{{Short description|American baseball player (1953–2024)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{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,<ref name=toothpicks/> one of 11 children born to Ora Lee and George Washington Jr.<ref name="sabr">{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Malcolm |date=March 3, 2024 |title=U.L. Washington |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/u-l-washington/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> The ''U'' and ''L'' are Washington's legal given name and were not initials of other names.<ref name="toothpicks">{{cite web |last1=Baldwin |first1=Mike |date=1988-06-14 |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}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Muder |first=Craig |date=March 5, 2024 |title=#CARDCORNER: 1986 TOPPS U L WASHINGTON |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/CardCorner-1986-Topps-U-L-Washington |access-date=March 5, 2024 |work=National Baseball Hall of Fame |publisher=}}</ref>

Washington attended Stringtown High School, graduating in 1971. He attended nearby Murray State College and played college baseball for the Aggies for one season.<ref name=sabr/><ref name=toothpicks/>

==Playing career== ===Kansas City Royals=== After one year at Murray State, Washington joined the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy after his older brother, James, convinced Royals general manager Lou Gorman to give him a tryout.<ref name=sabr/> Washington is one of only three MLB players, along with Ron Washington (no relation) and Frank White who are products of the Royals Academy.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mellinger |first=Sam |date=August 2, 2014 |title=Forty years later, Royals Academy lives on in memories |url=http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article940797.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803214750/http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article940797.html |archive-date=2014-08-03 |work=The Kansas City Star |language=en}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1983/B07240NYA1983.htm |title=Kansas City Royals 5, New York Yankees 4 |website=Retrosheet |date=July 24, 1983}}</ref> In 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 American League Championship Series (ALCS) and World Series, 1981 American League Division Series, and 1984 ALCS — batting 12-for-43 (.279) in the playoffs.<ref name="basball reference">{{cite web |title=U L Washington |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/washiu_01.shtml |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=Baseball Reference}}</ref>

===Montreal Expos=== In January 1985, the Royals traded Washington to the Montreal Expos for Mike Kinnunen and minor leaguer Ken Baker.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1985-01-07 |title=The Montreal Expos have acquired veteran infielder U.L. Washington... |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/01/07/The-Montreal-Expos-have-acquired-veteran-infielder-UL-Washington/8064473922000/ |website=UPI}}</ref> Washington 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.<ref name=sabr/>

===Pittsburgh Pirates=== Washington signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 1986.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |date=1987-10-09 |title=Washington Released by Pirates |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1987/10/09/washington-released-by-pirates/62675240007/ |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=The Oklahoman}}</ref> "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.<ref name=toothpicks/>

===Senior League=== Washington played for the Orlando Juice of the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Post-playing career== In 1989, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Washington as the manager of the Welland Pirates in the New York–Penn League.<ref name=welland>{{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}}</ref> 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).<ref name=sabr/> While coaching the Greenville Drive in 2013, Washington helpedMookie Betts change his swing to become more of a power hitter.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

In 1992, while coaching the Memphis Chicks, Washington appeared in one game as a shortstop, going hitless in two at bats.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 September 1992 |title=Jennings's double gives Chicks split |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/774036604/ |website=The Commercial Appeal |page=38}}</ref>

==Personal life== Washington and his wife, Sandra, had two children.<ref name=sabr/> He died on March 3, 2024, at age 70, after a battle with cancer, in Atoka, Oklahoma.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

Washington regularly kept a toothpick in his mouth during games, a habit he developed in his youth as an alternative to chewing tobacco, which he disliked, and also in partial emulation of his father.“My father did the same thing. It’s just a habit,” he said. “But without it, I feel naked. People act like all this is strange, but I don’t think it’s strange at all.”<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gazdziak |first=Sam |date=2024-03-13 |title=Obituary: U.L. Washington (1953-2024) |url=https://ripbaseball.com/2024/03/13/obituary-u-l-washington-1953-2024/ |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=RIP Baseball}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{cite web |url=https://www.royalsreview.com/2009/5/11/872025/the-100-greatest-royals-of-all |title=The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time – #32 UL Washington |first=Max |last=Rieper |website=Royals Review |publisher=SB Nation |date=May 11, 2009}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=123967 |espn= |br=w/washiu_01 |fangraphs= |brm=washin001u-- |retro=W/Pwashu001}} *[http://www.tradingcarddb.com/GalleryP.cfm/pid/6169/U.L.-Washington U. L. Washington baseball cards]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, U. L.}} Category:1953 births Category:2024 deaths Category:African-American baseball coaches Category:African-American baseball managers Category:African-American baseball players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Category:Baseball coaches from Oklahoma Category:Baseball players from Oklahoma Category:Hawaii Islanders players Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Kansas City Royals players Category:Kingsport Royals players Category:Major League Baseball shortstops Category:Memphis Chicks players Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Murray State College alumni Category:Junior college baseball players in the United States Category:Montreal Expos players Category:Omaha Royals players Category:Orlando Juice players Category:People from Atoka County, Oklahoma Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:San Bernardino Pride players Category:San Jose Bees players Category:Tiburones de La Guaira players Category:Vancouver Canadians players Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:Deaths from cancer in Oklahoma Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen