Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 - June 26, 1993)
was an American catcher in the Negro leagues and
Major League Baseball.

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His
father was of Italian descent; his mother was
African American, and so he was barred from Major
League Baseball until, in 1947, African-American
players were admitted to the major leagues.

He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los
Angeles Dodgers) from 1948 to 1957, as their
regular catcher. In 1948 he had three different
uniform numbers (33, 39, and 56) before settling
down to number 39 for the rest of his career.

His first game was on April 20, 1948.

He played in the All-Star Game every year from
1949 to 1956.

He received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award
in the National League three times: in 1951, 1953,
and 1955. He was in tenth place in the MVP voting
in 1952.

He was disabled after an automobile accident in
January 1958 and was confined to a wheelchair.

In 1969 Roy Campanella was inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame. On June 4, 1972 the Dodgers
retired his uniform number 39 alongside Jackie
Robinson (42) and Sandy Koufax (32).

He died in Woodland Hills, California and was
interred in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills
Cemetery in Los Angeles.

His widow Roxie died in 2004.



(Number retired 4 June 1972)
Roy Campanella
Position 	Catcher
MLB Seasons 	10
Teams 	Brooklyn Dodgers
Debut 	20 April 1948
Final Game 	29 Sept. 1957
Total Games 	1,215
(1,183 catching)
LCS Appearances 	1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956
World Series Teams 	1949, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956
Allstar Teams 	1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954,
1955, 1956
Awards 	NL MVP:
1951, 1953, 1955
TSN NL Player of the Year: 1953
Baseball Hall of Fame (1969)
Nickname
"Campy"