| Bert Campaneris | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Campaneris in 2012 | ||||||||||||
| Shortstop | ||||||||||||
| Born: (1942-03-09)March 9, 1942 (age 83) Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba | ||||||||||||
Batted: Right Threw: Right | ||||||||||||
| MLB debut | ||||||||||||
| July 23, 1964, for the Kansas City Athletics | ||||||||||||
| Last MLB appearance | ||||||||||||
| October 1, 1983, for the New York Yankees | ||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||
| Batting average | .259 | |||||||||||
| Hits | 2,249 | |||||||||||
| Home runs | 79 | |||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 646 | |||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 649 | |||||||||||
Stats atBaseball Reference  | ||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Medals
| ||||||||||||
Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is aCuban American former professionalbaseballshortstop, who playedMajor League Baseball (MLB) for fourAmerican League (AL) teams, primarily theKansas City / Oakland Athletics. One of the mainstays of the Athletics' championship teams of 1972 to 1974, he holds the A's franchise records for careergames played (1795),hits (1882), andat bats (7180). In 2019, Campaneris was inducted into theAthletics Hall of Fame.[1]
Campaneris led the AL instolen bases six times between 1965 and 1972[2] and retired with the seventh-most steals in MLB history (649). Defensively, he led the league inputouts three times; his career totals at shortstop place him among the all-time MLB leaders in games played (5th, 2097) anddouble plays (7th, 1186), at that position. Campaneris is the second cousin of former MLBplayerJose Cardenal, growing up near each other inMatanzas, Cuba.[3]
Campaneris attracted the attention of major league scouts while playing with theCuba national baseball team at the1961 Amateur World Series, along withTito Fuentes and José Miguel Pineda.[4] He was signed by Kansas City Athletics scout Felix Delgado, who agreed to a $1,000 bonus if he remained with the A’s organization for at least 60 days. Campaneris was one of the last players to sign with a major league team before theCuban Revolution made emigration extremely rare.”[5]
A small player at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) and 160 pounds (73 kg), Cuban-born Campaneris was a key figure on the A's of the 1960s and 1970s. In his debut with Kansas City on July 23,1964, Campaneris hit twohome runs, the first coming on the first pitch thrown to him byJim Kaat of theMinnesota Twins.[6][7][8][9] He is one of only six players in major league history to hit two home runs in his first game;Charlie Reilly (1889),Bob Nieman (1951),Mark Quinn (1999),J. P. Arencibia (2010), andTrevor Story (2016) are the others to accomplish this feat. Just called up that day fromDouble-ABirmingham, he also singled, walked, and stole a base.[6][7][8]
In1965, Campaneris led Kansas City inbatting average (.270),[10] and shared the league lead intriples (twelve, with 1965 AL MVPZoilo Versailles)[11] and stolen bases (51).[2] His 51 stolen bases were the highest total by an Athletics player sinceEddie Collins stole 58 in1914 (when the team was based inPhiladelphia). He also brokeLuis Aparicio's nine-year run of the American League stolen base title.[2] In1966 he finished tenth in the voting for the AL'sMost Valuable Player award after having a similar season at the plate but playing more regularly at shortstop. When the Athletics moved toOakland in1968, Campaneris led the league in hits (177),[12] steals (62),[2] and at bats (642); the last mark was an Oakland record untilJohnny Damon broke it in2001.
Between June 10 and June 21,1969, Campaneris set a major league record by stealing a base in twelve consecutive games, a record which still stands as of 2021.[13]
In1970, Campaneris batted .279 with career highs of 22 home runs and 64runs batted in while leading the league in steals for the fifth time (42)[2] and scoring 97 runs.[14] He improved consistently on defense; his six double plays in an extra-inning game on September 13 of that year set an AL record. In1972, he led AL shortstops with 795total chances while also breaking Collins' franchise record of 376 steals. An avidbunter, he led the league insacrifice hits in 1972 (twenty),1977 (forty) and1978 (25).[15]
In his postseason career of 37 games, he had eleven runs batted in (RBI) with three home runs, fourdoubles and a triple while also scoring fifteen runs and stealing six bases.[14]
In 1972, Campaneris was second in American League shortstop All-Star voting behindLuis Aparicio. Aparicio could not play and all-star manager, and future hall of famer,Earl Weaver, picked all-star reserveToby Harrah to start rather than Campaneris who was Aparicio's original all-star reserve. When Harrah was injured, Weaver picked his ownOrioles player,Bobby Grich, to not only replace Harrah, but to start over Campaneris. The game went 10 innings and Weaver played Grich the entire game at shortstop, instead of allowing Campaneris a chance to play at all. Campaneris' teammate Reggie Jackson reported Campaneris was extremely angry after the game. Campaneris responded to Weaver's slight by his future stellar play against the Orioles.[16][17] In the 1973 playoffs against the Orioles, which Oakland won 3-2, he led off game two with a home run, stole two bases and scored two runs. In game three, he hit a game-winning home run in the 11th inning. In five games he had a .308 batting average, 16 hits, 9 runs scored, 6 RBIs, 6 stolen bases and 3 home runs.[17][14]
