Lenny Randle
Encyclopedia
Leonard Shenoff Randle is a former Major League Baseball
player. He was the first-round pick of the Washington Senators in the secondary phase of the June 1970 Major League Baseball Draft
, tenth overall.
, Randle was captain of both the baseball and football teams at Centennial High School
in Los Angeles
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
in the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
, but chose instead to attend Arizona State University
. Along with playing football and second base for the NCAA championship Arizona State University Sun Devils baseball team, Randle graduated with a Bachelor of Science
degree.
with the Washington Senators
in . He split time between the minors and with the newly renamed and relocated Texas Rangers
his first three season, spending most of in triple A with the Spokane Indians
.
He had a breakthrough season, when he batted .302 with 26 stolen base
s and 65 runs scored splitting time at second base, third base and in the outfield
. He split time in all three positions in as well before being returned to second base in .
, first round draft choice
Bump Wills
(son of Maury Wills
) earned the starting second base job.
On March 28, the Rangers were in Florida
for an exhibition game
with the Minnesota Twins
. An hour before the first pitch, Randle walked up to Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi
during batting practice and said he wanted to talk to him. Words were exchanged, and Randle punched Lucchesi, who was still in street clothes, in the face.
Lucchesi was hospitalized for a week, needing plastic surgery to repair his fractured cheekbone which Randle had broken in three places. He also received bruises to his kidney and back. The Rangers suspended Randle for 30 days without pay and fined him $10,000. On April 26, before the suspension was complete, Texas traded him to the New York Mets
for a player to be named later.
Randle was charged with assault
, and would plead no contest to battery charges in a Florida court, getting slapped with a $1,050 fine. Lucchesi, meanwhile, was fired on June 21 following a 9 - 5 loss to the Twins. Lucchesi blamed Randle for the firing, and sued him for $200,000.
Roy Staiger
batting only .236 with one home run
and eight runs batted in, Randle was shifted to third base by Joe Torre
when he replaced Joe Frazier
as manager of the team.
Randle ended an extra innings
marathon with the Montreal Expos
on July 9 at Shea Stadium
in the seventeenth inning with a walk off home run off Will McEnaney
. Four days later, he was at bat for the Mets when the power went out at Shea Stadium during the New York City blackout of 1977
.
For the season, Randle batted .304, stole 33 bases and scored 78 runs
for the last place Mets. His stats fell off considerably in , when he batted .233 with fourteen stolen bases and 53 runs.
and was assigned to their triple A Pacific Coast League
affiliate in Phoenix. On June 28, he was traded with Bill Madlock
and Dave Roberts
to the Pittsburgh Pirates
for Fred Breining
, Al Holland
and Ed Whitson
, but again was assigned to their triple A affiliate. After 24 games with the Portland Beavers
, he saw his first major league experience of the season when his contract was purchased by the New York Yankees
. He batted .179 in twenty games as an outfielder
with the Yankees.
during Spring training . By the end of Spring training, he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs
. He enjoyed something of a renaissance with the Cubs, batting .276 and tying his career high five home runs as the Cubs' regular third baseman. Following the season, he returned to the M's as a free agent
. In two seasons with the Mariners, he batted .223 with four home runs backing up second and third base.
With the Kansas City Royals
visiting the Seattle Kingdome
on May 27, , Royals centerfielder Amos Otis
hit a slow roller down the third base line in the sixth inning. Randle got on his hands and knees and tried unsuccessfully to blow the ball foul
.
. He holds the record for the longest home run in the Italian Serie-A1 league, most home runs and singles hit in a three game series and the most hits in a three game series. He won a batting title in Italy with a .477 batting average
.
Following his stint in Italy, he played with the St. Petersburg Pelicans
in the Senior Professional Baseball Association
. He signed a minor league contract with the California Angels during Spring training , but was unsuccessful in his comeback bid.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He was the first-round pick of the Washington Senators in the secondary phase of the June 1970 Major League Baseball Draft
1970 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
, tenth overall.
Early years
Born in Long Beach, CaliforniaLong Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Randle was captain of both the baseball and football teams at Centennial High School
Centennial High School (Compton, California)
Centennial High School is a public high school in Compton, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft
1967 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.- Background :The June draft was filled with talented prospects who would go on to pro careers...
, but chose instead to attend Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Along with playing football and second base for the NCAA championship Arizona State University Sun Devils baseball team, Randle graduated with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree.
Washington Senators & Texas Rangers
After a little more than one season in the minors, Randle debuted as a second basemanSecond baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
with the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
in . He split time between the minors and with the newly renamed and relocated Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
his first three season, spending most of in triple A with the Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
.
He had a breakthrough season, when he batted .302 with 26 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s and 65 runs scored splitting time at second base, third base and in the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
. He split time in all three positions in as well before being returned to second base in .
March 28, 1977
During Spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, first round draft choice
1975 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft..Many baseball draft experts consider the 1975 draft to be the weakest in MLB history.- External links :*- References :...
