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Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella
Neil Lanctot’s biography of Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella—filled with surprises—is the first life of the Dodger great in decades and the most authoritative ever published. Born to a father of Italian descent and an African- American mother, Campanella wanted to be a ballplayer from childhood but was barred by color from the major leagues. He dropped out of school to play professional ball with the Negro Leagues’ Washington (later Baltimore) Elite Giants, where he honed his skills under Hall of Fame catcher Biz Mackey. Campy played eight years in the Negro Leagues until the major leagues integrated. Ironically, he and not Jackie Robinson might have been the player to integrate baseball, as Lanctot reveals. An early recruit to Branch Rickey’s “Great Experiment” with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Campy became the first African-American catcher in the twentieth century in the major leagues. As Lanctot discloses, Campanella and Robinson, pioneers of integration, had a contentious relationship, largely as a result of a dispute over postseason barnstorming.
Campanella was a mainstay of the great Dodger teams that consistently contended for pennants in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was a three-time MVP, an outstanding defensive catcher, and a powerful offensive threat. But on a rainy January night in 1958, all that changed. On his way home from his liquor store in Harlem, Campy lost control of his car, hit a utility pole, and was paralyzed below the neck. Lanctot reveals how Campanella’s complicated personal life (he would marry three times) played a role in the accident. Campanella would now become another sort of pioneer, learning new techniques of physical therapy under the celebrated Dr. Howard Rusk at his Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. As he gradually recovered some limited motion, Campanella inspired other athletes and physically handicapped people everywhere.
Based on interviews with dozens of people who knew Roy Campanella and diligent research into contemporary sources, Campy offers a three-dimensional portrait of this gifted athlete and remarkable man whose second life after baseball would prove as illustrious and courageous as his first.
Campanella was a mainstay of the great Dodger teams that consistently contended for pennants in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was a three-time MVP, an outstanding defensive catcher, and a powerful offensive threat. But on a rainy January night in 1958, all that changed. On his way home from his liquor store in Harlem, Campy lost control of his car, hit a utility pole, and was paralyzed below the neck. Lanctot reveals how Campanella’s complicated personal life (he would marry three times) played a role in the accident. Campanella would now become another sort of pioneer, learning new techniques of physical therapy under the celebrated Dr. Howard Rusk at his Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. As he gradually recovered some limited motion, Campanella inspired other athletes and physically handicapped people everywhere.
Based on interviews with dozens of people who knew Roy Campanella and diligent research into contemporary sources, Campy offers a three-dimensional portrait of this gifted athlete and remarkable man whose second life after baseball would prove as illustrious and courageous as his first.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2011
About the author
Neil Lanctot
10 books13 followersNeil Lanctot, Ph.D. (pronounced "Lank-toe") is a historian who has written four books, each of which has combined meticulous research with compelling story-telling.
His first, Fair Dealing and Clean Playing: The Hilldale Club and The Development of Black Professional Baseball, 1910-1932, was published in 1994 by McFarland and Company. The book has since emerged as a classic in the genre and was later reprinted by Syracuse University Press.
In 2004, his second book, Negro League Baseball - The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution, was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. The book received almost universal rave reviews from the popular and scholarly press, including front cover treatment by the New York Times Book Review.
His third book, Campy - The Two Lives of Roy Campanella, was released in March 2011 by Simon & Schuster to critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Philadelphia Daily News, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and numerous other publications. Campy was also named an alternate selection for the Book of The Month Club.
His latest book, The Approaching Storm, will be released by Penguin/Random House in October 2021.
Lanctot's writing has appeared in the Smithsonian, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, and several other journals and anthologies.
His first, Fair Dealing and Clean Playing: The Hilldale Club and The Development of Black Professional Baseball, 1910-1932, was published in 1994 by McFarland and Company. The book has since emerged as a classic in the genre and was later reprinted by Syracuse University Press.
In 2004, his second book, Negro League Baseball - The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution, was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. The book received almost universal rave reviews from the popular and scholarly press, including front cover treatment by the New York Times Book Review.
His third book, Campy - The Two Lives of Roy Campanella, was released in March 2011 by Simon & Schuster to critical acclaim from the Los Angeles Times, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Philadelphia Daily News, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, and numerous other publications. Campy was also named an alternate selection for the Book of The Month Club.
His latest book, The Approaching Storm, will be released by Penguin/Random House in October 2021.
Lanctot's writing has appeared in the Smithsonian, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, and several other journals and anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 20, 2011
I was 9 years old when Roy Campanella was paralyzed in an automobile accident. I still remember the shock and heartbreak I felt when I read the newspaper that day. He was my favorite Brooklyn Dodger and he seemed to love baseball more than any other player that I knew. Being paralyzed and not being able to play baseball must have seemed almost worse than dying.
Roy joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, the year I was born and the year after the historic debut of Jackie Robinson. Jackie was admired, even revered by fans. Roy was loved. Jackie was confrontational, Roy was grateful for every good thing that happened in his life. (He got to play baseball every day! And they gave him money to do it!) Jackie went to UCLA, could have played football or basketball but accepted the challenge of integrating baseball. It was a job and a moral obligation. Campy dropped out of high school to play professional baseball ($25 week when he was 15 years old). He loved baseball - he played for free, he played for a little bit of money and he played for a lot of money. He liked the money but he loved the game.
I was and I am a great admirer and fan of Jackie Robinson so I don't mean to diminish him any way, but Jackie was like Superman, formidable but distant. Campy was Spiderman - awe-inspiring but very human. You shared all of his joy and pain and that's what made his accident so real to his millions of fans.
