Colavito raced from right field to the pitchers mound, putting his glove below Scores head to stabilize it. With my leg, he said, its just an extra effort. Those were the days when the old ballpark on 33rd Street in Baltimore was not so cozy for sluggers. Colavito was also good friends and roommates with one of the finest players in baseball history, in terms of talent, who will probably never get in Cooperstown:Herb Score. a few 20 win seasons and the best? Colavito was 22 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 10, So when Colavito's biographer, Mark Sommer, saw that baseball's All-Star Game was returning to the Ohio city in 2019, he reached out to Indians co-owner Paul Dolan. 1957 Topps #212 Rocky Colavito CLEVELAND INDIANS ROOKIE - LOW GRADE. Pete Ward started in left field with Rocky Colavito in right. You can try reaching Rocky D Colavito's landline at (610) 926-5410 or call at (570) 617-1182.The latter is a mobile phone number. His career numbers compare very nicely with other Hall of Famers. Dont get blown out of proportion if things go bad. In 1959, the Sporting News named Colavito the player most likely to break Babe Ruths 60-home run mark. Hello Ozzie, Ted Kluszewski is another player like this from Colavitos era. During the 1950s and early 1960s, Rocky was one of the most feared hitters in baseball :sentimental: Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. That, and his great smile is how Ill always remember The Rock. Rocky may fall a little short in getting in, but is should be remembered what an excellent right fielder he was having excellent range, a great arm and setting the record as the first outfielder to have an errorless season. Hes 85. I love you, Colavito told the audience during the 5-hour event. Thats not so. I got letters from parents thanking me for teaching their kids discipline.. - 100% polyester heavyweight "Double Knit" fabric. Found inside Page 185 to move next season into their own Camden Yards clone , it was now or never . Colavito hit a home run in the second inning, and reporters in the press box were informed of the trade shortly thereafter. Had the majors expanded back then many of my team mates would have made it to the big show. I also recall superb ball players who were killed in the Korean War. March 4, 1962. He bore down 100 percent of the time and was a good teammate. In the three-way deal, the Indians gave up some future stars pitcher Tommy John, outfielder Tommy Agee and catcher John Romano. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. Tuesday night, baseballs 2019 All-Stars, most of them multi-millionaires with few retirement worries, will meet in Cleveland. WebHe remained in New Brighton until his death at his home on February 13, 2018. I'd drive by and see him. A Bern Township resident for decades, Colavito will celebrate his 88th birthday Tuesday in Cleveland by watching the unveiling of a statue in his honor in the It was 320 down each line, 385 to each alley, 410 to center. And those who flocked to the 75,000-seat stadium on Lake Erie loved watching him do it. Colavito, a native of the Bronx and a fan of the Yankees while growing up, always had a large rooting section whenever he returned home. There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the place.. Colavito may or may not warrant a mention on the national telecast. Colavito may or may not warrant a mention on the national telecast. Cleveland youngsters formed fan clubs and swarmed him for autographs. We were partners for the purpose of growing mushrooms and I learned to buy manure, spawn, top soil, how to spray for red mites, how to work the dirt.. Occasionally, when he traveled into Reading for supplies, hed meet another strong-armed local hero whod also been forced to begin a new career, former Brooklyn Dodgers right fielder Carl Furillo. Rocky Colavito smashed 374 homers in his career. Jersey Features: - Manufactured by "Majestic Athletic". WebWhere does Peter Colavito live and when did he move there? Chuck Thompson is the interviewer for Warren Spahn and Ernie Harwell does Rocky Colavito. AP Gary Peters, a former Mercer High School pitcher and former Major League Baseball player, has died at the age of 85. God bless rocky with his diabetic complications Hes hall of gamer for sure. Hall of fame Im. Rocky I was a young man myself when I meant you at Kutztown Auto Co and worked on your Caddilacs you brought in pics personally sign for my boy and I .showed me your hitting technics was watching Home run Derby greatest dam hitter of all time your time with Cleveland Stats 4 home runs 1 game!!!!! Sitting on the third base line, I had to dodge a throw made by Rocky Colovito from the right field corner that landed in the stands right next to me. Fifty years ago this past Saturday, one of baseball's all time biggest trades was engineered when Indian's GM Frank "Trader" Lane dealt Rocky Colavito, the 1959 co-home run champion and idol of Cleveland to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn, the '59 batting champion. Marie, Ontario in the early 60s and used to fall People will tell about Willie Mays or Al Kline, but besides for Mickey Mantle, Rocky was the best player of his era. Colavito, who lives with his wife north of Reading in Bernville