This Day in History: November 19th

New York Giants player Bill Rigney (center, number 18) hits a home run during a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field on April 19, 1949. Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella (center left, number 39) and umpire Babe Pinelli (far left) are behind the plate. | Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Roy Campanella, one of the most consequential figures in baseball history, was born Nov. 19, 1921, in Philadelphia. Campanella became the first Black catcher in Major League Baseball and a key contributor to the sport’s integration.

Campanella left high school at age 16 to join the Washington Elite Giants of the Negro National League. His father was of Italian descent and his mother was African American. Like other Black players, he was barred from entering Major League Baseball until the racial barrier began to fall in the late 1940s.

“You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too.”

Major League Baseball signed its first Black player of the modern era when Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. Campanella was hired by the Dodgers the following year. He became the team’s starting catcher and remained a central figure in the lineup through the 1957 season.

Campanella earned three National League Most Valuable Player awards, in 1951, 1953 and 1955. He was widely regarded as one of the league’s top defensive catchers, known for his strong throwing arm and ability to manage a pitching staff.

(Left to Right) Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, and Jim Gilliam with the Brooklyn Dodgers during an exhibition baseball game in Japan, circa 1956. | Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Campanella’s career ended in January 1958 after a car accident left him paralyzed. He remained active in baseball through community events and public appearances and became an advocate for people with disabilities.

In 1969, Campanella was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Campanella died of a heart attack on June 26, 1993. He was 71.