In this new biography Neil Lanctot has delivered a very readable, well researched and well balanced presentation of Campy's life before and after his accident. Not that there were a lot of dirty little secrets. Campy could embroider the truth a bit and skate around the truth now and then but it was all rather minor stuff.
One could argue that his relationships with his wives showed a different Roy, one not so admirable. But I think anyone who has experienced a failed relationship would think it unfair for their behavior towards that person to be used to characterize his or her life. For both parties the accumulation of the real and imagined slights and hurts and betrayals, the retributions driven by all of that pain, can look unjustified or disproportionate to any outsider. I can characterize some of Roy's words and behavior as unseemly; I can't say that about the man.
For the most part, if you heard or read his words you knew immediately who he was and what he was - someone who worked hard to be liked and enjoyed sharing his great love for the game of baseball. I'm very grateful to Mr. Lanctot for bringing Roy back to life for me, if only for a few days.
Roy joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, the year I was born and the year after the historic debut of Jackie Robinson. Jackie was admired, even revered by fans. Roy was loved. Jackie was confrontational, Roy was grateful for every good thing that happened in his life. (He got to play baseball every day! And they gave him money to do it!) Jackie went to UCLA, could have played football or basketball but accepted the challenge of integrating baseball. It was a job and a moral obligation. Campy dropped out of high school to play professional baseball ($25 week when he was 15 years old). He loved baseball - he played for free, he played for a little bit of money and he played for a lot of money. He liked the money but he loved the game.
I was and I am a great admirer and fan of Jackie Robinson so I don't mean to diminish him any way, but Jackie was like Superman, formidable but distant. Campy was Spiderman - awe-inspiring but very human. You shared all of his joy and pain and that's what made his accident so real to his millions of fans.
In this new biography Neil Lanctot has delivered a very readable, well researched and well balanced presentation of Campy's life before and after his accident. Not that there were a lot of dirty little secrets. Campy could embroider the truth a bit and skate around the truth now and then but it was all rather minor stuff.
One could argue that his relationships with his wives showed a different Roy, one not so admirable. But I think anyone who has experienced a failed relationship would think it unfair for their behavior towards that person to be used to characterize his or her life. For both parties the accumulation of the real and imagined slights and hurts and betrayals, the retributions driven by all of that pain, can look unjustified or disproportionate to any outsider. I can characterize some of Roy's words and behavior as unseemly; I can't say that about the man.
For the most part, if you heard or read his words you knew immediately who he was and what he was - someone who worked hard to be liked and enjoyed sharing his great love for the game of baseball. I'm very grateful to Mr. Lanctot for bringing Roy back to life for me, if only for a few days.
March 26, 2011
Although the prose was bland in spots, the coverage of different topics was interesting. The Jackie Robinson- Roy Campanella feud was one of the central topics in the book. This was a feud that continued after Campanella became a quadrapeligic following a car accident. An accident where the account and details are still murky.
Unlike a previous biography of Campanella, this is a balanced look at his career as a player and his inspirational battle to deal with his handicaps. After several years of tenure in the Negro Leagues, Campanella followed Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers as baseball's racial barriers were finally breached. " Who should have been the first to break the color line?" was an enduring sore point between them, though they downplayed this issue in their public posturing. Campanella went on to win 3 MVP awards and while he was a media and fan favorite, he succumbed to the temptations of fame and success that accompany celebrity status. His domestic life would be marked by discord and tragedy while he won the hearts of millions with his feats on the field and his later determination to use his impaired physical condition to benefit others.
" Campy" is more nuanced than the usual sports biography. He was both heroic and flawed; affable and spiteful. This work discloses the bitter and the sweet.
Unlike a previous biography of Campanella, this is a balanced look at his career as a player and his inspirational battle to deal with his handicaps. After several years of tenure in the Negro Leagues, Campanella followed Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers as baseball's racial barriers were finally breached. " Who should have been the first to break the color line?" was an enduring sore point between them, though they downplayed this issue in their public posturing. Campanella went on to win 3 MVP awards and while he was a media and fan favorite, he succumbed to the temptations of fame and success that accompany celebrity status. His domestic life would be marked by discord and tragedy while he won the hearts of millions with his feats on the field and his later determination to use his impaired physical condition to benefit others.
" Campy" is more nuanced than the usual sports biography. He was both heroic and flawed; affable and spiteful. This work discloses the bitter and the sweet.
December 12, 2017
If Mr. Branch Rickey had had to have picked the first black ballplayer to break the color line based solely on their immense, unquestionable love for the great sport of baseball, hands-down that man would have been Roy Campanella. Throughout this remarkably fresh look at this all-time great catcher, those readers who pride themselves on loving all-things-baseball will be overjoyed to hear a small taste of what kind of a man Campy really was: “Campy knows nothing but baseball. He loved to play it, he loved to talk about it, and he wanted to stay in it the rest of his life. He simply never felt more alive or more content than on the ball field.”
Neil Lanctot presents one of the most well-researched, beautifully transcribed, and unbiased sporting biographies in recent memory with “Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella.” Though topping out at well over 400 pages, Lanctot regales the reader with a thorough insight into the Negro Leagues of the 1930s and 40s, as well as detailed summaries of each Brooklyn Dodger pennant race in the 1950s and Campy’s place in each. I was hard-pressed to set this book down from the word “go”, especially considering how intrigued I was by how the author set the entire book up with his epic prologue. Aside from hearing about his three MVP awards and horrific accident that sent him to a wheelchair for the next thirty years, I never really knew much about Roy Campanella until reading those first few introductory pages. From there, the journey to meet a man who loved baseball more than anything made for a very enjoyable reading experience, and truly is one I shall not forget.
