Former MLB outfielder Claudell Washington died on Wednesday morning at 65 years old, according to a report from the New York Post. He played for several organizations during his successful career in the bigs, most notably with the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves. He also spent a season with the New York Mets.
He played in the 1974 Oakland Athletics that were crowned MLB champions after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 in the World Series.
Washington was known as a versatile outfielder that had some pop (164 home runs in the big leagues) and speed (312 stolen bases.) According to Fangraphs, he accumulated 16.9 fWAR in his 17-year career.
He played for the New York Yankees from 1986 to 1989, then had a brief stint with the California Angels and later when back to the Yankees to finish his career in the Bronx.
ESPN.com was the first outlet to report the news. Per the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington was living in the Bay Area and had been struggling with an illness for several years.
He played with the Yankees and Mets
Washington was born in Los Angeles. Out of his 17 seasons in the major leagues, four were with the Yankees and one with the Mets.
Washington went to the All-Star game in two occasions. His World Series win on a talented Oakland team came when he was a rookie.
All in all, Washington retired from MLB with a .278/.325/.420 line, a .330 wOBA and a 105 wRC+. He wasn’t a particularly good fielder but as the numbers indicate, he was a slightly above-average hitter who contributed both power and speed.
Mets’ fans will remember his three-homer performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 22, 1980, in a 9-6 victory.
Yankees fans will have a fond memory of him, as well: he hit the 10,000th home run in franchise history on April 20, 1988 after sending a ball to the bleachers as a pinch-hitter off Twins closer Jeff Reardon.