Lenny Randle, controversial former MLB infielder, dead at 75
Lenny Randle, a controversial former infielder who played 12 years in the majors with five teams, has died, the Seattle Mariners announced on Monday. He was 75.
Randle played the final two years of his career with the Mariners. He started his career with the Washington Senators, who later became the Texas Rangers, in 1971. He also played for the New York Mets, New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs.
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"We are saddened by the passing of former Mariner Lenny Randle. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and loved ones," the Mariners said in a post on X.
The Baseball Hall of Fame also remembered Randle in a tribute on social media.
Randle had a .257 lifetime batting average with 322 RBI. He had his best season in 1974, when he had a .302 batting average with 17 doubles and four triples. He earned American League MVP votes that season.
He was known for a handful of controversial issues during the course of his career.
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Randle ignited a brawl while he was with the Rangers in 1974. Randle crashed into Cleveland Indians pitcher Milt Wilcox on a bunt after a ball was thrown behind him. Indians players then tackled Randle and ignited a bench-clearing brawl. The incident was later said to be the catalyst for the 10 Cent Beer Night riot less than a week later at Cleveland Stadium.
He then got into a spring training fight with then-Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi over allegations that Lucchesi called Randle a "punk." Randle was charged with assault over the incident and pleaded no contest. He was also sued by Lucchesi.
Because of the incident, Randle was traded to the Mets.
In 1981, Randle was playing third base for the Mariners. Kansas City Royals outfielder Amos Otis hit a trickling ball down the third-base line. Randle got on his hands and knees to try to blow the ball foul.
"I’m going, OK, eat it, kick it, yell at it! So, I yelled at it," Randle recalled to MLB Network. "’Go foul, go foul, go foul.’"
The ball went foul, but Otis was awarded first base after a protest.
Randle played in Italy and later in a senior league.
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