Happy birthday, Claudell Washington

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 31, 2009 2:45 PM CDT

Happy birthday to Claudell Washington, who turns 55 today.

Washington is one of the prime examples of how sometimes, a player is as good at age 20 as he's ever going to get. The Rangers got him in 1977 for Jim Umbarger, Rodney Scott (who they had acquired just a week earlier), and cash, and dealt him in May, 1978, for Bobby Bonds.

Washington's most comparable player through age 23, 24, and 25 is Roberto Clemente. That's pretty good. His most comparable player through ages 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 is Jose Cardenal. That's not so good.

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Found this funny story...

Claudell was the author of one of my alltime favorite baseball moments. Claudell gets hit by pitch, walks to first. Claudell waits rwo innings to bat again. Bat "slips" out of Claudell’s hands into infield towards first. Claudell jogs out to retrieve bat, makes left turn, charges mound from 10 feet away. Brilliant!

In the comments section

by bhudson on Aug 31, 2009 3:02 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

I wish some of our guys would do something like that

By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.

"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw

by Gdawg on Aug 31, 2009 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions

I believe too

that Nolan struck him out more than any other player in his illustrious career.

"Thank God for Feldman." - Ron Washington to Eric Nadel, August 2008

by kentbenfer on Aug 31, 2009 3:05 PM CDT reply actions

Good case in point about players who peak early

There have been many, and spotting them is probably the hardest thing a scout or coach can try to do. I can recall (especially pitchers) who never got even a tick better after age 18. Not counting injury cases like David Clyde, more like Seth Morehead et al.

Maybe we have a few in our system who have already capped out.

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -

"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce

by Ed Coffin on Aug 31, 2009 3:40 PM CDT reply actions