Bill Campbell (baseball)
| Bill Campbell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: August 9, 1948 Highland Park, Michigan, U.S. | |
| Died: January 6, 2023 (aged 74) Palatine, Illinois, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 14, 1973, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| April 30, 1987, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 83–68 |
| Earned run average | 3.54 |
| Strikeouts | 864 |
| Saves | 126 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
William Richard Campbell (August 9, 1948 – January 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1973 to 1987. He played for the American League (AL) Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers and the National League (NL) Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Montreal Expos.
Early life
Campbell was born in Highland Park, Michigan, and raised in Pomona, California.[1] He graduated from Ganesha High School in Pomona, and attended Mt. San Antonio College.[1]
After being drafted for military service in 1968, Campbell joined the United States Army.[1] He served as a radio operator in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and was discharged in 1970.[1]
Start of career
Nicknamed "Soup" after the Campbell Soup Company,[2] Campbell was signed as an amateur free agent pitcher by the Twins and began his career with the Class A minor league Wisconsin Rapids in 1971.[1] In 1972, he moved up to Minnesota's AA level Charlotte affiliate, and in 1973 he started the season with AAA Tacoma and had 10 wins and 5 losses when he was called up to the major leagues in July.[1]
Campbell made his Twins debut on July 14, 1973, in relief of
Campbell became a
On March 26, 1984, the Cubs traded Campbell and Mike Diaz to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gary Matthews, Porfi Altamirano, and Bob Dernier.[4] On April 6, 1985, the Phillies traded Campbell and Iván DeJesús to the St. Louis Cardinals for Dave Rucker.[5] He was released by the Cardinals after the 1985 season and signed with the Detroit Tigers for the 1986 season. He signed with the Montreal Expos for the 1987 season, but was released on May 1.[2]
Later life and death
After leaving the major leagues, Campbell spent two seasons with the Senior Professional Baseball Association. According to 1987 news articles, Campbell was among those who were swindled by sports agent LaRue Harcourt, and lost approximately $800,000.[1] He remained involved in baseball, and served on the coaching staff of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999. In retirement, he was a resident of the Chicago area.[1] He also coached for the Red Sox organization and was a volunteer coach for youth baseball leagues.
Campbell died from cancer under hospice care in Palatine, Illinois, on January 6, 2023, at the age of 74.[6][7]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Bill Campbell Interview". TwinsTrivia.com. 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ a b "Bill Campbell – Society for American Baseball Research".
- ^ "Fort Worth Star-Telegram 07 Nov 1976, page 92". Newspapers.com. November 7, 1976. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "Clipping from Chicago Tribune". Newspapers.com. May 24, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "The Charlotte Observer 07 Apr 1985, page 94". Newspapers.com. April 7, 1985. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ Reusse, Patrick (January 6, 2022). "Former Twins ironman reliever Bill Campbell dies at 74". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Bill Campbell". Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Bill Campbell at Baseball Almanac
- Bill Campbell Archived January 18, 2021, at the Wayback Machine at Baseball Gauge
