Lenny Randle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lenny Randle |
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Randle in 1974
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| Second baseman / Third baseman | ||||||||
| Born: February 12, 1949 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Died: December 29, 2024 (aged 75) Murrieta, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||
| June 16, 1971, for the Washington Senators | ||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||
| June 20, 1982, for the Seattle Mariners | ||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||
| Batting average | .257 | |||||||
| Home runs | 27 | |||||||
| Runs batted in | 322 | |||||||
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Medals
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Leonard Shenoff Randle (born February 12, 1949 – died December 29, 2024) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners. His career lasted from 1971 to 1982.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Lenny Randle was born in Long Beach, California. He was a talented athlete at Centennial High School. He was the captain of both the baseball and football teams there.
After high school, he was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 baseball draft. But Randle decided to go to Arizona State University instead. He played football and second base for the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team. In 1969, his baseball team won the NCAA championship. He also earned a college degree.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Starting with the Senators and Rangers
The Washington Senators chose Randle in the 1970 draft. After playing a short time in the minor leagues, he joined the Senators in 1971. He played as a second baseman. His first game was on June 16, where he got one hit.
The Senators team later moved and became the Texas Rangers. Randle spent his first three seasons splitting time between the minor leagues and the Rangers. In 1973, he played mostly for the Spokane Indians, a Triple-A team.
Breakthrough Season in 1974
Lenny Randle had a great year in 1974. He hit for a .302 average. He also had 49 runs batted in (RBI) and stole 26 bases. He scored 65 runs in 151 games. During this time, he played second base, third base, and in the outfield. He continued to play these different positions in 1975. In 1976, he mainly played second base again.
A Game Incident in 1974
During a game in 1974 between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians, something unusual happened. In the eighth inning, Randle tried to bunt the ball. The Cleveland pitcher, Milt Wilcox, had just thrown a pitch behind Randle. As Wilcox went for the ball, Randle ran into him. This caused a big argument between the teams.
Moving to the New York Mets
In 1977, Randle had a disagreement with his manager, Frank Lucchesi. This led to Randle being traded to the New York Mets. He joined the Mets in April 1977.
Randle started playing second base for the Mets. Later, he moved to third base. This happened when Joe Torre became the team's new manager.
Randle had some memorable moments with the Mets. On July 9, he hit a walk off home run in the 17th inning against the Montreal Expos. This won the game for the Mets. A few days later, he was batting when the power went out at Shea Stadium. This was during the New York City blackout of 1977. He later joked about thinking it was his "last at-bat."
For the 1977 season, Randle hit .304. He also stole a career-high 33 bases. In 1978, his stats were not as high. The Mets released him before the 1979 season began.
Playing for Other Teams
After leaving the Mets, Randle signed with the San Francisco Giants in May 1979. He played for their Triple-A team. He was then traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in June. He played for their Triple-A team as well. In August, the New York Yankees bought his contract. He played 20 games as an outfielder for the Yankees.
Time with the Mariners and Cubs
In 1980, Randle signed with the Seattle Mariners. He was then traded to the Chicago Cubs. He became the Cubs' regular third baseman. He hit .276 with five home runs and 19 stolen bases that year.
In 1981, Randle returned to the Mariners. He played two more seasons with them. He mostly played second and third base.
The "No-Blow Rule" Incident
In a game on May 27, 1981, against the Kansas City Royals, something funny happened. Royals player Amos Otis hit a slow ball down the third base line. Randle got on his hands and knees and blew the ball. He tried to blow it over the foul line! The umpires said this was not allowed. They ruled the ball was fair. Randle joked that there was now a "no-blow rule."
Lenny Randle played in 1,138 major league games over 12 years. He finished his career with a .257 batting average. He had 27 home runs and 322 RBI.
Playing Baseball in Italy
In 1983, Lenny Randle made history. He became the first American major league player to play baseball in Italy. He holds some records in the Italian Serie-A1 league. These include the longest home run and most hits in a three-game series. He also won a batting title in Italy, hitting an amazing .477.
After playing in Italy, Randle played for the St. Petersburg Pelicans. This was in the Senior Professional Baseball Association.
Images for kids
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Randle in 1981
