PRINTER'S NO. 1590

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

153

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, GREEN, KHAN, PARKER, FLICK, PISCIOTTANO,

SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, SCHLOSSBERG, PIELLI, RABB, HADDOCK,

KINSEY, MENTZER, GIRAL, M. JONES, SMITH-WADE-EL, VITALI AND

Campanella was born November 19, 1921, in Philadelphia to a

Black mother and a father of Sicilian descent; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella's family lived in the Germantown

section of Philadelphia at the time of his birth but moved to

the Nicetown neighborhood in Philadelphia when he was seven

years of age; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella attended Gillespie Junior High and

Simon Gratz High School and was denied opportunities to work in

Major League Baseball because he was Black; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella started playing professional baseball

the Monterrey Sultans of the Mexican League, and he continued in

the Mexican League for the 1943 season before returning to the

Negro National League for the 1944 and 1945 seasons; and

WHEREAS, In 1946, Mr. Campanella and Don Newcombe played

together in the Class B New England League for the Nashua

Dodgers, a Minor League affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers,

making this team the first integrated affiliated baseball team

in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella was signed by Branch Rickey of the

Brooklyn Dodgers, joining Jackie Robinson and others to become

home at 1528 Kerbaugh Street in Nicetown with Jackie Robinson;

and

WHEREAS, Sportswriters often referred to Mr. Campanella as

"The Cat" because of his feline-like quickness, blocking stray

pitches or pouncing on bunts in front of the home plate; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella was named the National League's Most

Valuable Player three times, was selected for the All-Star Game

in eight straight seasons, was recognized as the best fielding

catcher in the league in the 1950s and played in five World

Series, including the Dodgers win in 1955; and

home runs, 1,019 runs batted in, a batting average of .283, and

a more than 57% career caught-stealing rate, the highest for any

catcher in the history of Major League Baseball; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella broke his neck and was paralyzed from

the chest down after a traffic accident in 1958, which ended his

professional baseball playing career; and

WHEREAS, After his baseball career, Mr. Campanella found his

"second life" as a coach and disability advocate, serving as an

inspiration to many across the world, including those with

disabilities; and

WHEREAS, After his accident, Mr. Campanella remained a part

of the Dodgers family, working in public relations, helping with

scouting and serving as a special instructor and advisor at the

Dodger's Vero Beach Spring Training facility; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella was always a person who challenged

what was possible and viewed physical therapy as a lifeline; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Campanella and his physical therapists made a

deal: he would work and they would help him live his life to the

fullest; and

WHEREAS, Despite the odds, Mr. Campanella regained use of his

wife, Roxie, founded The Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical

Therapy Scholarship Foundation, which provides support for those

living with paraplegia and funds scholarships for students who

pursue degrees in physical therapy; and

WHEREAS, On June 26, 1993, Mr. Campanella died of a heart

attack at 71 years of age; and

WHEREAS, Despite his career as an excellent baseball player,

a pioneer for civil rights and a champion for all people,

particularly those living with disabilities, Roy Campanella does

not yet have any baseball fields, playgrounds, schools or

career and the day that would have been his 102nd birthday.