Bump Wills
Bump Wills
Elliot Taylor "Bump" Wills is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hankyu Braves...
(son of Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
) earned the starting second base job.
On March 28, the Rangers were in Florida
Orlando
Orlando is a major city in the U.S. state of Florida.Orlando may also refer to-Places:* in Florida** Orlando, a major city** Greater Orlando, the 27th-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
for an exhibition game
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
with the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. An hour before the first pitch, Randle walked up to Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi
Frank Lucchesi
Frank Joseph Lucchesi is a former manager in Major League Baseball who ran the Philadelphia Phillies , Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs...
during batting practice and said he wanted to talk to him. Words were exchanged, and Randle punched Lucchesi, who was still in street clothes, in the face.
Lucchesi was hospitalized for a week, needing plastic surgery to repair his fractured cheekbone which Randle had broken in three places. He also received bruises to his kidney and back. The Rangers suspended Randle for 30 days without pay and fined him $10,000. On April 26, before the suspension was complete, Texas traded him to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
for a player to be named later.
Randle was charged with assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
, and would plead no contest to battery charges in a Florida court, getting slapped with a $1,050 fine. Lucchesi, meanwhile, was fired on June 21 following a 9 - 5 loss to the Twins. Lucchesi blamed Randle for the firing, and sued him for $200,000.
New York Mets
Randle began his tenure with the Mets playing second base. With opening day third basemanThird baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Roy Staiger
Roy Staiger
Roy Joseph Staiger is a former infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets and New York Yankees . This makes him one of the few players to have played for both current New York baseball teams...
batting only .236 with one home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
and eight runs batted in, Randle was shifted to third base by Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
when he replaced Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier (baseball)
Joseph Filmore Frazier was a former outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He was signed as an amateur free agent in 1941, but did not play in the major leagues until 1947. After 1947, he spent parts of three seasons in the 1950s, primarily with the St. Louis Cardinals...
as manager of the team.
Randle ended an extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
marathon with the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
on July 9 at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in the seventeenth inning with a walk off home run off Will McEnaney
Will McEnaney
William Henry McEnaney is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of 6 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a member of the 1975 and 1976 World Series champion "Big Red...
. Four days later, he was at bat for the Mets when the power went out at Shea Stadium during the New York City blackout of 1977
New York City blackout of 1977
The New York City blackout of 1977 was an electricity blackout affected most of New York City from July 13, 1977 to July 14, 1977. The only neighborhoods in New York City that were not affected were in southern Queens, and neighborhoods of the Rockaways, which are part of the Long Island Lighting...
.
For the season, Randle batted .304, stole 33 bases and scored 78 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
for the last place Mets. His stats fell off considerably in , when he batted .233 with fourteen stolen bases and 53 runs.
1979
The Mets released Randle during Spring training . Shortly afterwards, he signed with the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and was assigned to their triple A Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
affiliate in Phoenix. On June 28, he was traded with Bill Madlock
Bill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
and Dave Roberts
Dave Roberts (pitcher)
David Arthur Roberts was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for eight teams from 1969 to 1981. He was second in the National League with a 2.10 earned run average in for the San Diego Padres, after which he was traded to the Houston Astros, where he spent the...
to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for Fred Breining
Fred Breining
Fred Breining , was a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and the Montreal Expos from 1981-1985. His career was cut short when pitching to Ray Knight. He fielded a bunt and threw it to first, only to blow out his shoulder. He never played another inning as a Major Leaguer...
, Al Holland
Al Holland
Alfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to ....
and Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best remembered for his short and turbulent stint with the New York Yankees in the mid 1980s. He batted and threw right-handed.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
, but again was assigned to their triple A affiliate. After 24 games with the Portland Beavers
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
, he saw his first major league experience of the season when his contract was purchased by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. He batted .179 in twenty games as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
with the Yankees.
Seattle Mariners
Randle signed with the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
during Spring training . By the end of Spring training, he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He enjoyed something of a renaissance with the Cubs, batting .276 and tying his career high five home runs as the Cubs' regular third baseman. Following the season, he returned to the M's as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. In two seasons with the Mariners, he batted .223 with four home runs backing up second and third base.
With the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
visiting the Seattle Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
on May 27, , Royals centerfielder Amos Otis
Amos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....
hit a slow roller down the third base line in the sixth inning. Randle got on his hands and knees and tried unsuccessfully to blow the ball foul
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* Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory, or...
.
Italy
In , he became the first American major league player to play baseball in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He holds the record for the longest home run in the Italian Serie-A1 league, most home runs and singles hit in a three game series and the most hits in a three game series. He won a batting title in Italy with a .477 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
Following his stint in Italy, he played with the St. Petersburg Pelicans
St. Petersburg Pelicans
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle batted .349. Milt...
in the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
. He signed a minor league contract with the California Angels during Spring training , but was unsuccessful in his comeback bid.