unique position

I still have that 1975 Topps Herb Washington card.
his position is listed as "Pinch Run." - which is exactly what we was.

not always, but sometimes I miss Charles O. Finley....

Herb Washington played baseball with OOTP ratings of 1/1/1/1/1 hitting (1-10 scale, to keep it simple), 1/1/1 fielding ratings, a 10 Speed, maybe a 6 Base Stealing, and a 4 Baserunning. He scored 33 runs without a plate appearance, played in a World Series, and then owned 23 McDonald's, sued the company, and won.

He was one of my favorite players in MLB history before this; now, I want a movie about him. It's Rookie of the Year and The Founder put together!

Also, since I'm here: hat tip to Matt Alexander, another one of the A's PR specialists, except Matt could actually play a little (314/416/358 with 73 steals at age 36 in the Mexican League!).

Sorry. I love weird careers. Charlie Silvera and Ralph Houk are legends. "Yeah, Yogi, we know you're the starter."

Allan Lewis, 1967-73 for Finley - 6 for 29, 44 SB, 17 CS, 47 R in 156 total games

Larry Lintz, 1976-77 for Finley - 4 for 31, 44 SB, 16 CS, 32 R in 109 total games

Washington — a former Major League Baseball player and the chain’s largest Black franchisee in the U.S. at one point — operated 14 McDonald’s restaurants at the time he filed his lawsuit, down from 23 in 2017.

Need context: The largest White franchisee, how many did he own?

Sorry. I love weird careers. Charlie Silvera and Ralph Houk are legends. "Yeah, Yogi, we know you're the starter."

Silvera, Houk, and Arndt Jorgens had a combined 20 World Series rings with a combined 4 World Series plate appearances. Nice work if you can get it.

Not quite the same thing but in 1968 Durocher made one of his nuttier decisions that Randy Hundley should start 156 games. Granted the Cubs played 163 games that year (including an official "cancelled" game). Nevertheless, the Cubs split the other 7 starts among 3 Cs and still managed to find John Felske 5 innings and Bill Plummer 2 innings. So one guy for 1385 innings and 5 guys for 68 innings.

Plummer became a legit backup C and was lucky enough to be part of the Big Red Machine. A couple of rings, a couple more pennants not a single postseason apperance.

Hundley started both games of a DH 15 times, including back-to-back DHs on July 6-7 leading up to the AS break. First day back from the AS break, Hundley started both games of that DH. Four of his non-starts were the second game of a DH, eventually entering 3 of them totalling another 11 innings.

Need context: The largest White franchisee, how many did he own?

Not sure what context that adds, but here’s the largest franchisee in FL who owned 53 locations as of 2015. Link

(including an official "cancelled" game).

Do you mean an official tie? The Cubs used to have a lot of them, before they put up lights.

#12 in the US has 45

One of my former owners of a restaurant I used to work at had 63 McDonalds and sold them for over 100 million.

That one in Tampa is the largest at 63 now.

speaking of rarely-used backup Cs (and circling back to Houk):


24. Howie Menckel Posted: January 06, 2018 at 10:51 PM (#5602245)
the last MLB player to hit .400 in a full season of active play (on the 25-man roster) of course we all know played for the Red Sox

yes, that is Roger LaFrancois in 1982, the third-string catcher [behind Gary Allanson and Rich Gedman]

he got his first appearance on May 27 but did not bat

then 0 for 1 on June 18 and 1 for 1 on June 30 - a double, no less

an 0 for 2 on Aug 17 seemed to doom our hero

but he got a hit on Sept 14 to get to .400 (2 for 5)

no AB in Sept 17 and Sept 27 appearances, setting the stage for a Ted Williams-like effort in the Red Sox final game of the season - he would risk it all in the only start of his MLB career

our hero lined out to CF in the 2nd at dreaded Yankee Stadium against Doyle Alexander - then grounded out in the 4th and in the 6th

there was no joy in Mudville with a mere 2 for 8 - but wait, there's a single to CF in the top of the 9th

miraculously, it's a tie game, and they go to the 11th - and Roger gets another single and scores the winning run!

a full season of "action" - and he went 4 for 10, and never played again (well, in the majors, but don't stop me, I'm on a roll)

...........

