‘The most interesting man in baseball,’ former Spokane Indians player Lenny Randle dies at age 75

Lenny Randle, an unforgettable baseball player who passed through Spokane, may be gone but hardly forgotten. The controversial infielder turned utility man died Dec. 29 in Murrieta, California. He was 75.

A switch-hitter who was a key member of the 1973 Spokane Indians, Randle spent 11 seasons in the major leagues. He appeared in 1,138 games, batted .257, ran well, and played solid defense at seven positions. But his legacy will be memorable for events not found on a scorecard.

In Spokane, back in the Pacific Coast League after a one-year absence, Randle and future National League batting champion Bill Madlock spurred the Indians to their third league title. Randle, from the leadoff spot, hit .283, scored 118 runs, one fewer than Madlock, the league leader, and stole 39 bases. Fans chose him as the team’s most popular player.

Once manager Del Wilbur moved Madlock from second base to third and Randle from center field to second, the Indians dominated the rest of their schedule and swept Tucson in the division playoffs.

Randle, promoted to the parent Texas Rangers, played second base and batted .302 in 1974. He also started a brawl. On May 29, after Cleveland’s Milt Wilcox brushed him back, Randle bunted toward first base, sprinted out of the baseline and close-lined the pitcher. Cleveland teammates then attacked him, and the fight was on.

Randle had another good season in 1975 then faltered in 1976. The next spring, manager Frank Lucchesi gave the job to Bump Wills, a Spokane resident whose father, Maury, was a former Spokane Indians and major-league star. On March 28, during a quiet batting-cage conversation, Randle attacked Lucchesi and badly fractured his right jaw. He was suspended for 30 days and traded to the Mets.

Then, on May 20, 1982, playing third base for the Seattle Mariners and former Spokane manager Rene Lachemann, Randle made national news. As a dribbler off the bat of Kansas City’s Amos Otis rolled toward the bag, Randle knelt near the baseline and, in the umpire’s judgment, blew the ball into foul territory.

Often described as “The Most Interesting Man in Baseball,” Randle, an All-American player and graduate of Arizona State University, had been on the scene when fans stormed the field as Washington, about to become the Rangers, played their last game. He was also on the field for the notorious Ten Cent Beer Night in Cleveland, and at the plate in Shea Stadium in 1977, when all of the lights went out in New York City.

He also became the first American to play pro ball in Italy. And, as if that weren’t enough, he eventually spoke five languages and performed standup comedy.