Dolph Camilli
Encyclopedia
Adolph Louis Camilli was an American
first baseman
in Major League Baseball
who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies
and Brooklyn Dodgers
. He was named the National League
's Most Valuable Player
in after leading the league in home run
s and runs batted in
as the Dodgers won the pennant for the first time since 1920. He was the ninth NL player to hit 200 career home runs, and held the Dodgers franchise record for career home runs from 1942 to 1953. His son Doug
was a major leaguer catcher
in the 1960s. His brother, who boxed
under the name Frankie Campbell
, died of cerebral hemorrhaging following a 1930 match with Max Baer.
attending Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
, Camilli had an eight-year minor league
career before making his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs
at the end of the season. He was traded to the Phillies in June 1934, and in each year from 1935 to 1937 he hit 25 or more home runs, batting
a career-high .339 and leading the NL in on base percentage
in the last season. But he also had a free-swinging style that led to numerous strikeout
s; in his rookie season, he tied Hack Wilson
's modern NL record of 94 strikeouts, and in he set a new league mark with 113.
In March 1938, Camilli was traded to the Dodgers in a move that new general manager Larry MacPhail
hoped would spur a change in the team's image from lovable losers to solid contenders. He drove in 100 or more runs in four of the next five seasons, being named an All-Star
in 1939 and 1941 and becoming team captain
. He also led the NL in walks
in 1938 and 1939, but in the latter year became the first player to have three 100-strikeout seasons. In his MVP season of 1941, he again led the league with 115 strikeouts and also surpassed Rabbit Maranville
's NL career record of 756. He also set career-highs in home runs (34) and RBI (120), leading the league in both categories. In the 1941 World Series
, he batted just .167 as the Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees
in five games.
In , he finished second in the NL in home runs and RBI. That year, he also broke Zack Wheat
's club record of 131 career home runs (Gil Hodges
surpassed his final total of 139 in , and Duke Snider
broke his mark for left-handed batters later the same year). In July 1943 Camilli was traded to the New York Giants
, but he refused to report to the Dodgers' hated rivals; instead, he managed
the Oakland Oaks
of the Pacific Coast League
in 1944-45 before joining the Boston Red Sox
in mid-, batting .212 with two home runs in his last season.
In a 12-season career, Camilli posted a .277 batting average with 239 home runs and 950 RBI in 1490 games played
. After leading the NL in errors
in both 1934 and 1935, setting a record with three errors in one 1935 inning, he improved his defense and later led the NL in assists
and fielding percentage
once each. He also ended his career with 961 strikeouts, more than any player except Babe Ruth
(1330) and Jimmie Foxx
(1311); his NL record of 923 was broken by Gil Hodges in . Among his career highlights was recording the last out of Ruth's career.
, as well as several other minor league teams, winning a pennant with Spokane in 1948. He later was a scout
for the Yankees and California Angels
before finishing his baseball career as a spring training instructor for the Angels.
Camilli was inducted into the Dodgers Hall of Fame in , and recalled of his fans: "All they cared about was their family, their job and the Dodgers. And I don't know which one was the most important."
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Camilli was the first baseman on Stein's Italian team.
Camilli died in San Mateo, California
at age 90.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. He was named the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in after leading the league in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
as the Dodgers won the pennant for the first time since 1920. He was the ninth NL player to hit 200 career home runs, and held the Dodgers franchise record for career home runs from 1942 to 1953. His son Doug
Doug Camilli
Douglas Joseph Camilli was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played from 1960-1969 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators...
was a major leaguer catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in the 1960s. His brother, who boxed
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
under the name Frankie Campbell
Frankie Campbell
Frankie Campbell was a heavyweight boxer. His birth name was Francisco Camilli and he was the brother of professional baseball player Dolph Camilli. Campbell's professional record was 33–4–2 and one no contest with 26 knockouts wins...
, died of cerebral hemorrhaging following a 1930 match with Max Baer.
