Herb Washington

Herb Washington was a world-class sprinter tapped by Oakland As owner Charles Finley in 1974 to become baseball's first (and only) "designated runner." With the A's in 1974, he didn't appear in a single game as a batter or fielder; rather, he was used exclusively as a pich-runner. Unfortunately for the A's, the former track star managed only 29 steals in 45 attempts, a less-than-stellar success rate of 64 per cent. Despite having vitually no baseball experience, Washington was a member of the A's World Series championship in 1974. In 1975, Finley decided the experiment had "run" its course and Washington's brief baseball career was over.