Claudell Washington (August 31, 1954June 10, 2020) was an American
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
who played seventeen seasons in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB). He played for the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
,
Texas Rangers,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
,
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, and
California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
from 1974 until 1990. He batted and threw left-handed.
Washington was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in 1972 and played for three of their
minor league affiliates until 1974, when the Athletics promoted him to the major leagues. He won the
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
that year and was selected as an
All-Star in 1975. After spending three seasons with the organization, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. He was subsequently dealt to the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets. He signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1980 and was named an All-Star again in 1984. He later played for the New York Yankees and California Angels. He returned to the Yankees in 1990 and played his last game on June 18 that year.
Early life
Washington was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, on August 31, 1954, and was raised in
Berkeley
Berkeley most often refers to:
*Berkeley, California, a city in the United States
**University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California
* George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher
Berkeley may also refer ...
.
He attended
Berkeley High School and also worked as a janitor.
He never played for his school's baseball team because the coach wanted him to pitch, while he desired to be an outfielder. He was nonetheless scouted while playing
sandlot ball
Sandlot ball or sandlot baseball is a competitive and athletic sports game that follows the basic rules and procedures of baseball. It is often less organized and structured, as the name alludes to a makeshift field or an empty lot.
History and ...
by Jim Guinn, who worked for the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
. Guinn signed Washington as an undrafted
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
to a contract worth
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
3,000 (equivalent to approximately $18,500 in 2020) in 1972.
[
]
Professional baseball career
Washington was one of the youngest All-Stars in major league history when he was named to the 1975 American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
(AL) All-Star team at the age of 20. He finished fifth in the AL in batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
with a mark of .308 and second in stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...
s with a total of 40. Prior to the 1977 season, Washington was traded to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Rodney Scott and left-handed pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Jim Umbarger
James Harold Umbarger (born February 17, 1953) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He attended Grant High School in Van Nuys, California, and was the 33rd pick in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft by the Cleveland Indians, bu ...
.
Washington was dealt along with Rusty Torres
Rosendo "Rusty" Torres Hernández (born September 30, 1948) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball for five different teams. In an odd coincidence, Torres happened to be in the ...
from the Rangers to the Chicago White Sox for Bobby Bonds
Bobby Lee Bonds (March 15, 1946 – August 23, 2003) was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants. Noted for his outstanding combination of power hitting and speed, he was the first pl ...
on May 16, 1978. After struggling in 1978, both before and after the trade, Washington bounced back with a solid 1979 campaign. He was traded once again midway through the following season to the New York Mets for a minor leaguer.
Speed was Washington's ally, but he was also capable of showing outbursts of power. On July 14, 1979, while playing for the Chicago White Sox, Washington hit three home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s in one game. He repeated this feat on June 22, 1980, while playing for the New York Mets. He became the third player to hit three home runs in a game in both the AL and the National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL), after Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
and Johnny Mize
John Robert Mize (January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993), nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat", was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons between 1936 an ...
.
Washington became a free agent after the 1980 season, and signed with the Atlanta Braves before the 1981 season. Washington spent the next five and a half seasons with the Braves, and was named NL Player of the Month in September, 1982, and was named to the All-Star team again in 1984.[
In 1985, Washington was among a number of players caught up in the ]Pittsburgh drug trials
The Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 were the catalyst for a Major League Baseball-related cocaine scandal. Several current and former members of the Pittsburgh Pirates – Dale Berra, Lee Lacy, Lee Mazzilli, John Milner, Dave Parker, Rod Scurry ...
scandal. In 1986, he was given a 60-day suspension but was allowed to continue playing if he donated five percent of his base salary and contributed 50 hours of drug-related community service.
Washington was traded in June 1986, from the Braves to the New York Yankees, along with Paul Zuvella
Paul Zuvella (born October 31, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball player and minor league baseball manager. Primarily a shortstop and second baseman, he stood 6'0" tall, weighed 178 pounds, and batted and threw right-handed.
Atlan ...
, for outfielder Ken Griffey, Sr.
George Kenneth Griffey (born April 10, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won ...
and infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.
Standard arrangement of positions
In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...
Andre Robertson
Andre Levett Robertson (born October 2, 1957) is an American retired baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played five seasons for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4th round of ...
. He re-signed with the Yankees after the 1986 season, and spent two more years with the Yankees. In April 1988, he hit the Yankees' 10,000th franchise home run. After the 1988 season, Washington once again became a free agent, and signed a contract with the California Angels. Washington was part of yet another mid-season trade in April 1990, when he was traded back to the Yankees, along with Rich Monteleone
Richard Monteleone (born March 22, 1963) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and coach.
Career
Monteleone was the first round pick (20th overall) for the Detroit Tigers in the 1982 draft. However, he began his major league care ...
, for outfielder Luis Polonia
Luis Andrew Polonia Almonte (born December 10, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He currently resides in Santiago, in the Dominican Republic, his hometown.
Signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur fr ...
.[
Washington was eventually released by the Yankees, and retired following the 1990 season. He finished his career with 164 home runs, 824 RBI, 312 stolen bases and a lifetime batting average of .278.][
Washington ]struck out
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denot ...
39 times against pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanning four decades, Ryan ...
, more times than any other batter.
Death
Washington died on June 10, 2020, at a hospital in the East Bay
The East Bay is the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area and includes cities along the eastern shores of the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The region has grown to include inland communities in Alameda and Contra Costa countie ...
.[ He was 65, and had been suffering from ]prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
since 2017.[ He chose to stop treatment the following year.][
]
In popular culture
Game footage of Washington with Atlanta appears in the 1986 movie ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes and co-produced by Tom Jacobson. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck with supporting roles by Jennifer Grey ...
''. In the film, Washington hits a foul ball
In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that:
* Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or
* Bounces and then goes past first or third base on or over foul territory, or
* Has its first bounce occu ...
at a Cubs game which is caught by the film's title character, who was supposedly sick at home from school. The footage was taken from a game played on June 5, 1985.
See also
*List of doping cases in sport
The following is an incomplete list of sportspeople who have been involved in doping offences. It contains those who have been found to have, or have admitted to having, taken Doping (sport), illegal performance-enhancing drugs, prohibited recrea ...
*List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 7.01 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acqu ...
References
External links
Claudell Washington
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington, Claudell
1954 births
2020 deaths
Major League Baseball right fielders
Atlanta Braves players
California Angels players
Chicago White Sox players
New York Mets players
New York Yankees players
Oakland Athletics players
Texas Rangers players
American League All-Stars
National League All-Stars
Baseball players from Los Angeles
Baseball players from Berkeley, California
African-American baseball players
Coos Bay-North Bend A's players
Burlington Bees players
Birmingham A's players
Major League Baseball players suspended for drug offenses
Deaths from cancer in California
Deaths from prostate cancer
20th-century African-American sportspeople
21st-century African-American people