I came into greater appreciation for how tough catchers throughout all levels of baseball have to be, and how their batting statistics could have been so much better had they avoided the regularity of beatings they received from behind the plate. For those who previously believed they knew happy-go-lucky Campy, I’m sure the last few chapters came as a shock, but hats-off to the author for accurately and faithfully detailing all relevant facts of the man when he was off the field and away from the public spotlight. Finally, after reading Jackie Robinson’s autobiography, “I Never Had It Made”, it was nice to see Campy’s perspective of their professional and personal relationship, with had it’s ups-and-downs, to say the least.
This biography achieves everything it set out to do, by effectively portraying Campy as the legendary, passionate ballplayer he truly was - along with exploring his less-than-saintlike family man persona and desire to have been the first black ballplayer in baseball. All of this was buoyed by the fact that this work was authored by a very gifted sportswriter who helped the reader view Roy Campanella’s seventy years of life in insanely detailed, emotionally-charged chapters. No comprehensive look at Campy’s life could have been written any better.
Neil Lanctot presents one of the most well-researched, beautifully transcribed, and unbiased sporting biographies in recent memory with “Campy: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella.” Though topping out at well over 400 pages, Lanctot regales the reader with a thorough insight into the Negro Leagues of the 1930s and 40s, as well as detailed summaries of each Brooklyn Dodger pennant race in the 1950s and Campy’s place in each. I was hard-pressed to set this book down from the word “go”, especially considering how intrigued I was by how the author set the entire book up with his epic prologue. Aside from hearing about his three MVP awards and horrific accident that sent him to a wheelchair for the next thirty years, I never really knew much about Roy Campanella until reading those first few introductory pages. From there, the journey to meet a man who loved baseball more than anything made for a very enjoyable reading experience, and truly is one I shall not forget.
I came into greater appreciation for how tough catchers throughout all levels of baseball have to be, and how their batting statistics could have been so much better had they avoided the regularity of beatings they received from behind the plate. For those who previously believed they knew happy-go-lucky Campy, I’m sure the last few chapters came as a shock, but hats-off to the author for accurately and faithfully detailing all relevant facts of the man when he was off the field and away from the public spotlight. Finally, after reading Jackie Robinson’s autobiography, “I Never Had It Made”, it was nice to see Campy’s perspective of their professional and personal relationship, with had it’s ups-and-downs, to say the least.
This biography achieves everything it set out to do, by effectively portraying Campy as the legendary, passionate ballplayer he truly was - along with exploring his less-than-saintlike family man persona and desire to have been the first black ballplayer in baseball. All of this was buoyed by the fact that this work was authored by a very gifted sportswriter who helped the reader view Roy Campanella’s seventy years of life in insanely detailed, emotionally-charged chapters. No comprehensive look at Campy’s life could have been written any better.
April 1, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “YOU HAVE TO BE A MAN TO BE A BIG LEAGUE BALLPLAYER… BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF LITTLE BOY IN YOU TOO”
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Roy “Campy” Campanella was not only the MVP of the National League while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951, 1953 and 1955… but he was also an MVP in life off of the field as well. This wonderfully written and meticulously researched book takes the reader through Campy’s childhood as the son of an African American woman and a white Father of Italian descent. One thing that never changed throughout Campy’s entire life was his childlike glee of playing baseball. From his early years on the streets of Philadelphia where it became apparent very early on that school was of little importance to Campy… baseball was already….and would continue to be… the greatest joy in his life. From his pre-teen years when his talents led him to playing with older boys and men… to him becoming a professional in the Negro Leagues at the age of *FIFTEEN*. (He very well may have been the youngest player in Negro League history.) The author chronicles Campanella’s rise from Negro League wunderkind, catching innumerable games that many times included doubleheader after doubleheader. When Campy signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers his signing came right on the heels of the signing of Jackie Robinson which broke baseballs “color barrier”. It is hinted numerous times that if Campy had better understood the subterfuge that the “Old Mahatma” Branch Rickey was throwing out in his earliest discussions with Campy… Campy may have been the one to break the color line. One of the saddest and most explored portions of not only Campy’s life… but the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers… baseball… and race relations in the United States… was the complex and changing relationship between Robinson and Campanella over their lifetimes.
At the beginning of their careers they were best friends, like brothers. But then two situations would pull them apart till right before they died. The first was a harsh disagreement in the way Robinson divvied up individual shares of money that was paid out in post season barnstorming trips. The second situation started as a wave of disparity in the two star’s personalities, and then like a giant storm… would become a tidal wave of disagreement, and eventually a tsunami that crushed a brotherhood into a chasm that would make each star a pariah in the other’s heart… and that was their individual reactions to racial prejudice. Jackie was a pioneer with no patience for gradual change… a man who spoke his mind… and at times spoke it too uncontrollably. Campy, accepted less equality… and constantly preached how happy he was… and was willing to show restraint. Through it all they both led the Dodgers to National League Championships and World Series, including the *WAIT-TILL-NEXT-YEAR* BROOKLYN DODGER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF 1955!*
An interesting inside-look portrait of another early black Brooklyn Dodger, pitcher Don Newcombe is extremely enlightening. “Newk” doesn’t normally get as much introspection in the Dodger books of this juncture. Newk’s fiery temper… competitive attitude… his battle with booze… and his personal insecurities… are interwoven expertly during this historical biography. As a born and raised Brooklyn Dodger fan I was very happy to see that anyone who reads this book will easily see that the tag of “never winning the big one” that some people have pinned on Newcombe… really don’t know the whole story. As I have heard Hall Of Famer Duke Snider say on many different occasions… there never would have been the big games if Don Newcombe hadn’t won the games before that. One great example was in Philadelphia on “WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1950, FOR A POTENTIALLY SEASON-ENDING DOUBLEHEADER.” “NEWCOMBE WON GAME ONE, SPINNING A THREE-HIT SHUTOUT TO PICK UP HIS SEVENTEENTH WIN. BUT WITH NEWK NEEDING “ONLY” 106 PITCHES, (MANAGER) SHOTTEN CAME UP WITH A TYPICALLY OLD-SCHOOL IDEA. WHY NOT START NEWK AGAIN IN THE NIGHTCAP?” “ALTHOUGH THE FEAT HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE 1926 OR EVEN ATTEMPTED SINCE 1940, NEWK OBLIGINGLY TOOK THE BALL FOR A SECOND CRACK AT THE PHILLIES.” “HE HEAVED NINETY-ONE MORE PITCHES BEFORE DEPARTING FOR A PINCH HITTER IN THE EIGHT INNING, TRAILING 2-0.” Newk was also ready with his fists anytime his teammates were challenged during that hateful time in American history.
