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Share your memories of Claudell Washington
HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:
shaun
December 21, 2001
what a mad man he was. great power hitter, under-rated his whole carrer.
Larry Burns
January 15, 2003
This guy was somewhat underrated his entire career. He was better than most remember him. He hit a TITANIC home run against the Braves off the scoreboard in Right-Center Field. But what I most remember about him was that a roommate in college had the most intense hatred for him of any player I knew. It was a blast when he would come up and this guy's blood pressure would shoot through the roof and he would scream until he almost passed out.
Mr. Sparkle
January 16, 2003
Larry, maybe your roommate hated Claudell for the same reason I did, for breaking Tom Veryzer's leg with a dirty slide into second while playing for the Braves. I hate dirty players and that was a dirty slide that ruined a mediocre player's career.
Phil Calbi
August 13, 2003
After the Braves traded him, someone had a banner out in right field that said, "Washington slept here."
Joe Figliola
September 3, 2003
Good line-drive hitter. I still have a vivid memory of seeing him come to the plate on TV, and how pumped his arms looked. At the time (1980), very few players were lifting weights (Brian Downing of the Angels was one of the few who did back then), but I think Clauddell had a bit of Arnold Schwarzzeneggar in him, too (the physical, that is; not the political).I also recall him saying how we went to see the film "Jaws" while as an Oakland A and commenting how that film scared him to death. Fortunately, he never had a fear of the 90 mph fastball. I'm sorry the Mets weren't able to sign him. He would've been a better fit in the outfield than Ellis Valentine.
Jonathan Stern
February 28, 2004
Frank Fitzpatrick's recent book on the 1980 Phillies, "You Can't Lose Them All," has an interesting story towards the end. After the 1981 season, owner Ruly Carpenter sold the team. He did not want a part of the free agency craziness that was just beginning at the time. In fact, he initially opposed the 1979 signing of Pete Rose (for the grand sum of $3.36 million over five seasons) for this reason.The 1981 strike was bad enough for Carpenter, but the clincher for him was, according to Fitzpatrick's book, the contract Washington received from the Atlanta Braves before the start of the season. So he sold the team, ending, among other things, the Dallas Green era of the Philadelphia Phillies, Green not wanting to manage for the new ownership group (He went to the Cubs, as some of you might recall). As for Claudell, it is not for me to say for sure whether his Atlanta contract was worth it. Given baseball economics back then, as opposed to now, it might have been. The Braves did win while he was there. The Mets, for whatever reason, may have given up on him too soon.
Mitch45
April 1, 2004
I don't think the Mets gave up on him. He gave up on them. He filed for FA as soon as he could after the 1980 season.
Kiwiwriter
June 18, 2004
Never the great power hitter the Oakland A's thought he would be when he came up in 1975, he had a long and solid career...and one of the longest necks in baseball I ever saw.The "Washington Slept Here" banner flew in Chicago as well as Atlanta. He was one of a lot of guys who got traded to the Mets and tried to flee as soon as he could.
KMT
March 6, 2005
My Claudell memmory was a throw he made from the right field corner at Shea to nail Davey Lopes at 3rd base. The throw was on the fly and Lopes was absolutely stunned!! One of the greatest throws I've ever seen!
Pete
July 5, 2005
Serviceable player. I believe Claudell's trade to the Mets was Frank Cashen's first trade as Mets GM. I remember thinking, at the time, that we got this great new GM that the built the Baltimore Orioles back in the '60s and all we get is Claudell Washington! Thank God Frank was more adept than I gave him credit for when I was 14.
Tony Masters
May 22, 2009
I met him after a game once and as he was signing my cap, he FARTED! He apologized and said it's normal especially after the mexican food he ate in the clubhouse.
Mike
July 6, 2012
A fine player who was a great pick-up for the Mets, if I remember correctly (and that's an IF) he was released by the White Sox and was signed by the Mets. He played hard and give them some pretty good production (I remember that 3-homer game.) He became a FA at the end of the year and most people - including Washington - thought he would just resign with the Mets except the Braves blew everyone by surprised with that huge offer-Washington-couldn't-refuse contract.
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