Lenny Randle, the controversial former infielder who played in the big games for 12 years with five teams, has died, Seattle Mariners published on Monday. He was 75 years old.
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 the 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.
Lenny Randle, #7 of the Texas Rangers, poses for an action portrait. (Louis Requena/MLB via Getty Images)
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 RBIs and four RBIs. He earned American League MVP votes that season.
He was known for a handful of controversial issues throughout his career.
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Randle ignited a brawl while he was with rangers In 1974, Randle hit Cleveland Indians pitcher Milt Wilcox 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 a riot at 10 Cent Beer Night less than a week later at Cleveland Stadium.
He then got into a spring training spat with then-Rangers manager Frank Lucchesi over allegations that Lucchesi had called Randle “a bum.” Randle was charged with assault over the incident and pleaded no contest. Lucchesi also sued him.
Because of the incident, Randle was traded to the Mets.
In 1981, Randle played third base for the Mariners. Kansas City Royals outfielder Amos Otis hit a trick ball down the third base line. Randle got on his hands and knees to try to deflate the ball.
“I’m going, OK, eat it, kick it, yell at it! So I yelled at it,” Randle recalled MLB Network. “‘Go foul, go foul, go foul.'”
The ball was fouled, but Otis was awarded first base on protest.
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Randle played in Italy and later in the senior league.
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