Campy played through more pain that anyone could imagine while handling the toughest position in baseball… and always with a smile. The fact that Robinson, Campanella, Snider, Koufax, Reese, and manager Alston all made the Hall Of Fame (And Gil Hodges should have.) reinforces what a magical and yet (race) sensitive time in baseball history is covered in this tremendous book. The reader will also see the difference in managing styles of Durocher, Shotton, Dressen and Alston.
The story of course ends with utter sadness due to the car wreck that resulted in Campy becoming a quadriplegic for the rest of his life… yet his effervescent personality helped make those dark clouds into a sunny day, as he became an inspiration for innumerable people.
Upon his death the comments from two of his former teammates says it all. Hall Of Fame Shortstop, Brooklyn Dodger Captain, and teammate, Pee Wee Reese said: “MAYBE THE ONLY PERSON IN BASEBALL HISTORY IN WHICH ABSOLUTELY NO ONE HAD A BAD THING TO SAY.” Another former teammate, Don Zimmer said: “HE WAS A LITTLE SANTA CLAUS. EVERYBODY LOVED CAMPY… THIS GUY WAS JUST ONE HAPPY, GREAT, LOVABLE BASEBALL PERSON.”
Roy Campanella… Hall Of Famer on the field… Hall Of Famer off the field. The author, Neil Lanctot has done great justice to the Hall Of Fame catcher with the heart of a child!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy “Campy” Campanella was not only the MVP of the National League while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951, 1953 and 1955… but he was also an MVP in life off of the field as well. This wonderfully written and meticulously researched book takes the reader through Campy’s childhood as the son of an African American woman and a white Father of Italian descent. One thing that never changed throughout Campy’s entire life was his childlike glee of playing baseball. From his early years on the streets of Philadelphia where it became apparent very early on that school was of little importance to Campy… baseball was already….and would continue to be… the greatest joy in his life. From his pre-teen years when his talents led him to playing with older boys and men… to him becoming a professional in the Negro Leagues at the age of *FIFTEEN*. (He very well may have been the youngest player in Negro League history.) The author chronicles Campanella’s rise from Negro League wunderkind, catching innumerable games that many times included doubleheader after doubleheader. When Campy signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers his signing came right on the heels of the signing of Jackie Robinson which broke baseballs “color barrier”. It is hinted numerous times that if Campy had better understood the subterfuge that the “Old Mahatma” Branch Rickey was throwing out in his earliest discussions with Campy… Campy may have been the one to break the color line. One of the saddest and most explored portions of not only Campy’s life… but the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers… baseball… and race relations in the United States… was the complex and changing relationship between Robinson and Campanella over their lifetimes.
At the beginning of their careers they were best friends, like brothers. But then two situations would pull them apart till right before they died. The first was a harsh disagreement in the way Robinson divvied up individual shares of money that was paid out in post season barnstorming trips. The second situation started as a wave of disparity in the two star’s personalities, and then like a giant storm… would become a tidal wave of disagreement, and eventually a tsunami that crushed a brotherhood into a chasm that would make each star a pariah in the other’s heart… and that was their individual reactions to racial prejudice. Jackie was a pioneer with no patience for gradual change… a man who spoke his mind… and at times spoke it too uncontrollably. Campy, accepted less equality… and constantly preached how happy he was… and was willing to show restraint. Through it all they both led the Dodgers to National League Championships and World Series, including the *WAIT-TILL-NEXT-YEAR* BROOKLYN DODGER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF 1955!*
An interesting inside-look portrait of another early black Brooklyn Dodger, pitcher Don Newcombe is extremely enlightening. “Newk” doesn’t normally get as much introspection in the Dodger books of this juncture. Newk’s fiery temper… competitive attitude… his battle with booze… and his personal insecurities… are interwoven expertly during this historical biography. As a born and raised Brooklyn Dodger fan I was very happy to see that anyone who reads this book will easily see that the tag of “never winning the big one” that some people have pinned on Newcombe… really don’t know the whole story. As I have heard Hall Of Famer Duke Snider say on many different occasions… there never would have been the big games if Don Newcombe hadn’t won the games before that. One great example was in Philadelphia on “WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1950, FOR A POTENTIALLY SEASON-ENDING DOUBLEHEADER.” “NEWCOMBE WON GAME ONE, SPINNING A THREE-HIT SHUTOUT TO PICK UP HIS SEVENTEENTH WIN. BUT WITH NEWK NEEDING “ONLY” 106 PITCHES, (MANAGER) SHOTTEN CAME UP WITH A TYPICALLY OLD-SCHOOL IDEA. WHY NOT START NEWK AGAIN IN THE NIGHTCAP?” “ALTHOUGH THE FEAT HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED SINCE 1926 OR EVEN ATTEMPTED SINCE 1940, NEWK OBLIGINGLY TOOK THE BALL FOR A SECOND CRACK AT THE PHILLIES.” “HE HEAVED NINETY-ONE MORE PITCHES BEFORE DEPARTING FOR A PINCH HITTER IN THE EIGHT INNING, TRAILING 2-0.” Newk was also ready with his fists anytime his teammates were challenged during that hateful time in American history.
