Flamboyant and controversial, Rolling Stone called Lenny Randle “the most interesting man in baseball.”
Photo courtesy The New York Times
Lenny Randle’s 12-year MLB career was full of bizarre moments. For example, in 1974, he bunted a ball near the first base line and got into an all-out brawl with Indians pitcher Milt Wilcox. In 1977, as a Texas Ranger, Randle punched his manager, Frank Lucchesi, which resulted in a baseball suspension and a civil lawsuit. Perhaps the most memorable moment came in 1981 when Randle went to his knees and blew on a ball near the foul line.
When Randle retired from baseball in 1982, he became the first former MLB player to play in Italy. Italian was one of the four languages he spoke fluently.
Lenny Randle passed away last year at 75. The National Baseball Hall of Fame expressed his legacy this way: “Randle may have seen more memorable moments than any other player of his era.”
