Athletes - Herb Washington

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	Athletes - Herb Washington

Herbert Lee (Hurricane Herb) Washington (born November 16, 1951 in Belzoni, Mississippi) is a former world-class sprinter tapped by Oakland Athletics owner Charlie Finley in 1974 to become the first (and only) "designated runner" in Major League Baseball history. Despite having vitually no baseball experience, Washington was a member of the Athletics 1974 World Series championship team. He debuted on April 4 1974.

Washington, who played in 104 major league games without batting, pitching, or fielding, compiled 31 stolen bases in 48 attempts and scored 33 runs. He was used exclusively as a pinch-runner. Unfortunately for Oakland, the former track star had a less-than-stellar success rate of 64.58 percent as a base stealer. During the 1975 season, Finley decided the experiment had "run" its course and Washington's brief baseball career was over. He played his final game on May 4 1975.

Following his baseball career, Washington joined the pro track circuit and remained in competition until 1976. Today he is a successful business man, owning several McDonalds franchises in the Rochester, NY area.

In the late 1990s, he purchased all the Youngstown, Ohio area McDonald's franchises from Sam Covelli, once the largest McDonalds franchise owner in the United States.

In 2005, he became the owner of the Youngstown Steelhounds minor league hockey franchise, which plays in the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.

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