Mookie Betts' long-time developmental hitting coach and former U.L. Washington died last year after a long battle with cancer. Betts had recalled a time when he wanted to quit baseball altogether, but much-needed help from the former infielder changed his life.
In 2013, when Mookie Betts was struggling in the developmental leagues of the Boston Red Sox organization, he had contemplated choosing an alternative career path. He recorded 11-for-70 with an average of .157 for the Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League.
Betts took the ACT and looked to get into colleg,e where he wanted to have a crack at basketball. Only a few of his close people were aware of this. In an interview with The Orange County Register in March 2024, Betts said:
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“Oh, yeah. I was hitting .130. I was genuinely ready to quit. 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.”
But Washington helped him develop the strong swing that catapulted him to the Red Sox MLB roster within a year.
“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.
Betts turned things around, ending with a .313 average across two different levels in the organization. The rest that followed was history, rising to fame as one of the best batters in the sport, leading the Red Sox to a World Series title and winning MVP honors in 2018, before winning 2 more World Series with the Dodgers.
Mookie Betts credited his entire career to U.L. Washington
For Betts, if his former coach hadn't worked with him on his swing, he wouldn't have made it this far. Even after going on to the big leagues, Betts would remain in contact with the former Kansas City Royals infielder famous for holding a toothpick in his mouth during play.
“He’s responsible for really everything that I became,” Betts had claimed.
Washington fought with cancer before the news of his death came in early March in 2024. He had quit coaching to spend his final days with his family in Oklahoma.
“I’m glad that the fight, the battle, whatever he was going through is over with,” Betts said. “But when I think of U.L., it’s just laughs and jokes.
Betts would surely love to recall all the motivation he received from his coach as he tries to navigate through the toughest season since his MLB debut. He is hitting at .236 in 104 games with 48 RBIs and 11 home runs.
