Al Campanis
Al Campanis | |
---|---|
Second baseman | |
Born: Kos, Dodecanese Islands, Kingdom of Italy | November 2, 1916|
Died: June 21, 1998 Fullerton, California, U.S. | (aged 81)|
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
September 23, 1943, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 3, 1943, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .100 |
Hits | 2 |
Runs scored | 3 |
Teams | |
|
Alexander Sebastian Campanis (Greek: Αλέξανδρος Σεβαστιανός Καμπάνης; November 2, 1916 – June 21, 1998) was an American executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). He had a brief major league playing career, as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1943; he was the first Greek player in MLB history.[1] Campanis is most famous for his position as general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1968 to 1987, from which he was fired on April 8, 1987, as a result of controversial remarks regarding black people in baseball made during an interview on Nightline two days earlier.
Early life
Al Campanis was born to Greek-speaking parents in Kos, a small island within the Dodecanese Islands, on November 2, 1916.[2] Kos has been part of Greece since 1947, although, at the time of Campanis' birth, it belonged to Italy.
He moved with his family to New York City at age 6. He attended New York University, graduating in 1940.[3]
Baseball
After graduating, Campanis became a professional baseball player, signing with the
After returning from the war, Campanis rejoined the Montreal Royals. With Montreal in 1946, Campanis played 116 games at shortstop and was teammates with Jackie Robinson, who played 119 games at second base.[5] Campanis remained with Montreal in 1947,[6] while Robinson played for the Dodgers, breaking the baseball color line. Campanis' final season playing professional baseball was 1948, when he was player-manager of the Nashua Dodgers in New Hampshire. Pitcher Dan Bankhead, who in 1947 had become the first African American pitcher in MLB, won 20 games for Nashua in 1948.[7]
Campanis soon afterward became a scout for the Dodgers, then eventually their scouting director. While a scout, he notably discovered future Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Sandy Koufax. Campanis moved with the team to Los Angeles when they became the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958.
In 1968, Campanis became the Dodgers' general manager.[3] In one of his first trades as general manager, Campanis traded his own son Jim, to the Kansas City Royals for two minor leaguers.[8] Under Campanis, the Dodgers reached the World Series four times: 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1981. They lost the first three, before finally winning in 1981.[3]
Racially insensitive comments
The impetus for Campanis being invited onto
Campanis, who had played alongside Robinson and was known for being close to him, was being interviewed about the subject. Nightline anchorman
The controversy was especially heated when it was pointed out that Campanis had participated in the decision over who would replace Walter Alston as the manager of the Dodgers. It had been a choice between the two coaches at the time, Tommy Lasorda and Jim Gilliam, and it raised the question of whether Gilliam had been passed over because he was black.[3]
In an interview the next year, Campanis attempted to clarify that he was referring to the lack of African-Americans with experience in these areas, rather than their innate abilities. He also said that he was "wiped out" when the interview took place and therefore not entirely himself. Many other figures in baseball, such as Lasorda and African-American and Latin players who played for the Dodgers, have also spoken in Campanis's defense.[10]
Two months after the episode aired, Major League Baseball hired sociologist and civil right activist Harry Edwards to begin a diversity-increasing initiative among leadership in the sport. Edwards stated later that one of the first people to call him was Campanis, who asked how he could help and that if his comments opened the door for help, then "it was worth it."[11] Edwards later said of Campanis:
He didn't get a raw deal, he got the deal he ordered up, but he was one of the most honorable men in the whole process and he handled it with class, with conscientiousness and with courage.[9]
In 1988, Campanis himself added similarly: "Time has diffused the immediate hurt of April 6", and that "It has turned out to be a plus for baseball and myself."[12]
Personal life and family
Campanis had two sons, baseball player Jim and George.[3]
Death
Campanis died on June 21, 1998, at his home in Fullerton, California, from coronary artery disease, at age 81. Campanis was survived by his sons, George and Jim, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[12] He was interred in the mausoleum crypt at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton.
Works
- Campanis, Al (1954). The Dodger Way to Play Baseball. No Publisher Noted. ASIN B000HKV8J0.
- Campanis, Al (1980). Play Ball with Roger the Dodger. Putnam. ISBN 0399207104.
References
- ^ "Major League Baseball Players Born in Greece". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Al Campanis". SABR. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Former Dodgers GM Al Campanis Dead at 81". Associated Press. June 22, 1998. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2011 – via thedeadballera.com.
- ^ Gary Bedingfield's Baseball in Wartime: Al Campanis
- ^ "1946 Montreal Royals". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "1947 Montreal Royals". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ "Dan Bankhead Negro, Minor & Mexican Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
- ^ Al Campanis Biography
- ^ a b c Weinbaum, Wiloiam (April 1, 2012). "The legacy of Al Campanis". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ Al Campanis – forever a racist? Jewish World Review, July 2, 1998
- ^ Chass, Murray (August 7, 1987). "Edwards Enlists Campanis's Help". The New York Times.
- ^ a b "Former Dodgers GM, Dead At Age 81". CBS News. June 21, 1998. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
Further reading
- Polner, Murray (April 16, 2012). "Will Ozzie Guillen Go the Same Way as Al Campanis?". History News Network.
- Springer, Steve (April 6, 1997). "The 'Nightline' that Rocked Baseball". newsthinking.com. Introduction by Bob Baker. Archived from the original on October 18, 2004 – via Wayback Machine.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Al Campanis at Find a Grave