Today's Card...Claudell Washington --- 1975
November 21-22, 2008
November 21-22, 2008
© 2008 Cardboard Gods. Contact Us at: cardboardgods@yahoo.com
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Recent Posts |
To order The Pastime in the Seventies Bill Ballew P.O. Box 692 Arden, NC 28704 (Please allow two weeks for delivery) |
| Cardboard Gods introduced a new link in June, "Scouts Tales", as from time-to-time we will tell some of the great scouting stories behind the cards. |
Scout Tales.....
Claudell Washington
There has never been a shortage of feel
good stories in baseball and Claudell
Washington’s tale of his journey to the
big leagues is another one from the vault.
A Little Leaguer during his youth,
Washington’s interests moved to track
and basketball in his early prep days,
rather than baseball at Berkeley High
School (CA). Even then, the splendid
athlete migrated away from high school
athletics all together, as he noted to
writer Ron Bergman (The Sporting News,
8/9/75):
“I never liked the idea of playing sports
in high school. When school was over, I
just wanted to get away from there.”
However, Washington came to the
attention of Berkeley policeman Jim
Guinn, who doubled as a part-time scout
for the Oakland A’s. A graduate of
Berkeley High, Guinn would stay in touch
with the athletic department to find kids
who strayed away from the game.
“Claudell’s name was the first that came
up,” Guinn told The Sporting News in
1975. “I sent him a form, he filled it out
and returned it.
“I don’t think Claudell ever would have
played baseball again, No one ever
showed him any interest. He’s a loner.
Someone had to encourage him.
“I made a phone call and got him on the
Berkeley Connie Mach team. I watched
him for a month and worked out with him
every day. During that month, he batted
about .600 and hit seven or eight home
run. If there had been any other scouts
around, I would have signed him right
away. But there weren’t (any scouts). I
had no competition for him.”
The 1972 June free agent draft came
and went without Washington’s name
being called. Working as a janitor,
Washington turned down the A’s initial
overture, before signing for $3,000.
His ascent to the big leagues was
meteoric, as the 17-year-old hit .279 with
two long balls for Coos Bay-North Bend
in the Northwest League during his pro
debut. Washington would rank among
the Midwest League leaders the
following season, hitting .322-13-81 for
Burlington in 1973. After blistering the
Southern League to begin 1974 to the
clip of .361-11-55; the loner who
spurned baseball in high school found
himself patrolling the Oakland pasture by
early June. He would hit .571 in seven
World Series at-bats, as the A’s downed
the Dodgers in the ’74 Fall Classic.
The next season the 20-year-old found
himself standing alongside baseball’s
elite, as Washington was named to the
first of two All-Star squads. The lanky
athlete who caught the eye of a diligent
scout retired in 1991 after a 17-year
major league career. Washington
showcased both speed and power in the
bigs with 164 homers and 312 stolen
bases to compliment his .278 career
batting average--- thanks in part to Jim
Guinn.
Claudell Washington
There has never been a shortage of feel
good stories in baseball and Claudell
Washington’s tale of his journey to the
big leagues is another one from the vault.
A Little Leaguer during his youth,
Washington’s interests moved to track
and basketball in his early prep days,
rather than baseball at Berkeley High
School (CA). Even then, the splendid
athlete migrated away from high school
athletics all together, as he noted to
writer Ron Bergman (The Sporting News,
8/9/75):
“I never liked the idea of playing sports
in high school. When school was over, I
just wanted to get away from there.”
However, Washington came to the
attention of Berkeley policeman Jim
Guinn, who doubled as a part-time scout
for the Oakland A’s. A graduate of
Berkeley High, Guinn would stay in touch
with the athletic department to find kids
who strayed away from the game.
“Claudell’s name was the first that came
up,” Guinn told The Sporting News in
1975. “I sent him a form, he filled it out
and returned it.
“I don’t think Claudell ever would have
played baseball again, No one ever
showed him any interest. He’s a loner.
Someone had to encourage him.
“I made a phone call and got him on the
Berkeley Connie Mach team. I watched
him for a month and worked out with him
every day. During that month, he batted
about .600 and hit seven or eight home
run. If there had been any other scouts
around, I would have signed him right
away. But there weren’t (any scouts). I
had no competition for him.”
The 1972 June free agent draft came
and went without Washington’s name
being called. Working as a janitor,
Washington turned down the A’s initial
overture, before signing for $3,000.
His ascent to the big leagues was
meteoric, as the 17-year-old hit .279 with
two long balls for Coos Bay-North Bend
in the Northwest League during his pro
debut. Washington would rank among
the Midwest League leaders the
following season, hitting .322-13-81 for
Burlington in 1973. After blistering the
Southern League to begin 1974 to the
clip of .361-11-55; the loner who
spurned baseball in high school found
himself patrolling the Oakland pasture by
early June. He would hit .571 in seven
World Series at-bats, as the A’s downed
the Dodgers in the ’74 Fall Classic.
The next season the 20-year-old found
himself standing alongside baseball’s
elite, as Washington was named to the
first of two All-Star squads. The lanky
athlete who caught the eye of a diligent
scout retired in 1991 after a 17-year
major league career. Washington
showcased both speed and power in the
bigs with 164 homers and 312 stolen
bases to compliment his .278 career
batting average--- thanks in part to Jim
Guinn.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Beginning October 23rd, Cardboard Gods will be
posting every other day, during the off-season.
posting every other day, during the off-season.
