Roy Campanella

B: Nov 19, 1921, Philadelphia, PA — D: Jun 26, 1993, Woodland Hills, CA

A Hall of Fame catcher, Campy earned three MVP awards and played in eight All-Star games. The son of an Italian father and African-American mother, Campy played in the Negro and Mexican leagues before joining the Dodgers soon after Jackie Robinson broke baseballs color line. In each MVP season, he batted over .300, slugged more than 30 home runs and drove in more than 100 runs. He excelled at pitch calling at a time when many believed only whites were smart enough to play catcher. Campy’s autobiography, Its Good to be Alive, recounts his struggle to recover partial mobility in his arms and hands after being paralyzed in an auto accident.