After dabbling in football, he thought he could be another Bob Hayes. But after he was drafted by Baltimore and wooed by Toronto, he got a surprise call from Chicago, where Oakland A's maverick owner Charles O. Finley did business.

"I was doing sports at Channel 6 in Lansing," Washington remembered Sunday. "And when I got the message, I thought it was a joke. Then, I got paged. He said, `Herbie, I want you to play baseball and be a pinch-runner.' I said, `Mr. Finley, I'm going to need a no-cut contract. I know sometimes you just get rid of people.' He said, `A no-cut contract? The only players who have those are Vida Blue, Catfish Hunter and Reggie Jackson! Are you telling me you're in the same league as those guys?' I said, `No, but none of those guys can outrun me.'"

When Washington called Finley's bluff and began to leave, he was summoned back and offered a one-year, no-cut contract worth $45,000, plus a $20,000 signing bonus. With a $35,000 World Series share, Washington became the only player in baseball history to make $100,000 without swinging a bat or throwing a pitch.

The tricky part was a bizarre clause that he had to grow a mustache by Opening Day. As hard as he tried, the baby-faced Washington could barely sport a stubble. So he colored the holes with an eyebrow pencil and passed the test for another $2,500.