:Lenny Randle
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Short description|American baseball player (1949–2024)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Lenny Randle
|position=Third baseman / Second baseman
|image=Len Randle - Texas Rangers - 1974.jpg
|caption=Randle in 1974
|bats=Switch
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date|1949|2|12}}
|birth_place=Long Beach, California, U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2024|12|29|1949|2|12}}
|death_place=Murrieta, California, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate= June 16
|debutyear= 1971
|debutteam=Washington Senators
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 20
|finalyear=1982
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Batting average
|stat1value=.257
|stat2label=Home runs
|stat2value=27
|stat3label=Runs batted in
|stat3value=322
|teams=
- Washington Senators / Texas Rangers ({{mlby|1971}}–{{mlby|1976}})
- New York Mets ({{mlby|1977}}–{{mlby|1978}})
- New York Yankees ({{mlby|1979}})
- Chicago Cubs ({{mlby|1980}})
- Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|1981}}–{{mlby|1982}})
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCompetition|International Amateur Tournament}}
{{MedalGold| 1968 Mexico City | Team}}
}}
Leonard Shenoff Randle (February 12, 1949 – December 29, 2024) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers franchise, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners from 1971 to 1982. He also played in the Italian Baseball League. The National Baseball Hall of Fame wrote that "Randle may have seen more memorable moments than any other player of his era."{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Muder|title=#CARDCORNER: 1978 TOPPS LENNY RANDLE|publisher= National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/CardCorner/1978-Topps-Lenny-Randle|access-date=January 4, 2025}}
Early life
Born on February 12, 1949, in Long Beach, California, Randle was captain of both the baseball and football teams at Centennial High School in Compton. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 10th round (190th overall) 1967 Major League Baseball draft, but chose instead to attend Arizona State University.{{Cite web |title=10th Round of the 1967 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1967&draft_round=10&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=May 22, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}} Along with playing college football and second base for the 1969 NCAA championship Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team, Randle graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973.
Professional career
=MLB=
== Washington Senators and Texas Rangers ==
Randle was the first round pick (10th overall) of the Washington Senators in the secondary phase of the June 1970 Major League Baseball draft.{{Cite web |title=1st Round of the 1970 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1970&draft_round=1&draft_type=junsec&query_type=year_round |access-date=May 22, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}} After a little more than one season in the minors, Randle debuted as a second baseman with the Washington Senators in 1971. He made his major league debut on June 16, going 1-for-4 in a 5–1 loss to the Oakland Athletics.{{Cite web |date=June 16, 1971 |title=Washington Senators vs Oakland Athletics Box Score: June 16, 1971 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK197106160.shtml |access-date=May 22, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}} He split time between the minors and with the newly renamed and relocated Texas Rangers his first three seasons, spending most of 1973 in Triple-A with the Spokane Indians.{{Cite web |title=Lenny Randle Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/randlle01.shtml |access-date=May 22, 2023 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}
Randle had a breakthrough 1974 season, batting .302 with a home run, 49 RBI, 26 stolen bases and 65 runs scored in 151 games while splitting time at second base, third base and in the outfield. He split time in all three positions in 1975 as well before being returned to second base in 1976.
=== 1974 brawl ===
During a game in Arlington between the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Indians on May 29, 1974, in the bottom of the eighth inning, Randle bunted off Cleveland pitcher Milt Wilcox, one pitch after Wilcox had thrown a pitch that flew behind Randle's back. But as Wilcox tried to scramble for the ball, Randle changed course and deliberately smashed into Wilcox. As Randle attempted to continue to first base, he was tackled by other Cleveland players and ruled out. A bench-clearing brawl ensued. {{cite web |last1=Machlin |first1=Tzvi |title=Look: Old MLB Collision Is Going Viral On Sunday |url=https://thespun.com/more/top-stories/look-old-mlb-collision-is-going-viral-on-sunday |website=The Spun |date=May 29, 2022 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |ref=25}} This incident preceded the 10 Cent Beer Night riot in Cleveland six days later on June 4.{{cite news|title=10-cent Beer Night: The day Cleveland flat lost its head (June 4, 1974)|date=June 4, 2024|work=Sporting News|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/10-cent-beer-night-day-cleveland-flat-lost-its-head-june-4-1974/25d985dc26bdcec8b54970f0|access-date=January 4, 2025}}
=== 1977 punching incident ===
During spring training in 1977, first round draft choice Bump Wills earned the starting second base job over Randle.{{cite web |author=Newberg |first=Jamey |date=April 26, 2007 |title=Swapping stories: The '77 Randle trade |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070426&content_id=1931277&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429092218/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070426&content_id=1931277&vkey=news_tex&fext=.jsp&c_id=tex |archive-date=April 29, 2007 |access-date=April 29, 2007 |work=Texas Rangers |publisher=MLB.com}} On March 28, the Rangers were in Orlando for an exhibition game with the Minnesota Twins. During batting practice an hour before the first pitch, Randle approached Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi. Suddenly, Randle punched Lucchesi in the face three times before the altercation was stopped by bystanders.{{cite news |last=Addie |first=Bob |date=March 30, 1977 |title=Randle Broke Unwritten Law |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1977/03/30/randle-broke-unwritten-law/540309cc-3bd6-44c9-8e95-fc70499dd678/ |accessdate=September 21, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Randle said that Lucchesi had called him a "punk", and, though Lucchesi denied it, he had done so to a group of reporters and insisted they print it.