Campy played through more pain that anyone could imagine while handling the toughest position in baseball… and always with a smile. The fact that Robinson, Campanella, Snider, Koufax, Reese, and manager Alston all made the Hall Of Fame (And Gil Hodges should have.) reinforces what a magical and yet (race) sensitive time in baseball history is covered in this tremendous book. The reader will also see the difference in managing styles of Durocher, Shotton, Dressen and Alston.
The story of course ends with utter sadness due to the car wreck that resulted in Campy becoming a quadriplegic for the rest of his life… yet his effervescent personality helped make those dark clouds into a sunny day, as he became an inspiration for innumerable people.
Upon his death the comments from two of his former teammates says it all. Hall Of Fame Shortstop, Brooklyn Dodger Captain, and teammate, Pee Wee Reese said: “MAYBE THE ONLY PERSON IN BASEBALL HISTORY IN WHICH ABSOLUTELY NO ONE HAD A BAD THING TO SAY.” Another former teammate, Don Zimmer said: “HE WAS A LITTLE SANTA CLAUS. EVERYBODY LOVED CAMPY… THIS GUY WAS JUST ONE HAPPY, GREAT, LOVABLE BASEBALL PERSON.”
Roy Campanella… Hall Of Famer on the field… Hall Of Famer off the field. The author, Neil Lanctot has done great justice to the Hall Of Fame catcher with the heart of a child!
June 4, 2017
A very good look at the life of Roy Campenella. His early years growing up in Philadelphia. His life in the Negro Leagues who he started playing in at the age of 15. His seasons playing in Puerto Rica, Cuba and the Mexican league. His battles against discrimination prior to and after signing with the Dodgers. His career with the Dodgers including winning 3 MVP awards, his disagreements and feud with Jackie Robinson. After the car accident that left him paralyzed his life after the accident and involvement with baseball.
May 30, 2023
4.25 stars. On my first travel team I got to pick my number but couldn't come up with anything good. My dad suggested 39 saying it was Campy's number. He loved Campy and the Brooklyn dodgers, but I never really looked into Campy's career so reading this was comforting in a way.
December 24, 2011
The title of this book is apt on several levels, not just the pre and post December 1957 life of Campanella.
Roy Campanella started playing in the Negro Leagues in 1937 at age 15 and in 1946 became the second African American ballplayer for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Between 1947 and 1957, Campanella was a three time National League Most Valuable Player as the Dodger catcher. His third and last MVP came in 1955 as the Dodgers finally defeated the hated Yankees in the World Series. By the end of the 1957 season, Campanella was slowing down and was not the player he once was. Still, he planned on going to LA after the Dodgers moved.
Lanctot does not fall victim to a common problem in many baseball biographies, that of hero worship. Campanella is presented as a man; albeit a man who considered himself quite lucky to be able to play major league baseball. Perhaps the most interesting part of the text is the deterioration of the relationship between Jackie Robinson and Campanella, which is reported on by Lanctot in an even handed fashion. The author lets the players speak for themselves, thereby allowing the reader to develop his/her own ideas about the place of race in Eisenhower's America. This is another way in which the title is apt, as Campy had two lives about race. He was beloved, to be sure, but in some ways did not carry the respect of the black baseball community that Robinson did.
Campanella was rendered a quadriplegic in a December 1957 car crash; Lanctot does a masterful job of describing not only the professional but the personal fallout from this accident, and does not sugarcoat Campy's post-accident life (all 35 years of it). When Campanella was injured, most quadriplegics died within a few years. Of course, this is the "second life" that the title refers to, a man who literally has all that he knew taken away from him. What Lanctot delves into is the idea that is shied away from in Campanella's autobiography It's Good to be Alive. In many ways, Campanella's accident could have been avoided. Campanella's car crashed into a utility pole at 3 am, one of many late nights returning to his home from his Harlem business and mistress. In many ways, Campanella's own actions, as much as his paralysis, destroyed his second marriage.
Lastly, this book deals with the two lives that many ballplayers face, the one before and after baseball. It is easy to blast today's players for making too much money (most of them do), but consider this. I am now 38 years old and a teacher. If I was a baseball player, my playing career would most likely already be over or would be within a few years. The question becomes "Now what?" The baseball establishment is still very much an old-boys network, and most former players are completely shut out from what they knew. Babe Ruth was one example and for several years, until Walt Alston and Tommy Lasorda demanded he be on staff during spring training, Campanella was another. In this final facet of the two lives, Lanctot again remains even handed. All in all, an exceptional biography.
Roy Campanella started playing in the Negro Leagues in 1937 at age 15 and in 1946 became the second African American ballplayer for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Between 1947 and 1957, Campanella was a three time National League Most Valuable Player as the Dodger catcher. His third and last MVP came in 1955 as the Dodgers finally defeated the hated Yankees in the World Series. By the end of the 1957 season, Campanella was slowing down and was not the player he once was. Still, he planned on going to LA after the Dodgers moved.
Lanctot does not fall victim to a common problem in many baseball biographies, that of hero worship. Campanella is presented as a man; albeit a man who considered himself quite lucky to be able to play major league baseball. Perhaps the most interesting part of the text is the deterioration of the relationship between Jackie Robinson and Campanella, which is reported on by Lanctot in an even handed fashion. The author lets the players speak for themselves, thereby allowing the reader to develop his/her own ideas about the place of race in Eisenhower's America. This is another way in which the title is apt, as Campy had two lives about race. He was beloved, to be sure, but in some ways did not carry the respect of the black baseball community that Robinson did.
