GLENDALE, Ariz. — For many people, it’s one teacher in their past that unlocked their potential and set them on their life’s path.
For Mookie Betts, that teacher was U.L. Washington.
“He was the No. 1 reason I am who I am today,” Betts said of Washington, who passed away over the weekend after a battle with cancer.
Washington was an infielder for 11 major-league seasons in the 1970s and ’80s, mostly with the Kansas City Royals. After his playing career, he spent years as a minor-league coach – including in the Boston Red Sox system when Betts was in his formative years.
A fifth-round pick in the 2011 MLB draft, Betts was assigned to Class-A Greenville (N.C.) in 2013. Washington was the team’s hitting coach.
“I had him a couple springs before. I would hit with him and then go to my affiliate or whatever,” Betts said.
“Then he was a coach in Greenvile for that year. You can look up the numbers – I was hitting .130 for the first month or however long it was.”
Betts was so frustrated that he not only considered quitting, he started planning for it. He took the ACT and prepared to go to college and play basketball.
“Oh, yeah. I was hitting .130. I was genuinely ready to quit,” Betts said. “I was ready to go. I was genuinely ready to go.
“(Washington) had no idea about any of that. Nobody did except me, my wife, my parents and then my home boys.”
Betts said Washington never said anything to him, just went to work with the 20-year-old, arriving early and re-making Betts’ swing and refining his defense.
“It was just me and him,” Betts said. “I remember. I would go early and he would work with me. I had a big leg kick. He took out my leg kick. He moved my hands around a little bit.
“He’s responsible for really everything that I became.”
Betts said he stayed in touch with Washington over the years. The Oklahoma native known for playing with a toothpick in his mouth retired from coaching several years ago and…
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