In the mid-1940s, Campanella was part, along with Jackie Robinson, in Branch Rickey’s happy initiative to bring black players into MLB.
Life is full of unexpected contrasts and surprises. The word “albur” comes from luck in card and cup games. Something like this happens in existence, and athletes do not escape that mysterious chance and the attitude to assume before it. In the history of the exceptional receivers in the major leagues, the catcher Roy Campanella, born on November 19, 1921 in Philadelphia, USA, occupies a preponderant position.
The son of an Italian father and an Afro-descendant mother, he managed to virtuously enhance this combination of races to apply them in a unique way to baseball.
In the mid-1940s, Campanella was part, along with Jackie Robinson, of Branch Rickey’s happy initiative to bring black players into MLB. This is how in 1949, after going through the minors, he made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was the first of nine seasons he would have in the big top, with a series of extraordinary records and achievements.
The achievements
One of the lesser-known aspects of Roy Campanella (perhaps because his offense seemed to overshadow everything) was his superb ability to put out stealing running backs. His 57.4 CS percentage speaks volumes of a powerful and highly educated arm. In fact, this percentage is the historical mark of all time, higher than the values of other excellent masks such as Harnet (56%), Betts (49%), Lombardi (48%), Dickey (47%), Iván Rodríguez ( 46%), Munson (44%), among others. The chroniclers also claim that Campanella was excellent at managing the pitchers’ work. Another indispensable feature in a good receiver.
Campanella, on offense, was the terror of the pitchers: if it is extremely difficult for a player to win the MVP of his league, imagine, dear reader, what it would be like to win, as in the case of Campanella, three awards from a league that counted with players like Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron and Stan Musial, to name just four luminaries in the game.
Of his three MVPs, the one with the highest production for Campanella was in 1953, in which he hit 162 H (26 doubles, 3 triples, 41 Jrs) with 142 RBIs (league leader) and 103 runs scored. That year he competed heavily with Eddie Mathews, who he led 297 versus 226 points.
The 1957 season was to be one more, but no one suspected that it was the last for this extraordinary player. In that crop he participated in only 103 games, hitting 13 home runs and 9 doubles, and driving a total of 62 lines. Campanella was already 35 years old, and working in such a demanding position took a careful toll.
Misfortune and attitude
The negative luck would appear in the middle of a car accident: on January 28, 1958 Campanella’s career as an active player was stopped forever, as a result of the mishap he was relegated to a wheelchair. It is noteworthy that not even that heinous event could completely stop the enormous spirit of this being born to shine. Campanella continued to participate in acts and events such as the one held in her honor in May 1959. More than 93,000 people paid her an emotional tribute. Campanella’s examples of strength and greatness abound in defeating adversity. He was still Roy Campanella, as he demonstrated by participating in a chapter of the popular, for the time, series “Lassie”. He returned to baseball as a catcher coach for the Dodgers, a position he held between 1959 and 1980, showing courage, dedication and great determination.
In nine years in the MLB, Campanella was able to collect the following records: 1401 H (226 doubles, 30 triples and 260 homers) batting for a 283 average, 1017 RBIs and an OPS of .862 and OPS + 126.
In 1969, baseball recognized his merits, elevating him to the Hall of Fame. He knew how to carve his way to immortality. He knew how to be great.
In 1993 Roy Campanella passed away, leaving a trail of triumphs, signs of dignity and a strong mentality in the face of misfortune.
His words continue to resonate with those of us who admire him: “Every time I go to bed I pray to God and thank him for giving me all the skills to play baseball.” It was a big one. .
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