Campanella was rendered a quadriplegic in a December 1957 car crash; Lanctot does a masterful job of describing not only the professional but the personal fallout from this accident, and does not sugarcoat Campy's post-accident life (all 35 years of it). When Campanella was injured, most quadriplegics died within a few years. Of course, this is the "second life" that the title refers to, a man who literally has all that he knew taken away from him. What Lanctot delves into is the idea that is shied away from in Campanella's autobiography It's Good to be Alive. In many ways, Campanella's accident could have been avoided. Campanella's car crashed into a utility pole at 3 am, one of many late nights returning to his home from his Harlem business and mistress. In many ways, Campanella's own actions, as much as his paralysis, destroyed his second marriage.
Lastly, this book deals with the two lives that many ballplayers face, the one before and after baseball. It is easy to blast today's players for making too much money (most of them do), but consider this. I am now 38 years old and a teacher. If I was a baseball player, my playing career would most likely already be over or would be within a few years. The question becomes "Now what?" The baseball establishment is still very much an old-boys network, and most former players are completely shut out from what they knew. Babe Ruth was one example and for several years, until Walt Alston and Tommy Lasorda demanded he be on staff during spring training, Campanella was another. In this final facet of the two lives, Lanctot again remains even handed. All in all, an exceptional biography.
August 16, 2011
Very good book that breaks down Roy Campanella's life into two seperate lives, the oe before te accident and the one after.
The Campanella story begins by telling of young Campanella's life being raised by parents of a racially mixed marriage and how it forced him into the rules of "Jim Crow America". Young Campanella was forced to go throug is childhood and early life in a segregated world because "...one drop of Negro blood, in 1920's Americamade you 100% Negro..." Young Roy loved sports, especially baseball, and excelled at all he played. When he was 15 Roy, with his mother's grudging permisson, joined the Negro Leagues and under the guidance of star player/manager Biz Mackey grew into the biggest stars in black baseball. In the mid 1940's Campanella followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson to Ebbet's Field and the starting lineup of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson and Campanella initially formed a close bond.owever, over time the two men had a falling out because Robinson believed Campanella to be too "passive" in the area of black civil rights. Robinson wasn't just happy to have broken the color barrier, he wanted to break down the walls of oppression throughout society, while Campanella was all to0 happy to let his play on the field speak for him. Campanella was, quite possibly, the premier catcher in baseball during his carreer. He won three MVP's and a World Series ring, while the player wom he was most often compared,Yogi Berra, won three MVP's and a recod ten World Series rings. The shining carreer would, however, come to a tragic end in the winter of 1957, which is where the "second life" of Roy Campanella begins.
One winter's night, between the 1957 and 1958 season, Camapanella lost control of his car on an icy road. The ensuing accident left the All Star catcher confined to a wheelchair, as a quadrapalegic, for the rest of is life. After the initial depression lifted, Campanella through his tremendous work ethic behind his rehabilitaion and recouperation. In is "first life" Campanella became an inspiration to black people and folks who loved baseball. However, the "new" Campanella became an inspiration to people of all backrounds, ethnicities and non sports' fans alike, along with the millions of physically challenged people around the world. Campanella threw himself into having as normal a life as he could manage and even though he did go through horrible personal issues because of his disabilities he never once used his handicap as an excuse. Eventually, he was able to hold an on field job with the Dodgers, again, in the later years of his life.
In the end, Campanella was a hero and an inspiration to millions of people around the country ad world. His story is one that people, sports' fans and non sports' fans alike, need to hear, understand and learn about. It'sa story that needs to be told...
The Campanella story begins by telling of young Campanella's life being raised by parents of a racially mixed marriage and how it forced him into the rules of "Jim Crow America". Young Campanella was forced to go throug is childhood and early life in a segregated world because "...one drop of Negro blood, in 1920's Americamade you 100% Negro..." Young Roy loved sports, especially baseball, and excelled at all he played. When he was 15 Roy, with his mother's grudging permisson, joined the Negro Leagues and under the guidance of star player/manager Biz Mackey grew into the biggest stars in black baseball. In the mid 1940's Campanella followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson to Ebbet's Field and the starting lineup of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson and Campanella initially formed a close bond.owever, over time the two men had a falling out because Robinson believed Campanella to be too "passive" in the area of black civil rights. Robinson wasn't just happy to have broken the color barrier, he wanted to break down the walls of oppression throughout society, while Campanella was all to0 happy to let his play on the field speak for him. Campanella was, quite possibly, the premier catcher in baseball during his carreer. He won three MVP's and a World Series ring, while the player wom he was most often compared,Yogi Berra, won three MVP's and a recod ten World Series rings. The shining carreer would, however, come to a tragic end in the winter of 1957, which is where the "second life" of Roy Campanella begins.
One winter's night, between the 1957 and 1958 season, Camapanella lost control of his car on an icy road. The ensuing accident left the All Star catcher confined to a wheelchair, as a quadrapalegic, for the rest of is life. After the initial depression lifted, Campanella through his tremendous work ethic behind his rehabilitaion and recouperation. In is "first life" Campanella became an inspiration to black people and folks who loved baseball. However, the "new" Campanella became an inspiration to people of all backrounds, ethnicities and non sports' fans alike, along with the millions of physically challenged people around the world. Campanella threw himself into having as normal a life as he could manage and even though he did go through horrible personal issues because of his disabilities he never once used his handicap as an excuse. Eventually, he was able to hold an on field job with the Dodgers, again, in the later years of his life.
