Rico Washington facts for kids

Enrico Aliceno Washington, known as Rico Washington, was born on May 30, 1978. He is a former professional baseball player from the United States. Rico played as an infielder, which means he covered positions like second base, shortstop, or third base. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. Rico finished high school at Jones County High School in 1996.

Rico Washington's Baseball Journey

Rico Washington started his professional baseball career after high school. The Pittsburgh Pirates chose him in the 10th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft. This was a big step for him, as he began playing in the Pirates' minor league system.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

Rico spent six seasons trying to make it to the main team with the Pirates. In 2002, he became available in baseball's Rule 5 draft. This draft allows teams to pick players from other teams' minor league rosters. The San Diego Padres then selected him.

Rico played in the Padres' system in 2003 and 2004. He reached Triple-A, which is just one step below the Major Leagues. However, he did not get to play for the Padres' main team. In 2004, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.

He then signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and played in their farm system in 2005. After that, the Tampa Bay team released him. He then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rico spent 2006 and 2007 playing in the Cardinals' minor league teams.

Making it to Major League Baseball

In 2008, after ten years and many games in the minor leagues, Rico Washington finally made it to the Major Leagues. He was almost 30 years old. The St. Louis Cardinals added him to their main team as a backup infielder. This was a dream come true after years of hard work.

He played for the Cardinals for a short time in 2008. On April 21, 2009, he was sent back to the Triple-A Memphis team.

Playing Overseas and Independent Baseball

Before the 2009 season began, Rico Washington signed with the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. This team plays in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He played there for a period.

In 2010, Rico signed with the Kansas City T-Bones. This team is part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball. Independent leagues are not connected to Major League Baseball teams. He played for them again in 2011. In 2012, Rico played for the Gary SouthShore RailCats, another team in the American Association.

See also

• Rule 5 draft results