Roy Campanella

[DOUGHBOYS]

Most baseball fans, and even some non-baseball fans, know that Roy Campanella was the guy who ended up in a wheelchair.



Driving home from his liquor store at just 30 miles per hour, he hit a patch of ice and skidded into a telephone pole. His neck broken, he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life.



Campanella's career was winding down when the accident happened. He had only played in 103 games and hit 13 home runs in 1957, after averaging 130 games and 27 home runs the eight years before.

Want a good fantasy year? In 1953, Campanella hit 41 home runs and drove in 142 runs, while playing in 144 games. This, when a full season was 154 games.



Along with Don Newcombe, Campanella was the first black player to play in the major league baseball system in the United States. A good trivia question since Jackie Robinson 'minored' in Montreal.



He was beloved by Brooklyn fans, Los Angeles fans, teammates, and opponents. Although some of us knew most of the above about Campanella, it is two days in 1958 that were most intriguing.



The Dodgers wanted to honor Campanella. They also wanted to raise money for Campanella. Calls were made. Schedules were adjusted. Unselfish acts and kindness resulted in an exhibition game during the course of the season.

The American League did not have a team west of Kansas City, but the Yankees agreed to be the Dodgers foe on May 7.

Over 93,000 fans packed into the Coliseum. Some say it was more. There were 20,000 fans outside of the Coliseum, unable to get tickets. Later, most of those fans broke through turnstiles to the ballpark. Some fans even spilled on the outer edges of the outfield.

At the time, it was the most people ever to see a Major League game, unofficially, it still may be the game that had the most fans in attendance.

The Dodgers played World Series games in 1959 at the Coliseum and 'only' had 92,000 fans for their most well attended game.



In a touching salute, the Dodgers turned off the lights between the fifth and sixth innings. Fans struck matches and flicked lighters, while Pee Wee Reese rolled Campanella out to the field.



The Yankees who won the game, had flown in from Kansas City the day before. The next morning, they chartered a plane to Washington DC to start a series with the Senators.



Most Yankee players knew and respected Campanella and were happy to accommodate. More fortunate, was that there was no union at the time, which may have made the exhibition, an impossibility.



The morning after the exhibition game, as the Yankees plane was probably probably flying overhead, the last few folks remaining in Chavez Ravine were evicted and ground was broken for Dodger Stadium.



[ November 05, 2010, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

[Spyhunter]

Thanks Dough. I had no idea of the story of Roy C and appreciate the post. Really a nice story!!

[Schwks]

Route 107 on Long Island.