Herb Washington is the only man in Major League history to possess a World Series ring having never batted, fielded, or pitched in a game during his short professional tenure.
Washington was a member of the Oakland A's during their 1974 championship run, recruited by the ever eccentric and much reviled A's owner Charles Finley as a designated "pinch runner". Washington was a world class sprinter, but had never played baseball at anything but the high school level. That didn't stop Finley from seeing unique potential in Washington, his role being as a substitute runner once a hitter got to base. He successfully stole 31 bases and scored 33 runs during his year long stint with the A's, was released in 1975, and now is a restaurant owner. Finley was a leading proponent of the "designated hitter", which caught on in the American League, but the idea of a corollary position for base runners didn't take spark in quite the same way. That carves out a special spot for Washington in baseball lore.
No comments:
Post a Comment