Page 15 - Italian-American Herald - April 2024

By Lou Thomas
Did you know that the first mixed race baseball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame was an Italian American?
Roy “Campy” Campanella was born in the Germantown
section of Philadelphia on Nov. 11, 1921. John Campanella, Roy’s father, was a son of Italian Immigrants and his mother Ida was an African American.
He later moved to Nicetown in North Philadelphia which was the home of the Phillies and A’s who played at Shibe Park (Connie Mack Stadium). I was also born in Nicetown and a Phillies fan and often walked to the park with Dad and my brother to see my favorite stars Richie Allen and Johnny Callison.
Nicetown was an integrated community and Roy attended Simon Gratz High School. He was often teased due to his mixed heritage but he overcame this challenge due to his extraordinary talent on the ball field. He
started to play semipro on the sandlots at 13 and he left school at age 15 and joined the Baltimore /Washington Elite Giants in the Negro Leagues. He started as their everyday catcher for several years. His demeanor on the ball field was described by a former manager as joyful and childlike yet fierce and steadfast behind the plate. His perseverance was such that he caught two doubleheaders in one day. In 1944 he won the batting title with a .388 average.
In 1945 Roy caught for a Black All-Star team against a team of major leaguers in a five-game series. Charlie Dressen, who was a Dodgers coach at the time, met with him and arranged a meeting with Branch Rickey, the owner of the Dodgers. Rickey, who helped Jackie Robinson break the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947, had found another deserving candidate to improve his team. Roy became Jackie’s teammate soon after.
In his short nine-year career from 1949-1957 he accomplished many amazing achievements behind the plate. He became the third best catcher in the history of the game and appeared in seven All Star games.
He won the MVP award in 1951, 1953, and 1955. In 1953, his most prolific year ,he hit 41 home runs, 142 RBIs and batted .318. He also caught three no-hitters. Carl Erskine was on the mound in 1952 and 1956 when “Campy “called all the pitches and again he managed behind the plate to call Sal “The Barber” Maglie’s no-hitter shutout against the Phillies in 1956.
After the 1957 season it was decided that Brooklyn was moving the Dodgers to Los Angeles. During the off-season Roy was returning from Roy Campanella Choice Wines and Liquor store in Glen Cove,
Long Island. The roads were icy and his
car flipped. His neck and spinal cord were broken and he became a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. The Dodgers retired
his number 39 along with Jackie’s 42 and Koufax’s 32. In 1969 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Long after his career ended, he kept close ties with the Dodgers organization. In 1993, he appeared at spring training to work with Mike Piazza, who was the latest catching prospect.
Later in life he wrote his autobiography
“It’s Good to Be Alive.”
Adesso lo sa. IAH
Lou Thomas was born and raised in Philadelphia, in a family with origins in Abruzzo. He is a Temple graduate who has been teaching Italian for 20 years at all levels. He attained a master’s degree in teaching Italian from Rutgers University. The sounds of Vivaldi and Jovanotti fill his classroom. His favorite quote is Il vino e’ la poesia della terra.
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
APRIL2024 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 15 LO SAPEVI CHE? (DID YOU KNOW?)
First mixed-race Baseball Hall of Famer was Roy ‘Campy’ Campanella
“To play this game good, a lot of you has to be a little boy.” – Roy Campanella
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