I expect if we asked Dodger fans, especially those who closely follow the minor league system, who the youngest player was in the High A California League in 2013 many of us would guess that it was Corey Seager. We would be just about correct with that guess. Alberti Chavez of the Bakersfield Blaze had 29 at bats late in the season and qualifies as the youngest player to have played in the league in 2013. Seager was the second youngest.

I also expect it we were asked who the youngest coach was in the California League in 2013 we might have no guess at all. That would certainly be the case for those of us who do not attend Quakes games. The answer is Quakes 2013 hitting coach Johnny Washington. In fact, Washington, 29 , was the youngest coach in the entire Dodger minor league system.

Johnny Washington (who also goes by ‘Ray’ and ‘Wash’) spent quite a bit of time working with top Dodgers prospect Cory Seager last season. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Johnny Washington has been assigned to the Great Lakes Loons of the Class A Midwest League for the 2014 season. He will be starting his sixth season as a minor league coach and his first with the Loons after serving the last two years with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Although it does not seem to be a promotion for Washington moving from High A to Low A, I expect it has more to do with the nature of the clientele coming to the Loons. That is, young hitters from the 2013 Ogden Raptors who will most likely be assigned to the Great Lakes roster. We can expect to see some or all of the following Raptors to be promoted to the Loons at some point in 2014.: Kyle Farmer (23), Justin Chigbogu (19), Alex Santana (20), Jesmuel Valentin (19), Joey Curletta (19), Jacob Scavuzzo, Jesus Valdez (21).

Washington was born in Long Beach, California and grew up in neighboring Compton. He is a graduate of the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program (RBI). He attended Mount San Jacinto College and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 27th round of the 2003 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Washington has always been an energetic, enthusiastic young man who loves the game of baseball. His dream was to work as hard as he possibly could and become a major league baseball player. He worked in the Rangers farm system as a second baseman and shortstop for four seasons never playing above a High A level. Two years of independent league play followed and he seemed to be at a dead end in achieving his dream in 2008 at the age of 25.

With his playing career winding down in 2009 Washington had at least two supporters in his corner who recognized his baseball acumen. As far back as 2005 Carlos Subero, then the manager of the Clinton Lumberkings of the Midwest League, noticed something different about the 22 year old Washington. “What stood out to me was how smart he was and how he would pick up stuff that hardly anyone his age or with his experience could pick up as quickly,” Subero said. “Tendencies on hitters, pitchers’ tendencies after only two hitters, already knowing what kind of plans the pitchers had, bat alignments, knowing when a runner is going to try and steal. … He just had a good feel for the game.” By the time Washington retired in 2009, Subero had already recommended to Dodgers Vice President of Player Development DeJon Watson that he be hired as a coach. Within a very few days he was hired as the hitting coach of the Rookie League Ogden Raptors.

John Young the founder of the RBI program and a long time supporter of Johnny Washington also went to bat for his young player. He contacted various MLB teams including the Dodgers asking for an opportunity for Washington to play, just an opportunity. He contacted De Jon Watson and discovered that Watson and his player development team already knew about Washington and would give him an opportunity. After two games with Inland Empire his Dodger playing career ended but his coaching career started.

Perhaps because of his own struggles with hitting a baseball, Washington has a very clear understanding of what it is like to fail at the most difficult task in all of sports. He is not merely a tactician but perhaps more of a mentor and tutor as well as a hitting psychologist seemingly knowing how to comfort young hitters and help them gain confidence. Perhaps being so young he still remembers what it is like to be a young hitter.

The endorsement from his Rancho Cucamonga pupils indicates his style is his style – a youthful approach – and not a borrowed one.

“It’s fun to work with him because he actually knows what he’s talking about and he finds ways to implement what he’s teaching in a fun way,” outfielder Noel Cuevas said. “It’s not like all military. He finds a way to make you feel comfortable in what you’re doing and then he implements what he wants to teach you.”

“A lot of coaches are real old school but he’s more of a new-school type of guy,” shortstop Darnell Sweeney said. “That’s what players like, someone who is closer to the same mind set as them and the fact that he has the same mind set makes it that much easier to play for him. … This is my first full season and to have someone like that in my corner, that’s gonna help me in the long run.”

“I have to a lot of credit to our hitting coach here, Johnny Washington,” Quakes outfielder Scott Schebler said. “He’s just been great. He’s not trying to change everything. He told me ‘What I need is for you to be comfortable at the plate. I’m going to work with you and not work on you.’ I think that’s been huge for me.”

Both Cuevas and Schebler used the term “comfortable” to describe how Washington has helped them. Carlos Subero is not surprised at his success as a hitting coach at such an early age. “He’s a very knowledgeable kid and a student of the game,” Subero said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all at 29 years old he would be where he is. I think he can even be a manager one day.”

As for Johnny Washington, he has not given up on his dream of making it to the big leagues. He now has an opportunity to do so as a coach or manager but that is not his primary focus, this is: “If I can touch one kid each year then I think I’ve done my job. As far as me getting to the big leagues, if it happens great, but if it doesn’t happen my dream was to help kids. That’s why I got into this business.”