Net54baseball.com Forums - RIP Lenny Randle

He was a very interesting guy. Career overshadowed by the Lucchesi incident of course. Heard many stories of that encounter over the years, all of which involved some variation on Lucchesi being a world class ahole. Of course doesn't justify the incident.

I remember when he was traded to the Mets. At the time I was 14 and regularly wrote to all the Mets with the standard self addressed stamped envelope telling them they were my favorite player and asking for a signed picture. They (most) send out a small black and which signed photo. Even had a Seaver at one point. I assume the guys signed a few hundred pictures and some clubhouse person sent them out once in a while. Lenny was a breath of fresh air on the Mets. Stole bases and was a very exciting player. Team sucked at the time. New York was a little guarded to accept him but I think he won everyone over. Or most people. I wrote to him very soon after he joined the Mets and obviously he didn't have Mets promotional materials. I remember one day out of the blue this long postcard showed up in my mailbox of Lenny in his Texas uniform. He wrote a long greeting about how happy he was to join the Mets, excited for a new start, etc. Crossed our Rangers and wrote Mets. A real thoughtful piece. And signed of course. The most remarkable thing to me as a kid was he wrote MY name and address on the front of the card. A major league player knew who I was. (Well, sort of.. . .) I remember thinking at the time what a good guy, and how he sat or a plane or a bus and took a few minutes to fill out a post card he didn't need to even bother with. I was wowed by it in 1974 and still today it gives me a kick. Safe travels Lenny.