Claudell Washington's "Big" Finale

You always knew what to expect...until the very end

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1990 Topps Big Claudell Washington (#12) - Card of the Day

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By the time I “found” Claudell Washington, a lot of his best baseball was already behind him. But that’s also a bit like saying I’ve already drunk the best bottle of Coke I’ll ever have.

Each one is pretty much like the last, and they’re all pretty good. Same for Washington’s seasons.

He was the Braves’ right fielder when I first encountered him, for example. During those years, from 1982 through 1985, you could pretty much count on Washington to hit .270-.280, connect on 10-15 home runs, drive in 50-80 runs, and steal 20 — maybe 30 — bases.

That profile remained basically the same after the Braves traded Washington and Paul Zuvella to the Yankees for Ken Griffey and Andre Robertson in June of 1986. And then when he signed as a free agent with the Angels in January of 1989.

That first year in California, for example, Washington hit .273 with 13 homers and 42 RBI while stealing 13 bases in 110 games.

But then he got off to a slow start in 1990, hitting .176 in 12 early games. The Angels had seen enough and shipped the soon-to-be 35-year-old back to the Yankees (along with Rich Monteleone) for Luis Polonia.

The Bronx landscape had changed since Washington wrapped up his first stint with the Yankees a couple years earlier, though.

For one thing, Washington had been the Yanks’ primary centerfielder in 1988, but Roberto Kelly was stationed there by 1990. And right field, where Washington had played most of his career, was manned by Jesse Barfield.

So managers Bucky Dent and Stump Merrill used Washington as part of a crowded left-field picture that also included Oscar Azocar, Hensley Meulens, and Dave Winfield. It was a tough row to hoe for Washington, and he hit a meager .163 with no home runs in 83 plate appearances across 33 games.

His last appearance came as a pinch runner, replacing Alvaro Espinoza in the top of the ninth in the Yanks’ June 18 loss to the Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee.

About that same time, collectors were getting our final dose of Washington cards. Among the very last was the colorful 1990 Topps Big card you see at the top of this post. Issued in three series of 110 cards each, this was also the last of three “Big” sets.

(Washington also appeared in the 1988 Big set, but not the 1989 version.)

The Yanks held onto Washington the rest of the season but never used him in a game again. They released him in October, and he retired shortly thereafter.

All of that meant there was very little chance Washington would land on a 1991 career-capper card with the Yankees…and he didn’t. But at least he had finished his cardboard career in a Big way!

Claudell Washington, who passed away in 2020, played his last game 35 years ago today.

The Brother the World Awaited?

Washington collected his first hit against future Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry — a triple that was the only noise the A’s made in the eighth inning of a game against the Indians on July 8, 1974.

But two innings later, Washington touched Mr. Vaseline for a walk-off single, driving in Blue Moon Odom for a 4-3 Oakland win.

Observing the game that night was Jim Perry, Gaylord’s older brother and Cleveland rotation mate. Jim was a star and Cy Young winner in his own right. He was also appearing on baseball cards in the 1950s before Gaylord ever made it to the majors.

Case in point — the 1959 Kahn’s card above. Read all about that one right here.

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