Bowditch

-Teaching middle school is becoming less and less fun, I miss the Navy -Local news shows suck -Election ads are more about what the other guy has done wrong and less about what you will do right -I wonder how Castro would have done against Ted Williams

Reading about Carl Furillo reminded me of another player on that team. Roy Campanella Starting in the Negro Leagues in 1937, he was the second black man hired by Branch Rickey. Starting for the Dogers in 1948, he played in eight All-Star games and was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1951, 1953, and 1955. He was THE catcher for the Dodgers for a decade, leading the team to five pennants and a World Series title. Campanella's contributions to the Dodgers were remarkable. He won the MVP award three times in five years. In 1953, his best season, he batted .312, and scored 103 runs. Also, his 142 RBI (which led the league) and 41 HR set ML records for catchers (plus one HR as a pinch-hitter). He fielded with grace that belied his physique and handled with distinction a predominantly white pitching staff. Like those of many catchers, Campanella's career was punctuated by injuries. In spring training of 1954, he chipped a bone in the heel of his left hand and damaged a nerve. It affected his hitting and limited him to 111 games. Surgery helped in 1955, but the problem returned the next year. Then, in January 1958, Campanella was permanently disabled in an automobile accident. Returning home from his liquor store, which he ran in the off-season, he lost control of his car on an icy street. The car slammed into a telephone pole and flipped over, pinning him behind the steering wheel. The crash fractured his fifth cervical vertebra and damaged his spinal cord. He survived and endured years of therapy, living far beyond the normal span for quadriplegics, but his career was over. Some quotes: "You have to have a lot of little boy in you to play baseball for a living." "I never want to quit playing ball. They'll have to cut this uniform off of me to get me out of it.

Rick Manning Number 2 draft pick (right out of high school) for the Indians in 1975. A high school shortstop he was moved into the outfield by the Indians. An average hitter (.256 lifetime average, 56 homers, 458 RBI's, and 168 stolen bases over a 13 year career), he was an exceptional Center Fielder, earning the Golden Glove in 1976. While he wasn't a flashy player, he had an enthusiasm and work ethic that made him a favorite of mine. He showed up for work every day and put everything he had into the game. He always seemed to be enjoying himself and was never too busy or self-important to talk to a fan or sign a ball (even when that fan was a thirteen year old who lacked the sense of decorum to not bother the man in the middle of his meal).