and has two sons, a daughter, five granddaughters and a great-grandson, still follows baseball. WebSorry. He was somewhat at times erratic in the outfield, make a great play and then miss one that you thought he should have caught. Web1965 Cleveland Indians vs. California Angles August 12th Baseball Ticket, 5-1 Angles Victory, Rocky Colavito, Leon Wagner Ad vertisement by MaitlandVintage MaitlandVintage French Steam Locomotive, We provide access to a large variety of Detroit Beautiful, along with items such as Collectors Plate, Sideshow, Trading Card, Discontinued, and many extra.Shop our wide collection, or try doing a search for a specific Sold Out . Always accommodating, he told his wife to give him two hours after games one for the locker room and one to sign autographs. He is one of the greatest baseball players in Cleveland Indians history. Happy at home in Reading, Indians legend Rocky, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Happy at home in Reading, Indians legend Rocky Colavito isnt searching for the spotlight, District 11 boys basketball: ACCHS rolls into the 4A finals with rout of Pottsville, District 11 girls basketball: Easton cruises past Nazareth, Liberty downs Northampton in semifinals, Lehigh Valley sports scores and a look at Wednesdays schedule, Easton plays Nazareth at Allen High| PHOTOS, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. I would encourage anyone interested to check it out. Either way those were some awesome players back then and Rocky was one of them. It was hard work, real labor, Colavito said of the business in which he partnered with his father-in-law. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Green called Mark Sommers book, Rocky Colavito: Clevelands Iconic Slugger the turning point in bringing a respectful hat tip to Colavitos life and career. Thats what I told my family and I meant it. In this section MLB At Home NEW: Advanced Video Search Watch Live Games Condensed Games Game Recaps Daily FastCast Instant Replay MLB Network Podcasts Business of Baseball. Like the mushrooms he nurtured in dark houses behind his father-in-laws Berks County home, Rocky Colavito has spent most of his post-baseball existence in the dark. The people of Cleveland still have so much affection for Rocky that I figured this was made to order for an All-Star Game, Sommer said. His impact on a 60s Generation of 11 and 12 year old baseball kids was awesome! The wiry 6-foot-3, 190-pounder showed plenty of power as he climbed through the minors 28 homers at single-A Reading, 38 at triple-A Indianapolis. They had this big chart we were supposed to check every day, he recalled. He was definitely a step behind if not equal to two other AL great right fielders of his time, Roger Maris and sometime teammate Al Kaline. Rocky Colavito was a member of five All Star We all suffered a loss there. Rocky is one of the best players I watched and deserves HOF consideration. Curse Of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look At A Thirty Year Slump|Terry Pluto, The Power Of Healing Love|Mrs. I got letters from parents thanking me for teaching their kids discipline.. He's 85. I was 11 years old and Rocky hit a homerun 2 rows from where we sat. But I didnt put any curse on Cleveland. Prior to the publication of Pluto's book The Curse of Rocky Colavito, there had been another explanation for the Guardians' difficulties, one that came after the 1954 World Series but preceded the 1960 Colavito trade. Rocky Colavito has never won a World Series. Shipping, Payment & Auction Policies. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. It is, however, an open question whether another year or two would have been sufficient for Rocky to hit the 26 HRs he needed to reach 400, as he had only 8 in 68. Rocky is a genuine gentleman. Required fields are marked *. No one cares about when you pitched. on a day that will live in infamy , they traded Rocky Colavito to the Pennsylvania Gov. Colavito tried broadcasting and scouted for the Yankees, but when his father-in-law grew ill in the late 60s, he headed for the mushroom buildings on the Temple farm. A lifetime batting average of .266, 374 career home runs and 1,730 hits dont seem sufficient for Cooperstown, and several of the players Colavito charts most closely to offensively fall into the good-but-not-great category: Boog Powell, Norm Cash, Frank Howard. In fact, theyve done it twice, 1920 and 1948, and they also lost to the New York Giants in the 1954 World Series. Legends usually inspire curses. Claim to fame: Colavito had a 14-year career from 1955 to 1968, and for about ten of those years, he was one of the best players in the American League. Found inside but since I already mentioned it, I did didn't I?I live back in Detroit now. WebUS $106 '97-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ '07-'14 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 Door '07-'14 Jeep Wrangler JK 2 Door This 75W LED light has low beam high beam and DRL function Will fit many vehicles and motorcycles with the standard 7" round headlight September 10, 1955 He had some power and he was one hell of a good hitter. By adjusted offensive production, Colavito was more than 30 percent better than average hitters during his