In the end, Campanella was a hero and an inspiration to millions of people around the country ad world. His story is one that people, sports' fans and non sports' fans alike, need to hear, understand and learn about. It'sa story that needs to be told...
April 19, 2019
For those of you who like biographies but hate that the first three chapters are about the subject's parents and grandparents and whatever wooden ship they come to America on, this is a good book. It spends a little time on Campy's life as a child, but then jumps pretty much into the baseball and his life as an adult.
One criticism that I have with the book, and I say this as a huge Dodgers and baseball fan, is that the years of his baseball career are essentially just a rote recounting of the season - "Campy had an eight game hitting streak, he slumped for the next two weeks," etc. There is not a whole lot of new information about the baseball seasons and the chapters end with Campanella's stats and how the Dodgers finished that year.
More interesting, but not necessarily fleshed out, is Campanella as one of the first black major league players. Campy came up to the Dodgers one or two years after Jackie Robinson but had a much different attitude about the racism and prejudice that he faced. Where Jackie was proud, combative, and pushed for more rights, Campanella tended to keep a low profile and go with the flow. He felt that just being allowed to play in the major leagues was a huge advance and he didn't want to ruin it for himself or anyone else by causing a stir. This, as well as potential jealousies between he and Robinson led the once good friends to feud later in life.
Short shrift is given, in my opinion, to Campy's life after the car accident that left him a quadriplegic. I would have liked to read more about the psychological issues created in a man who liked his celebrity and being recognized when much of that was taken away from him. Lanctot touches on this, but I felt like he could have gone deeper.
All in all, a good read about a legendary Dodger. It sheds light on a man who is known for certain things in his life but perhaps the entire story is unknown.
One criticism that I have with the book, and I say this as a huge Dodgers and baseball fan, is that the years of his baseball career are essentially just a rote recounting of the season - "Campy had an eight game hitting streak, he slumped for the next two weeks," etc. There is not a whole lot of new information about the baseball seasons and the chapters end with Campanella's stats and how the Dodgers finished that year.
More interesting, but not necessarily fleshed out, is Campanella as one of the first black major league players. Campy came up to the Dodgers one or two years after Jackie Robinson but had a much different attitude about the racism and prejudice that he faced. Where Jackie was proud, combative, and pushed for more rights, Campanella tended to keep a low profile and go with the flow. He felt that just being allowed to play in the major leagues was a huge advance and he didn't want to ruin it for himself or anyone else by causing a stir. This, as well as potential jealousies between he and Robinson led the once good friends to feud later in life.
Short shrift is given, in my opinion, to Campy's life after the car accident that left him a quadriplegic. I would have liked to read more about the psychological issues created in a man who liked his celebrity and being recognized when much of that was taken away from him. Lanctot touches on this, but I felt like he could have gone deeper.
All in all, a good read about a legendary Dodger. It sheds light on a man who is known for certain things in his life but perhaps the entire story is unknown.
July 12, 2013
One of my more vivid childhood memories was that of a morning in January of 1958 when I woke up to hear the news on the radio of Roy Campanella's auto accident that ultimately left him paralyzed. The Dodgers had announced their move to Los Angeles at the end of the 1957 season, but their long-time catcher would not be joining them. I was crushed.
But as big a fan as I was of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 50's, after reading "Campy, the Two Lives of Roy Campanella," I was surprised about how little I knew of one of my larger-than-life heroes. This book was an eye-opener. I was not aware of his accomplishments in the Negro Leagues, other than the fact that he played. The author, Neil Lanctot, portrayed both the player and the man, warts and all, in stark reality.
Though I appreciated the detail, I felt Lanctot spent an undue amount of time on each of Campy's seasons with the Dodgers, describing what I would consider meaningless games merely for the intent of telling one more Campanella anecdote. He also paints the legendary Jackie Robinson in a rather negative light. I also felt Lanctot relied excessively on opinionated newspaper narratives, although this is somewhat understandable given that Campanella has been dead for two decades. I sensed a lack of balance in that more time was spent in the telling of his active baseball career and not as much on the post-baseball life.
I did enjoy the book however, and would recommend it for anyone who wants to relive their childhood baseball fantasies, and for those who want to learn more about the so-called Golden Age of baseball. It is outstanding baseball lore.
But as big a fan as I was of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 50's, after reading "Campy, the Two Lives of Roy Campanella," I was surprised about how little I knew of one of my larger-than-life heroes. This book was an eye-opener. I was not aware of his accomplishments in the Negro Leagues, other than the fact that he played. The author, Neil Lanctot, portrayed both the player and the man, warts and all, in stark reality.
Though I appreciated the detail, I felt Lanctot spent an undue amount of time on each of Campy's seasons with the Dodgers, describing what I would consider meaningless games merely for the intent of telling one more Campanella anecdote. He also paints the legendary Jackie Robinson in a rather negative light. I also felt Lanctot relied excessively on opinionated newspaper narratives, although this is somewhat understandable given that Campanella has been dead for two decades. I sensed a lack of balance in that more time was spent in the telling of his active baseball career and not as much on the post-baseball life.
I did enjoy the book however, and would recommend it for anyone who wants to relive their childhood baseball fantasies, and for those who want to learn more about the so-called Golden Age of baseball. It is outstanding baseball lore.
January 14, 2013
When I was unemployed for a little while a few years back I actually thought about writing a book on Roy Campanella since his story is great and it appeared nobody had written a book on him since 1959. I didn't get around to doing that but luckily Neil Lanctot did and what a great book.