In Game 2 of the1972 American League Championship Series against theDetroit Tigers, Campaneris already had three hits, two steals, and two runs when he faced pitcherLerrin LaGrow in the seventh inning. After a pitch hit him in the ankle, Campaneris threw his bat at LaGrow. The benches cleared, with Detroit managerBilly Martin going after Campaneris; both Campaneris and LaGrow were ejected.[18][19][20] Campaneris was fined $500 and suspended for the rest of the ALCS by American League PresidentJoe Cronin.[18][19][21] MLB CommissionerBowie Kuhn added a seven-day suspension to the start of thenext season but permitted Campaneris to play in theWorld Series victory over theCincinnati Reds.[22]
In the1973 American League Championship Series, in which the A's defeated theBaltimore Orioles, he led off Game 2 with a home run, andwon Game 3 with a leadoff home run in the eleventh inning. In Game 7 of the1973 World Series against theNew York Mets, both he andReggie Jackson hit two-run home runs in the third inning offJon Matlack—the only two home runs Oakland hit the entire series. The A's took a 4–0 lead and went on to win to repeat as world champions; Campaneris caughtWayne Garrett's pop-up for the final out of the Series. In1974, he brokeJimmy Dykes' franchise mark for career at bats (6,023), and in1976, he broke Dykes' mark for games played (1,702), as well asAl Simmons' Athletics record of 1,827 career hits.
After the 1976 season, he signed with theTexas Rangers, but he saw his playing time reduced in1978. In May1979, he was traded to theCalifornia Angels, splitting time at shortstop over the next two seasons withJim Anderson andFreddie Patek before playing as a reservethird baseman in1981.
After spending 1982 in theMexican League, Campaneris returned to the majors in1983 with Billy Martin'sNew York Yankees, where he batted a career-high .322 in sixty games at second and third base before retiring.[14]
In his 19-year career, Campaneris batted .259 with 79 home runs, 646 RBIs, 1,181 runs, 2,249 hits, 313 doubles, and 86 triples in 2,328 games.[14] His 649 stolen bases place him fourteenth in major league history, behind onlyTy Cobb and Eddie Collins in the AL.[23] His Athletics record of 566 steals was broken byRickey Henderson in1990. Henderson also surpassed his Oakland records for career triples, if limited to Oakland and excluding Campaneris's triples for the Kansas City Athletics from 1964-1967. Neither Campaneris or Henderson is in the top 10 of all time Athletics triples leaders, whereDanny Murphy leads with 102.[14][24][25]
Campaneris still retains the Athletics franchise records for career games (1,702),[24] at bats (7,180 at bats),[24] putouts (2,932),assists (5,021) and double plays (934) at shortstop. Henderson walked over 700 more times than Campaneris (1,227 to 504), but Campaneris had over 1,000 more at bats (7,180 to 6,140), more sacrifice hits (156-59), and both were hit by pitches 55 times; giving Campaneris the mostplate appearances for the Athletics.[24]
In1965, Campaneris became the first player to playevery position in a major league game in a thirteen-inning 5–3 loss to theCalifornia Angels atMunicipal Stadium on September 8.[26][27][28] It was an attempt by ownerCharlie Finley to sell more tickets, which succeeded as the attendance that Wednesday night was 21,576. Playing a different position in each of the first nine innings, Campaneris started at shortstop, then shifted to second base, third base, left field, center field, right field, first base, pitcher, and catcher.[26][27][29] On the mound, hepitchedambidextrously, throwing lefty to left-handers, and switched against right-handers. His night ended when he sustained a minor left shoulder injury while tagging outEd Kirkpatrick in a collision at home plate to end the top of the ninth.[29]
Since then,César Tovar (Twins,1968),Scott Sheldon (Rangers,2000),Shane Halter (Tigers, 2000), andAndrew Romine (Tigers,2017) have joined this select list of nine-position players in a major league game.[29] On March 12, 2015, actorWill Ferrell played in fiveMajor League BaseballSpring training games at all nine positions to honor Campaneris.[30]
Following his retirement, Campaneris wanted to coach in the Major Leagues, but no one gave him a chance. He then landed a few minor league opportunities, until theSeibu Lions offered him a job to coach defense and base running with them in 1987. The Lions won theJapan Series inboth 1987 and 1988.[31] Afterwards, Campaneris played for theGold Coast Suns of theSenior Professional Baseball Association in its inaugural season of 1989. As the oldest everyday player in the league at 47, he hit .291 and stole 16 bases in 60 games.
Campaneris currently lives inScottsdale, Arizona, and often participates in Old-Timers' games around the country. He also conducts baseball camps and is an active participant in the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, often playing in charity golf tournaments.
