Claudell Washington
Born: 8/31/1954 in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Died: 6/10/2020 in Orinda, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1974-07-05 | Final Game: 1990-06-18
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 190 lbs
Biography
Claudell Washington, born in 1954, was a prominent professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1974 until 1990. Renowned for his combination of power and speed, Washington played primarily as an outfielder and left a lasting impact on the game. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 1,912 games, amassing 1,884 hits, 164 home runs, and 824 RBIs, while maintaining a solid batting average of .278. His deft baserunning skills were showcased through 312 stolen bases, marking him as a dynamic threat both at the plate and on the basepaths.
Washington was selected as an All-Star twice during his career, reflecting his status as one of the more exciting players of his era. He played in a transformative period for baseball, navigating the evolution of the game in the late 1970s and 1980s, when power hitting and speed were increasingly valued. Washington's contributions to the teams he played for, including the Oakland Athletics and the New York Mets, established him as a respected figure in baseball history, remembered for his versatility and consistent performance throughout his nearly 17-year career.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | 6787 | 926 | 1884 | 334 | 69 | 164 | 824 | 312 | 468 | 1266 | 0.278 | 0.325 | 0.420 | 0.745 | 5867.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | OAK | AL | 73 | 221 | 16 | 63 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 44 | 0.285 | -6.0 |
| 1975 | OAK | AL | 148 | 590 | 86 | 182 | 24 | 7 | 10 | 77 | 40 | 32 | 80 | 0.308 | 961.0 |
| 1976 | OAK | AL | 134 | 490 | 65 | 126 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 53 | 37 | 30 | 90 | 0.257 | -464.1 |
| 1977 | TEX | AL | 129 | 521 | 63 | 148 | 31 | 2 | 12 | 68 | 21 | 25 | 112 | 0.284 | -2.8 |
| 1978 | CHW | AL | 86 | 314 | 33 | 83 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 31 | 5 | 12 | 57 | 0.264 | -217.9 |
| 1978 | TEX | AL | 12 | 42 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0.167 | -217.9 |
| 1979 | CHW | AL | 131 | 471 | 79 | 132 | 33 | 5 | 13 | 66 | 19 | 28 | 93 | 0.280 | 462.5 |
| 1980 | CHW | AL | 32 | 90 | 15 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 0.289 | 53.1 |
| 1980 | NYN | NL | 79 | 284 | 38 | 78 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 42 | 17 | 20 | 63 | 0.275 | 53.1 |
| 1981 | ATL | NL | 85 | 320 | 37 | 93 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 12 | 15 | 47 | 0.291 | 439.6 |
| 1982 | ATL | NL | 150 | 563 | 94 | 150 | 24 | 6 | 16 | 80 | 33 | 50 | 107 | 0.266 | 478.0 |
| 1983 | ATL | NL | 134 | 496 | 75 | 138 | 24 | 8 | 9 | 44 | 31 | 35 | 103 | 0.278 | 147.5 |
| 1984 | ATL | NL | 120 | 416 | 62 | 119 | 21 | 2 | 17 | 61 | 21 | 59 | 77 | 0.286 | 1637.5 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | 122 | 398 | 62 | 110 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 43 | 14 | 40 | 66 | 0.276 | 868.0 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 40 | 137 | 17 | 37 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 14 | 26 | 0.270 | 222.2 |
| 1986 | NYY | AL | 54 | 135 | 19 | 32 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 0.237 | 222.2 |
| 1987 | NYY | AL | 102 | 312 | 42 | 87 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 44 | 10 | 27 | 54 | 0.279 | 96.8 |
| 1988 | NYY | AL | 126 | 455 | 62 | 140 | 22 | 3 | 11 | 64 | 15 | 24 | 74 | 0.308 | 996.1 |
| 1989 | LAA | AL | 110 | 418 | 53 | 114 | 18 | 4 | 13 | 42 | 13 | 27 | 84 | 0.273 | 497.5 |
| 1990 | LAA | AL | 12 | 34 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 0.176 | 0.0 |
| 1990 | NYY | AL | 33 | 80 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 17 | 0.163 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 39 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0.333 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | NLCS | ATL | 3 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.333 |
| 1975 | ALCS | OAK | 3 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.250 |
| 1974 | ALCS | OAK | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.273 |
| 1974 | WS | OAK | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.571 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 1685 | 1579 | 3198 | 104 | 91 | 22 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | OAK | OF | 32 | 25 | 63 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975 | OAK | OF | 148 | 146 | 305 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1976 | OAK | OF | 126 | 122 | 276 | 10 | 11 | 2 |
| 1977 | TEX | OF | 127 | 122 | 255 | 11 | 6 | 3 |
| 1978 | CHA | OF | 82 | 77 | 159 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 1978 | TEX | OF | 7 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | CHA | OF | 122 | 113 | 256 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| 1980 | CHA | OF | 23 | 19 | 41 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1980 | NYN | OF | 70 | 68 | 123 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| 1981 | ATL | OF | 79 | 79 | 145 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | ATL | OF | 139 | 139 | 221 | 9 | 12 | 3 |
| 1983 | ATL | OF | 128 | 121 | 218 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| 1984 | ATL | OF | 107 | 106 | 170 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1985 | ATL | OF | 99 | 90 | 122 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 1986 | ATL | OF | 38 | 32 | 44 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1986 | NYA | OF | 39 | 29 | 66 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1987 | NYA | OF | 72 | 64 | 166 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1988 | NYA | OF | 117 | 99 | 309 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| 1989 | CAL | OF | 100 | 93 | 187 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| 1990 | CAL | OF | 9 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | NYA | OF | 21 | 19 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Left Field | 328 |
| Center Field | 319 |
| Right Field | 1096 |
| Designated Hitter | 77 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Player of the Month | September |
| 1979 | Player of the Week | Week of 1979-09-07 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | CAL | AL | $675,000 |
| 1989 | CAL | AL | $975,000 |
| 1988 | NYA | AL | $480,000 |
| 1987 | NYA | AL | $480,000 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $750,000 |
| 1985 | ATL | NL | $800,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $4,160,000 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 22.0 | 336 | 0 |