career. What happened was, he hated the mound in Griffith Stadium. Rocky has been overlooked. Sweet Lou Piniella and the 1978 New York Yankees, when he pitched and won a game for the Yankees, the 10 best players not in the Hall of Fame, Maury Wills: Barnstorming with Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter, Analyzing Maury Wills impact on baseball through stolen base opportunities, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Right fielders, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Center fielders, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? The. From 1956 through 1966, Colavito smacked 358 home runs, made six All Star teams, and finished among the top five in Most Valuable Player award voting three times. He slung the ball instead of popping it.. All were solid members of their teams in their day, but if every man like this were to be honored, the Hall of Fame would mushroom in size and become watered down to the point Id be devoting columns here to whether or not Reggie Sanders deserved induction. Rocky also hit four home runs in one game at Memorial Stadium on June 10, 1959. He is 85 now, retired and missing a portion of his right leg that circulation problems claimed. He hit a total of 374 Homers over his career with Baseballs that were not as juiced as todays balls are in the MLB. But the story of the contentment he found in a fetid business far from baseballs spotlight could serve as a reminder of all the pre-free-agency stars who had second acts in the shadows. In 1959, the Sporting News named Colavito the player most likely to break Babe Ruth's 60-home run mark. is a Tuesday feature here. Thats three pretty damn good ballplayers, he said. That same season he hit four consecutive homers in a game against Baltimore and was named an All-Star starter. They married and by 1956, he was a full-time Indians outfielder and fan favorite. It was all about him. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. He can be enshrined by the Veterans Committee. Handsome, talented and approachable, he was adored by youngsters. With his flat feet and long, slow stride, it was almost comical watching Rocky try to run. He. But the story of the contentment he found in a fetid business far from baseball's spotlight could serve as a reminder of all the pre-free-agency stars who had second acts in the shadows. WebWhere does Rocky Colavito live now? Handsome, talented, and approachable, he was adored by youngsters. Heck, the Cleveland Indians were supposedly afflicted for years with something called the Curse of Rocky Colavito following their ill-fated trade of him for Harvey Kuenn just before the start of the 1960 season. In only two years with the Indians, Lane had taken a mostly successful 40-man roster and had traded away every player he had inherited. Rocky Colavito on Hall of Fame: 'It aint going to do me any good when Im dead', Hall of Fames veteran voting system could keep qualified players out, Jim Kaat on the Hall of Fame: I get a little cynical about it, Minnie Minoso a victim of unfair Hall of Fame election rules. MORE: Jim Kaat on the Hall of Fame: I get a little cynical about it. After we got married, my wife, whos from here, wanted to live in New York, penthouse apartments and all that stuff, Colavito said during a recent telephone interview. That fear wasnt unfounded . But for more than 40 years, this player who swung for the stars dug in the dirt, growing fungi in manure-scented buildings on the outskirts of a weary city. No small feats those. Mr. Colavito also pitched three scoreless innings for the Tribe in 1958. The Hall of Fame hasnt considered the same era of veteran candidates in consecutive years since 2002. Had it stayed fair He would have been the only player to hit 4 Homers in a MLB Game twice! Cuisinart Elite Collection Cookware, He had a secretary whose job each day was to go through 35 newspapers and clip out every mention of Frank Lane. The right fielder went into rapid decline after 1966, bouncing between four teams his final two seasons, though as noted here recently, Colavito had a moment in the sun his last year in the majors, 1968, when he pitched and won a game for the Yankees. we were celebrating our Championship! It appears I will never pass through the doors of the Baseball Hall of Fame because its been proven to me to be nothing but one big Cool Kids popularity contest. Colavito grew up in the Bronx and lives in Pennsylvania, but Cleveland remains a home to him. On April 17, 1960, the then-Cleveland Indians, traded Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn. An inside, in-depth look a fascinating baseball life, from small-town sandlots to the World Series. In. Who is the other Colavito you were referring to? Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. I was one of the few that could throw from dead center to home straight line , I shock many of runners until they knew not to run on me . Harvey Kuenn head to stabilize it a portion of his right leg that circulation problems claimed second,! Other Hall of gamer for sure the mound in Griffith Stadium was not so cozy for.! Slump|Terry Pluto, the then-Cleveland Indians, traded Rocky Colavito home runs in one at... 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