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Friday, February 29, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Roy Campanella
from wikipedia and the official roy camapanella site
A successful catcher is defined by his ability to handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keep errant throws and pitches in front of him. Roy Campanella possessed all these skills and then some.
The man they called "Campy" was the complete package, leading National League catchers in putouts six times, and clubbing 242 home runs in his 10-year Major League career. From 1948-1957, Roy Campanella was securely anchored behind home plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Campanella's 1946 season, for the Dodger minor league team in Montreal, proceeded largely without racial incident, and in one game Campanella took over the managerial duties after manager Walter Alston was ejected. This made Campanella the first African-American to manage white players on an organized professional baseball team. Nashua was three runs down at the time Campanella took over. They came back to win, in part due to Campanella's decision to use pitcher Don Newcombe as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. Newcombe hit a game-tying two-run home run.
He caught in five World Series, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1951, 1953, and 1955, and was the first black catcher in Major League Baseball history. In 1969, he joined baseball’s elite with his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Campanella lived in Long Island while owning a liquor store in Harlem, which he also operated during the baseball off-season. On January 28, 1958, after closing the store for the night, he began his drive home to Long Island. However, before he arrived, his car hit a patch of ice, skidded into a telephone pole and overturned.
The accident left Campanella paralyzed from the chest down. Through physical therapy, he eventually was able to gain substantial use of his arms and hands. He was able to feed himself, shake hands, and gesture while speaking, but he would be confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
Birth name: Roy Campanella
Nickname: Campy
Birth date: November 19, 1921
Birth place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Death date: June 26, 1993
Death place: Woodland Hills, California
Height: 5' 9" Weight: 190 lbs.
Parents: John and Ida Campanella
Campanella's father was of Italian descent; his mother was African American. Therefore, he was barred from Major League Baseball prior to 1947 — the season that non-white players were admitted to the Major Leagues for the first time since the 19th Century
Marriage: Ruthe, Roxie Doles, 1963-1993 (his death)
Children: Five children with his first wife, Ruthe
Athletic position: Catcher
Athletic teams: Brooklyn Dodgers (1949 -1957), Baltimore Elite Giants [Negro National League] (1937- 1942)
Threw: Right Batted: Right
Hall of Fame: Elected in 1969
In 1991, Roy and Roxie founded the "The Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical Therapy Scholarship Foundation." Equipment, education, information, and support for those living with paraplegia was provided by the foundation. It also awarded scholarships to students pursuing a degree in the field of physical therapy.
Was a star for nine seasons in the Mexican and Negro Leagues.
He played in five World Series.
Led National League catchers in putout six times.
Hit 242 home runs as a catcher.
Was selected the National League's Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, and 1955.
Carol Boston Weatherford: Negro League Scrapbook
from February 28, 2006 from npr
The Baseball Hall of Fame announces 17 of its newest members, all associated with The Negro League and Pre-Negro League. Commentator Carole Boston Weatherford remembers some of the leagues achievements. Weatherford is the author of A Negro League Scrapbook.
mixed in with the pictures are former Brooklyn (LA) Dodgers, Roy Campenella, Jim "Junior" Gilliam and Joe Black
Baltimore Elite Giants
Thomas T. Wilson helped to form the semi-pro Nashville Standard Giants in 1918 and guided them to build a strong reputation throughout the South.
In 1921, the club was renamed the Elite Giants as the team’s success and popularity continued to grow.
By 1928, Wilson was ready to move his Elite Giants into the national arena and made several attempts to gain entry into the Negro National League and the Southern Negro League, the two leagues of the time.
In 1930, Wilson had the opportunity to join the Negro National League. Unfortunately, the league disbanded the following year but Wilson kept his team alive by joining the Southern Negro League in the 1932 season.
The Negro National League was reincarnated in 1933 and the Elite Giants rejoined the league for two additional seasons in 1933-34. Due to a declining economy, Wilson was forced to move the club to Columbus (1935), then Washington (1936-37), and Baltimore (1938-47)
Their nickname is pronounced "EE-light" with a Southern twang. They migrated from Nashville to Columbus, Ohio to Washington D.C. and finally Baltimore in 1938. They won the Negro National Title in 1939 and 1949. The Elite Giants gave Joe Black, Junior Gilliam and Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella their initial exposure to professional baseball before becoming bums with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1942 season was the best-ever for the club when they posted a 37-15 record, tops in the Negro National League.
During the team's career the Homestead Grays were the dominant team. The Elites would play them every year and finally in 1939 the Elites claimed the championship, beating the Grays in a four-team post season tournament. In 1948 the league folded. In 1949, after the league had been reconstructed and under the new management of Lennie Pearson, the Elites won the Eastern Division and Western Division. In 1946 Tom Wilson sold the franchise due to health problems. In 1950 after the team got second place in the East, while suffering financial problems, the team was sold to William Bridgeforth for $11,000. The team returned to Nashville for a final season, and subsequently was dissolved.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Famous Brooklyn African Americans
The images are from the Brooklyn Public Library's Digital Collection. The soundtrack is Joy Spring, featuring Clifford Brown on trumpet and Brooklyn's own Max Roach on drums.
Max lived at one time at 210 Putnam Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant
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