Ps 721 roy campanella biography

Campanella, one of the five black players signed by Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey before the season, was the first catcher to break organized baseball’s color line.

Just 5’9″ but solidly built, he had already proven himself as a catcher during nine years in the Negro National League, the winter leagues, and Mexico. In 12 additional seasons, 10 in the majors, he was one of the era’s outstanding players, and his leadership and indefatigable enthusiasm made him one of the most popular players in the game.

Born in Philadelphia of a black mother and an Italian father, Campanella began his baseball career in with a hometown semi-pro team, the Bacharach Giants.

Ps 721 roy campanella biography book

So impressive was his play that the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro National League offered him a uniform that year, though he was only 15 years old. Still in school, he played only on weekends and caught only to spell veteran Biz Mackey.

The next year, however, he left school and joined the team full-tim