Major league career
Born and raised in San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
attending Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SH, SHC, or SHCP is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory is the oldest Catholic secondary school in San Francisco...
, Camilli had an eight-year minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
career before making his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
at the end of the season. He was traded to the Phillies in June 1934, and in each year from 1935 to 1937 he hit 25 or more home runs, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
a career-high .339 and leading the NL in on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in the last season. But he also had a free-swinging style that led to numerous strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s; in his rookie season, he tied Hack Wilson
Hack Wilson
Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson was an American professional baseball player who played 12 seasons with the New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies...
's modern NL record of 94 strikeouts, and in he set a new league mark with 113.
In March 1938, Camilli was traded to the Dodgers in a move that new general manager Larry MacPhail
Larry MacPhail
Leland Stanford "Larry" MacPhail, Sr. was an American lawyer, and an executive and innovator in Major League Baseball.-Biography:...
hoped would spur a change in the team's image from lovable losers to solid contenders. He drove in 100 or more runs in four of the next five seasons, being named an All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1939 and 1941 and becoming team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
. He also led the NL in walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in 1938 and 1939, but in the latter year became the first player to have three 100-strikeout seasons. In his MVP season of 1941, he again led the league with 115 strikeouts and also surpassed Rabbit Maranville
Rabbit Maranville
Walter James Vincent Maranville , better known as Rabbit Maranville due to his speed and small stature , was a Major League Baseball shortstop. At the time of his retirement in 1935, he had played in a record 23 seasons in the National League, a mark which wasn't broken until 1986 by Pete Rose...
's NL career record of 756. He also set career-highs in home runs (34) and RBI (120), leading the league in both categories. In the 1941 World Series
1941 World Series
The 1941 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games to capture their fifth title in six years, and their ninth overall....
, he batted just .167 as the Dodgers lost to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in five games.
In , he finished second in the NL in home runs and RBI. That year, he also broke Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
's club record of 131 career home runs (Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
surpassed his final total of 139 in , and Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
broke his mark for left-handed batters later the same year). In July 1943 Camilli was traded to the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, but he refused to report to the Dodgers' hated rivals; instead, he managed
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
the Oakland Oaks
Oakland Oaks (PCL)
The Oakland Oaks were a minor league baseball team in Oakland, California that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903 through 1955, after which the club transferred to Vancouver, British Columbia...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1944-45 before joining the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
in mid-, batting .212 with two home runs in his last season.
In a 12-season career, Camilli posted a .277 batting average with 239 home runs and 950 RBI in 1490 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. After leading the NL in errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
in both 1934 and 1935, setting a record with three errors in one 1935 inning, he improved his defense and later led the NL in assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
once each. He also ended his career with 961 strikeouts, more than any player except Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
(1330) and Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
(1311); his NL record of 923 was broken by Gil Hodges in . Among his career highlights was recording the last out of Ruth's career.
Later life
Following his playing career, Camilli returned to the Pacific Coast League and managed the Oaks and Sacramento SolonsSacramento Solons
The Sacramento Solons were a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Pacific Coast League during several periods . The current Sacramento River Cats began play in 2000...
, as well as several other minor league teams, winning a pennant with Spokane in 1948. He later was a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for the Yankees and California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
before finishing his baseball career as a spring training instructor for the Angels.
Camilli was inducted into the Dodgers Hall of Fame in , and recalled of his fans: "All they cared about was their family, their job and the Dodgers. And I don't know which one was the most important."
In an article in 1976 in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Camilli was the first baseman on Stein's Italian team.
Camilli died in San Mateo, California
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
at age 90.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- Dodgers Award Winners and League Leaders
- List of athletes on Wheaties boxes
- List of members of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
- Bay Area Sports Hall of FameBay Area Sports Hall of FameThe Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame honors sports figures who have made a significant impact in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization is a section 501 non-profit, that was created by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce in 1979.-Inductees:...
External links
- Baseball Almanac
- Dolph Camilli at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...