Former infielder Lenny Randle, who played 12 major league seasons, died Sunday. He was 75.
Randle died at his home in Murrieta, Calif., according to reports.
Randle was once dubbed “The Most Interesting Man in Baseball” by Rolling Stone magazine, but his career was overshadowed by a punch he threw at Texas Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi on March 28, 1977.
The switch-hitting Randle lost his second base job to Bump Wills during spring training and immediately requested a trade. Lucchesi told reporters he was tired of complaining by “$80,00-a-year-punks.”
Soon thereafter, Randle confronted Lucchesi near the third-base line before a game and punched him in the face three times, breaking the manager’s cheekbone in three places.
Randle was suspended for 30 days by the Rangers and soon charged with felony aggravated battery. He later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery. One year later, he settled a suit filed by Lucchesi.
Before Randle’s suspension concluded, he was traded to the New York Mets.
Another controversial moment of Randle’s career occurred when Cleveland right-hander Milt Wilcox threw a pitch behind his back during a game in 1974. Randle, batting left-handed, bunted the next pitch down the first-base line and as Wilcox was closing in on fielding the ball, Randle veered inward and deliberately smacked into Wilcox. Other Cleveland players tackled Randle and a benches-clearing brawl broke out.
In a 1981 game against the Kansas City Royals, Randle got down on his hands and knees to blow a bunt foul by Amos Otis foul. Umpire Larry McCoy decided it was a violation of the rules and Otis was awarded first.
Randle batted .257 with 27 homers, 322 RBIs and 156 steals with the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1971-76), Mets (1977-78), New York Yankees (1979), Chicago Cubs (1980) and Seattle Mariners (1981-82).
–Field Level Media
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