Make Way For Washington

For a young, untested outfielder, it is hard to imagine a bleaker prospect than trying to break into the majors with the Oakland A's. Where can he play? Superstar Reggie Jackson owns right, fleet Bill North roams center like a gazelle, and modest Joe Rudi is known as the best leftfielder in baseball. Most teen-age players would cast a glance at that outfield and sign up with another club or resign themselves to ten years in the minors. Not Claudell Washington. He had an A's contract at age 17, starred in the World Series last year at 20, and this season has taken over leftfield and was chosen to be a member of the American League squad in this week's All-Star game in Milwaukee.

Washington's bat forced the A's to switch Rudi to first base. As a rookie last season, Claudell hit a solid .285. During the World Series against the Dodgers, he rocketed to .571. As of last week he was leading the team in hitting with a .317 average. A line-drive specialist, his 47 RBls left him only four behind Team Leader Jackson, who says, "Claudell is just the best young ballplayer I've ever seen come into the league." The owner of the A's, Charlie Finley, is quick to agree. During a game in Chicago, after Washington singled to drive in a run, stole second and scored on a wild pitch, Finley walked into the press box to announce he was giving Washington a $10,000 raise.

A muscular 6 ft., 190 Ibs., Washington whips his 34-oz. bat across the plate with a fluid, level swing, rifling his line drives in all directions. He has startling speed (32 stolen bases so far this year).

Remarkably, Washington can do all this although a doctor told him in spring training that he has an irregular heartbeat. Washington suffers occasional fainting spells; last week he passed out twice at home and then underwent some medical tests, the results of which were still unknown.

There is no question that his confidence is robust. Says Washington: "I knew I was good the first time I picked up a bat." That was when he was eleven, but Washington did not flip for baseball at the tune. In fact, he shunned it all the way through Berkeley High School in Berkeley, Calif., where his real passion was basketball. (Small by basketball standards, Washington leaps so high that he has tune to dunk two balls on the same jump.) During the summers he played baseball on a city team, and it was there in 1972 that A's Scout Jim Guinn signed him. Guinn, who had spotted Washington playing at age 13, had no competition, since nobody else even knew about the boy. Washington graduated in two years from Birmingham

to the A's.

For Washington, playing for Oakland has not been easy. His fielding was erratic and his throwing weak at first, and Joe Rudi did not like the idea of switching to first base. Shy and slightly awed by his teammates, the rookie kept to himself and worked. This year he partakes of some team high jinks and even teases North and Jackson occasionally.

He has no doubt about where he is headed. Surveying Jackson's lavish Berkeley Hills condominium overlooking San Francisco, Washington says: "One day I'm going to have all this--and more."

For starters, he is going to use his hefty salary increase to help buy his housekeeper mother a new home.

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