Former Kansas City Royals infielder UL Washington dies at 70

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Former Kansas City Royals infielder UL Washington dies at 70​

Former major league middle infielder UL Washington, who was known for his time playing in Kansas City and his trademark toothpick, died over the weekend after a reported battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Washington played 11 seasons with three teams, most notably the Royals from 1977 to '84. His two-out single in the ninth inning of a game in July 1983 against the New York Yankees set up the infamous pine tar incident involving his teammate George Brett. Washington hit .251 with 27 home runs, 255 RBIs and 132 stolen bases in 907 career games with the Royals, Montreal Expos (1985) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1986-87). He helped Kansas City win its first American League pennant in 1980. But he might best known for playing with a toothpick in his mouth.

"I'd much rather be remembered as a pretty good player, but I realize most people will remember me as the guy with the toothpick," Washington told the Oklahoman in 1988.

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U.L. Washington, who helped Royals to first AL pennant, dies at age of 70

If not for U.L. Washington, two of the biggest moments in George Brett’s career may never have happened. Washington, the former Royals infielder who died Sunday at the age of 70, had a two-out single in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the 1980 American League Championship Series. Brett followed with a towering three-run home run off Yankees star Goose Gossage that sent the Royals to their first World Series. And then there was this: The Royals were trailing the Yankees 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning on July 24, 1983 when Washington had a two-out single against Dale Murray. New York manager Billy Martin summoned Gossage to face Brett, setting up the infamous “Pine Tar Game” moment.

It was a nontraditional path to the majors. The Society for American Baseball Research noted that after Washington graduated from Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, he got a tryout thanks to his brother James, who was an usher at Royals games. Washington had a workout at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City and another in Florida before he signed with the team and went to the Royals Academy in Sarasota. The Royals did ask one question: what does U.L. stand for? “U.L..” he told the team, as a paper in Oklahoma reported in the mid-1970s, “stood for nothing else. Just U.L.” Washington made his Royals debut on Sept. 6, 1977, the first of 10 games for him that season. Playing mostly at the middle infield positions,

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