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.{{cite web |date=April 6, 1977 |title=Suspension, fine for Randle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2457&dat=19770406&id=mf4zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LyMIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2571,1892866&hl=en |accessdate=May 30, 2021 |website=Bangor Daily News |via=Google News Archive |agency=Associated Press}} On April 26, before the suspension was complete, Texas traded him to the New York Mets for cash and a player to be named later; Texas later received Rick Auerbach.{{cite web |date=April 26, 1977 |title=Texas trades Randle to Mets |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19770426&id=V8kaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3kYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4836,4092635&hl=en |accessdate=May 30, 2021 |website=The Daily News |agency=Associated Press}}
Randle was charged with assault, and pleaded no contest to battery charges in a Florida court, receiving a $1,050 fine. The Rangers fired Lucchesi on June 21.{{cite web |date=June 21, 1977 |title=Lucchesi is ousted from Texas corral |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19770621&id=25QfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=atQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5266,4796396&hl=en |accessdate=May 30, 2021 |website=Nevada Daily Mail |via=Google News Archive |agency=Associated Press}} Lucchesi sued Randle for $200,000.{{cite web |date=September 22, 1977 |title=Manager filing suit against shortstop |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=757&dat=19770922&id=0A1OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8a0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4135,2463350&hl=en |accessdate=May 30, 2021 |website=The Virgin Islands Daily News |via=Google News Archive |agency=Associated Press}} They settled for $20,000.{{cite web |date=December 9, 1978 |title=9 Dec 1978, Page 20 – The Orlando Sentinel at |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/225594865/?terms=%22frank%20lucchesi%22%20%22lenny%20randle%22%20settle&match=1 |accessdate=September 21, 2022 |website=Orlando Sentinel |publisher=Newspapers.com}}
== New York Mets ==
Randle began his tenure with the Mets playing second base. With opening day third baseman 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.{{cite web |date=July 9, 1977 |title=New York Mets 7, Montreal Expos 5 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197707090.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}} 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. He commented, "I thought, 'God, I'm gone.' I thought for sure He was calling me. I thought it was my last at‐bat."{{Cite news |last=Montgomery |first=Paul L. |date=July 15, 1977 |title=Night and Day, Mets Are Blacked Out |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/07/15/archives/night-and-day-mets-are-blacked-out-mets-game-blacked-out-in-day-too.html |access-date=October 19, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}
For the season, Randle batted .304 with five home runs, 27 RBI, a career-high 33 stolen bases and 78 runs scored in 136 games for the last place Mets. His stats fell off considerably in 1978, when he batted .233 with two home runs, 35 RBI, 14 stolen bases and 53 runs in 132 games. The Mets released Randle during spring training in 1979.{{Cite news |last=Durso |first=Joseph |date=March 30, 1979 |title=Utility Infielder Had Expected to Be Traded |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/03/30/archives/utility-infielder-had-expected-to-be-traded-trade-was-expected.html |access-date=May 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}
== San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees ==
After his release from the Mets, Randle signed with the San Francisco Giants on May 12, 1979, and was assigned to their Triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate in Phoenix.{{Cite news |date=May 13, 1979 |title=Sports News Briefs |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/05/13/archives/sports-news-briefs-mueller-and-mrs-kuscsik-head-marathon-field.html |access-date=May 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} He was traded along with Bill Madlock and Dave Roberts from the Giants to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Al Holland, Ed Whitson and Fred Breining on June 28,{{Cite web |last=Guardado |first=Maria |date=May 4, 2020 |title=Bobby Bonds left; Kruk, Kuip & an MVP arrived |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/bobby-bonds-trade-tree |access-date=October 19, 2022 |website=MLB.com |publisher=MLB Advanced Media |language=en}} 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 on August 3.{{Cite news |last=Crass |first=Murray |date=August 4, 1979 |title=Fans Cheer Before Loss |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/04/archives/fans-cheer-before-loss-drama-diminished.html |access-date=May 22, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} He batted .179 with 3 RBI in 20 games as an outfielder with the Yankees.
== Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs ==
File:Len Randle - Seattle Mariners - 1981.jpg
On February 21, 1980, Randle signed with the Seattle Mariners as a non-roster invitee.{{Cite news |date=February 22, 1980 |title=Randle Invited by Mariners To Spring Training Camp |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |agency=United Press International |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/02/22/archives/randle-invited-by-mariners-to-spring-training-camp.html |access-date=May 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} By the end of spring training, he was dealt to the Chicago Cubs. He batted .276 and with five home runs, 39 RBI and 19 stolen bases as the Cubs' regular third baseman. On February 18, 1981, Randle returned to the Mariners as a free agent.{{Cite news |date=February 18, 1981 |title=Transactions; BASEBALL |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/18/sports/transactions-baseball.html |access-date=May 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}} In two seasons with the Mariners, he batted .223 with four home runs and 26 RBI backing up second and third base.
With the Kansas City Royals visiting the Kingdome on May 27, 1981, Royals center fielder Amos Otis hit a slow roller down the third base line in the sixth inning. Randle got on his hands and knees and blew the ball over the foul line; the umpires disallowed his action, and ruled it fair.{{cite web |last=Grassl |first=Charlie |title=Lenny Randle |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/lenny-randle/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}{{Cite news |last= |date=May 29, 1981 |title=A Foul Wind For Mariners |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/29/sports/a-foul-wind-for-mariners.html |access-date=May 22, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}
In a 12-year, 1,138 game major league career, Randle batted .257 (1,016-for-3,950) with 27 home runs, 488 runs scored and 322 RBI.
=Italian Baseball League=
In 1983, Randle became the first American major league player to play baseball in Italy. 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. Randle won a batting title in Italy with a .477 batting average.{{cite web |date=February 11, 2010 |title=Former Met of the Day: Lenny Randle ...& the Saga that Got Him to Shea & Italy (1977–1978) |url=http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2010/02/former-met-of-day-lenny-randle-saga.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228220659/http://www.centerfieldmaz.com/2010/02/former-met-of-day-lenny-randle-saga.html |archivedate=December 28, 2010 |website=Centerfield Maz}}{{cite news|title=Lenny Randle baseball clinics in Forks|date=March 1, 2006|newspaper=Forks Forum|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/forks-forum-peninsula-herald/162233793/|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=January 4, 2024}} In October 1983, he was featured on 60 Minutes for his involvement with Italian baseball.
Following his stint in Italy, Randle played with the St. Petersburg Pelicans in the Senior Professional Baseball Association.{{cite web |author=Lance |first=Dave |date=March 29, 2006 |title=Lenny Randle Chooses the Good Fight |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/misc/where/stories/082205dnspoWhereAreTheyNow.7eb5f8b.html |website=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=April 19, 2010 |archive-date=November 27, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127091845/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/misc/where/stories/082205dnspoWhereAreTheyNow.7eb5f8b.html |url-status=dead }}
Legacy
The unusual events throughout Randle's career led Rolling Stone to call him a "viable candidate" for "baseball's version of 'The Most Interesting Man in the World'".{{cite news|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|title=Lenny Randle, 'Most Interesting' Major Leaguer, Is Dead at 75|date=January 1, 2025|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/01/sports/baseball/lenny-randle-dead.html|access-date=January 3, 2024}}{{cite magazine|first=Dan|last=Epstein|title=LENNY RANDLE'S ITALIAN BASEBALL RENAISSANCE|date=April 16, 2015|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/lenny-randles-italian-baseball-renaissance-110474/|access-date=January 3, 2024}} Later that year in 2015, the documentary "Lenny Randle: The Most Interesting Man in Baseball" premiered on MLB Network. He was inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Randle and his wife had three sons. Bradley played briefly in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. Randle's cousin Marques Johnson played in the National Basketball Association.
In addition to his native English, Randle was fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. He died in Murrieta, California, on December 29, 2024, at the age of 75.{{cite news |title=Lenny Randle, 12-year big leaguer often in spotlight, dies |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/43239871/lenny-randle-12-year-big-leaguer-often-spotlight-dies |access-date=December 31, 2024 |agency=Associated Press |work=ESPN.com |date=December 31, 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{baseballstats|mlb=120926|espn=235|br=r/randlle01|fangraphs=1010693|brm=randle001leo|retro=R/Prandl101}}, or [https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=randlle01 Baseball Almanac]
- {{IMDb name| 0709822}}
{{1969 Arizona State Sun Devils baseball}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Randle, Lenny}}
Category:African-American baseball players
Category:Arizona State Sun Devils baseball players
Category:Baseball players from Long Beach, California
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Italy
Category:Leones del Caracas players
Category:Major League Baseball outfielders
Category:Major League Baseball second basemen
Category:Major League Baseball third basemen
Category:New York Mets players
Category:New York Yankees players
Category:Phoenix Giants players
Category:Portland Beavers players
Category:Seattle Mariners players
Category:Spokane Indians players
Category:St. Petersburg Pelicans players
Category:Sun City Rays players
Category:Texas Rangers players
Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
Category:Nettuno Baseball Club players
Category:Fortitudo Baseball Bologna players
Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen
Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen
Category:Centennial High School (Compton, California) alumni