball Now}}{{cite news |title=Former Kansas City Royals infielder UL Washington dies at 70 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39652715/former-kansas-city-royals-infielder-ul-washington-dies-70 |access-date=March 5, 2024 |work=ESPN.com |date=March 4, 2024}}