Claudell Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Claudell Washington |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: August 31, 1954 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Died: June 10, 2020 (aged 65) Orinda, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| July 5, 1974, for the Oakland Athletics | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 18, 1990, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .278 | ||
| Home runs | 164 | ||
| Runs batted in | 824 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Claudell Washington (born August 31, 1954 – died June 10, 2020) was an American baseball player. He was an outfielder who played for seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for several teams, including the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, and California Angels. His career lasted from 1974 until 1990. Claudell batted and threw with his left hand.
He was signed by the Oakland Athletics in 1972. He played in their minor league teams before joining the major leagues in 1974. That year, he helped the Athletics win the World Series. In 1975, he was chosen as an All-Star. Claudell later played for many other teams, including the Atlanta Braves, where he became an All-Star again in 1984. He finished his career with the New York Yankees in 1990.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Claudell Washington was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 31, 1954. He grew up in Berkeley. He went to Berkeley High School. He also worked as a janitor.
Claudell did not play for his high school baseball team. This was because the coach wanted him to be a pitcher, but Claudell wanted to play in the outfield. Even so, a scout named Jim Guinn saw him playing sandlot ball. Guinn worked for the Oakland Athletics. He signed Claudell as a free agent in 1972. Claudell received US$3,000, which was a good amount of money back then.
Becoming a Major League Star
Claudell Washington was one of the youngest All-Stars ever. He was chosen for the 1975 American League (AL) All-Star team when he was just 20 years old. That year, he had a great batting average of .308. This was the fifth best in the AL. He also had 40 stolen bases, which was the second most in the league.
Before the 1977 season, Claudell was traded to the Texas Rangers. He was traded for two other players, Rodney Scott and Jim Umbarger.
Playing for Many Teams
Claudell was traded again in 1978 to the Chicago White Sox. He had a tough year in 1978. But he played much better in 1979. In the middle of the next season, he was traded once more. This time, he went to the New York Mets.
Claudell was known for his speed. But he could also hit for power. On July 14, 1979, while playing for the Chicago White Sox, he hit three home runs in one game. He did this again on June 22, 1980, for the New York Mets. This made him only the third player to hit three home runs in a game in both the AL and the National League (NL). The other two were Babe Ruth and Johnny Mize.
After the 1980 season, Claudell became a free agent. He signed with the Atlanta Braves before the 1981 season. He played for the Braves for five and a half years. In September 1982, he was named the NL Player of the Month. He was also chosen for the All-Star team again in 1984.
In June 1986, Claudell was traded from the Braves to the New York Yankees. He was traded along with Paul Zuvella for Ken Griffey, Sr. and Andre Robertson. He stayed with the Yankees for two more years. In April 1988, he hit the 10,000th home run in Yankees history.
After the 1988 season, Claudell became a free agent again. He signed a contract with the California Angels. In April 1990, he was traded back to the Yankees. He was traded with Rich Monteleone for Luis Polonia.
Claudell was later released by the Yankees. He retired after the 1990 season. He finished his career with 164 home runs, 824 runs batted in, and 312 stolen bases. His lifetime batting average was .278.
Claudell Washington struck out 39 times against Nolan Ryan. This was more times than any other batter.
Later Life and Passing
Claudell Washington passed away on June 10, 2020. He was 65 years old. He had been dealing with cancer since 2017. He died at a hospital in the East Bay.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