(13 hitters on this team got all but 89 of the Red Sox AB in 1982 - not a "deep depth" squad. they went 89-73 under Manager Ralph Houk - who got 158 AB in parts of 8 seasons as a Yankees third-string catcher in the 1940s-1950s).
so the last man to hit .400 while being active for the entire season was a Red Sock who went 2-for-5 in the final game of the season.

not Ted Williams - Roger LaFrancois.

the last MLB player to hit .400 in a full season of active play (on the 25-man roster) of course we all know played for the Red Sox

yes, that is Roger LaFrancois in 1982, the third-string catcher [behind Gary Allanson and Rich Gedman]

Why is Roger LaFrancois' 4 for 10 worthy of that distinction but not Terry Forster's 4 for 8 the following season?

(There have probably been other pitchers who have spent an entire year on the 25-man and hit better than .500, but Terry's damn near a lifetime .400 hitter so he gets the nod here).

Allan Lewis, 1967-73 for Finley - 6 for 29, 44 SB, 17 CS, 47 R in 156 total games

Larry Lintz, 1976-77 for Finley - 4 for 31, 44 SB, 16 CS, 32 R in 109 total games

Don Hopkins, 1975-76 for Finley - 1 for 6, 21 SB, 10 CS, 25 R in 85 total games

Of course, the concept lives on in Terrance Gore, with service in parts of 7 seasons, 67 at-bats, and 2 World Series rings.

Why is Roger LaFrancois' 4 for 10 worthy of that distinction but not Terry Forster's 4 for 8 the following season?

ok, we'll go instead with "batter"

that was easy enough

Not sure what context that adds...

I asked mostly because upon seeing the number Washington's franchises with the note he had the most of any Black franchisee, my first thought was, "That's all?" So if there are a bunch of White franchisees out there with 50-some stores, I'd be wondering if McD's was limiting his opportunities - as it did with the stores he already owned.

I get John Felske confused with Kevin Kennedy – for good reason, for once, since their baseball careers were near-identical up to the point when Kennedy went into TV work. But even remembering Kennedy from TV did not help me distinguish him from Felske till just now.

Do you mean an official tie? The Cubs used to have a lot of them, before they put up lights.

You're more right than I am. I was used to darkness leading to a suspension regardless of score but apparently that wasn't the case until the middle of the 69 season. So in 68, a game called due to darkness just went into the books based on whatever the score was at the time.

But that doesn't explain the 163rd game. The Cubs and Giants still had to make up that tie. I suppose "cancellation" might not be quite the right term but it was the same as an official tied game called due to rain. Note the "makeup" game is not noted as such in the schedule/results although I'm not sure they ever are.

The 81 strike played havoc with Cub ties. Their last game of the year against the Mets. They had a first-half 14-inning game in Atlanta that got halted due to rain ... then didn't play Atl home or away in the 2nd half. And they had a game suspended against StL in the first half, last game of series to be completed in the 2nd half (or maybe the missed period) but, by the time they came back to play, nobody could agree on whether that should count as a first half or second half game. The Cards finished 1 win (half-game) behind the Expos in the 2nd half.

Not quite the same thing but in 1968 Durocher made one of his nuttier decisions that Randy Hundley should start 156 games. Granted the Cubs played 163 games that year (including an official "cancelled" game). Nevertheless, the Cubs split the other 7 starts among 3 Cs and still managed to find John Felske 5 innings and Bill Plummer 2 innings. So one guy for 1385 innings and 5 guys for 68 innings.

Plummer became a legit backup C and was lucky enough to be part of the Big Red Machine. A couple of rings, a couple more pennants not a single postseason apperance.

Hundley started both games of a DH 15 times, including back-to-back DHs on July 6-7 leading up to the AS break. First day back from the AS break, Hundley started both games of that DH. Four of his non-starts were the second game of a DH, eventually entering 3 of them totalling another 11 innings.

Hundley's career September batting average was .178, 58 points below his .236 career, with a SLG 99 points lower.

When they expanded the rosters Atlanta should have activated The Freeze as a pinch runner. I remember A's announcer Monty Moore calling Hopkins "Hoppy". Some of those last 70's PR's overlapped each other but then sometimes Finley wouldn't bring up a player when someone was on the on the DL to save $. This was before they had the decent starters who pitched all the complete games under Martin so that meant there wasn't any hitting on the bench.
Anyway, it's good to see any athlete who had the sense to become a successful entrepreneur outside of the game, sorry he got stiffed but expect if he doesn't retire he'll manage some other chain and succeed.

Sorry. I love weird careers.

Me, too. My favourite is the brother of a Hall of Famer.

I would read a good biography of Herb Washington, especially if it covered his recent business activity.

Need context: The largest White franchisee, how many did he own?

Well, Arcos Dorados Holdings is the largest global franchisee, with 6.7% of restaurants in Latin America, which would amount to over 2500 franchises.