Campy tells the story of the former catcher of the Brooklyn Dodgers who was one of the first black players in baseball after Jackie Robinson, and who was a 3-time MVP in 1951, 1953 and 1955-the year the Dodgers finally won it all. This book goes into great detail talking about Campy's years playing with Brooklyn, as around 250 pages of the 420 are on the years 1948 to 1957, which I enjoyed. The other 150 pages (100 or so at the start) talk about Campy growing up and playing in the Negro Leagues at the age of 15 ( and another 70 at the end) talk about the catcher being in a car accident in 1958 while he was still playing and losing the life of his legs and ending up in a wheelchair. The book also talks about an exibition game in 1958 where Campanella was brought out on on the field by Pee Wee Reese and the lights where turned off in the stadium so 100,000 fans could hold up their lighters to honor Campanella.
The book only gets a four for me, because even though it's accurate and good reporting, I didn't enjoy reading about Campanella and Jackie Robinson always fighting and bickering, even though it probably happened. I just wish it didn't. Still, this is a great baseball book for any fan, especially anyone who likes reading about baseball in the golden age of the 1950's.
Campy tells the story of the former catcher of the Brooklyn Dodgers who was one of the first black players in baseball after Jackie Robinson, and who was a 3-time MVP in 1951, 1953 and 1955-the year the Dodgers finally won it all. This book goes into great detail talking about Campy's years playing with Brooklyn, as around 250 pages of the 420 are on the years 1948 to 1957, which I enjoyed. The other 150 pages (100 or so at the start) talk about Campy growing up and playing in the Negro Leagues at the age of 15 ( and another 70 at the end) talk about the catcher being in a car accident in 1958 while he was still playing and losing the life of his legs and ending up in a wheelchair. The book also talks about an exibition game in 1958 where Campanella was brought out on on the field by Pee Wee Reese and the lights where turned off in the stadium so 100,000 fans could hold up their lighters to honor Campanella.
The book only gets a four for me, because even though it's accurate and good reporting, I didn't enjoy reading about Campanella and Jackie Robinson always fighting and bickering, even though it probably happened. I just wish it didn't. Still, this is a great baseball book for any fan, especially anyone who likes reading about baseball in the golden age of the 1950's.
May 12, 2011
This is an exceptionally well-written biography, period. I intend to put Lanctot's other books on my reading list because he is a damn fine writer. The work is fair, balanced and maintains both a strong narrative and clear character development throughout. Campanella is a multi-faceted character who most likely would have preferred to live his entire life as a happy-go-lucky fellow with exceptional focus and talent in baseball, but both his personal circumstances and the rising pressure of societal change demanded responses far outside of that comfort zone. The baseball passages are very well-written (thank you, Mr. Lanctot, for not retelling the Bobby Thomson story) and the period after the accident is described with both empathy and objectivity without unnecessary sentiment. Well done, indeed!
February 8, 2017
A quality biography.
June 18, 2011
I was so thrilled to have won this book and could not wait to dive into it. I was not disappointed. I know very little about Roy Campanella other than what I hear about him during the Dodger games. I enjoyed the historical aspects in the book, how Campy came to play in the Negro leagues and then the big leagues. So many interesting things about the time and the man. I recommend this book to anyone, especially sports nuts.
August 5, 2012
This excellent book is more than just the biography of one of my childhood favorite ball players. It is a brief history lesson on Negro League baseball, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the breaking of the color line in baseball by Jackie Robinson. It also tells a major story of Roy Campanella, his early life in baseball, his rise to greatness, and The Accident that left him a quadriplegic for the ballance of his life.
October 20, 2011
The book started out really good, learning about Roy's upbringing and how he got into playing baseball. I enjoyed learning about his experience in the Negro league and his start with the Dodgers. But...it got too much into the details of every game, of every season with the Dodgers, and I gave up. I will probably skip ahead to the time of his accident and finish the book from there.
August 15, 2011
My husband couldn't rave enough about this book. Every time he would read bits and pieces of it, he would have to give me the low-down on every thing that Roy Campanella did. It was fun to see him so excited about a book though.
It was interesting to learn that Roy Campanella actually played ball in the town that I grew up in. Small world.
It was interesting to learn that Roy Campanella actually played ball in the town that I grew up in. Small world.
August 26, 2013
Well-done telling of the story of one of baseball's most memorable personalities. Campanella's story is important historically because of his part in the struggle for racial equality in this country. However the "baseball" side of the story is very well done and very satisfying to those of us who love the game.
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October 11, 2013One of my favorite topics in baseball is anything and everything related to the Brooklyn Dodgers. I enjoyed Neil's book on Roy Campanella, who was my dad's favorite growing up. We met Mr. Campanella in Vero Beach on the final day of Dodgers Fantasy Camp in the spring of 1990. I highly recommend this book.
August 20, 2016
a well written biography. It covers Campanella's baseball career with little new information with a summary of each season. A good view of the many issues during this time in baseball and America. The second part about his life after his car accident is good but felt like there could have been more. He had a very positive influence on the acceptance of "handicapped" individuals in the US.
April 14, 2011
A great biography about a very complex individual. Roy Campanella had some great personal qualities, but like many of us he also had some huge flaws, and this book doesn't shrink away from describing both the pluses and minuses. A good read.
May 8, 2011
I enjoyed reading about Roy's times in the Negro Leagues. Some of the stuff about his accident and his post-accident life seems to be a bit thin on sources. The author was unable to speak with Roy's children, so their point of view isn't really represented in this book.
July 22, 2011
Solid bio of one of baseball's pioneers
September 9, 2011
Well researched...detailed. Would have liked a more narrative as opposed to research tome approach.
January 29, 2012
Very interesting account of Roy's life. Includes the details of Campenella and Jackie Robinson's feud. It also gave me a nice history of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
October 26, 2018
400+ pages and no analysis on how Campy’s white-ethnic/black nuclear family affected his identity and career?
May 27, 2014
This was one man who overcame a lot.
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