Hank Camelli
Encyclopedia
Henry Richard Camelli was an American
professional baseball
player. A catcher
, he appeared in Major League Baseball
between and for the Pittsburgh Pirates
and Boston Braves
. The native of Gloucester, Massachusetts
, stood 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) tall, weighed 190 pounds (86.2 kg) and threw and batted right-handed.
Camelli's professional baseball career stretched over 16 seasons (1935–1948; 1950–1951), with 13 years in minor league baseball
as a player and playing manager, including 1940 when at age 25 he was the catcher/manager of the Saginaw Athletics of the Class C Michigan State League
. During one stretch that season, Camelli caught six doubleheaders
in a row. He appeared in single games for the 1943 and 1945 Pirates, the latter because of military service. His best MLB season was , when he batted
.296 with 37 hits
and one home run
in 63 games and 125 at bats. Overall, he appeared in 159 games in all or parts of five Major League campaigns.
On September 30, 1946, he was included in a multiplayer trade that sent him to his hometown Braves with third baseman
Bob Elliott
for future Hall of Fame second baseman
Billy Herman
, pitcher
Elmer Singleton
, outfielder
Stan Wentzel
and infielder
Whitey Wietelmann
. Herman was promptly named playing manager of the 1947 Pirates
, but he was aghast at the cost — Elliott — the Pirates had paid for him. "Why, they've gone and traded the whole team on me," he said. Elliott would win the National League Most Valuable Player award and lead Boston to the 1948 National League pennant
. Herman's 1947 Pirates lost 92 games and finished tied for seventh in the NL, and he resigned before the season's final game.
Camelli was Boston's second-string catcher (behind Phil Masi
) in 1947, his final season in the Majors. The Braves then sent him to the San Diego Padres
of the AAA Pacific Coast League
for 1948. He died in Wellesley, Massachusetts
, at the age of 81.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
player. A 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...
, he appeared 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...
between and for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. The native of Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
, stood 5 in 11 in (1.8 m) tall, weighed 190 pounds (86.2 kg) and threw and batted right-handed.
Camelli's professional baseball career stretched over 16 seasons (1935–1948; 1950–1951), with 13 years in minor league baseball
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...
as a player and playing manager, including 1940 when at age 25 he was the catcher/manager of the Saginaw Athletics of the Class C Michigan State League
Michigan State League
Michigan State League was the name of six American professional baseball leagues. Five of them operated only one or two baseball seasons and the other four seasons...
. During one stretch that season, Camelli caught six doubleheaders
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
in a row. He appeared in single games for the 1943 and 1945 Pirates, the latter because of military service. His best MLB season was , when he batted
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 :...
.296 with 37 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and one 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...
in 63 games and 125 at bats. Overall, he appeared in 159 games in all or parts of five Major League campaigns.
On September 30, 1946, he was included in a multiplayer trade that sent him to his hometown Braves with third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Bob Elliott
Bob Elliott (baseball)
Robert Irving Elliott was an American third baseman and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves. He contributed some of the happiest memories to the Braves' final Boston years, winning the 1947 National League Most Valuable...
for future Hall of Fame second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
Billy Herman
Billy Herman
William Jennings Bryan "Billy" Herman was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball during the 1930s and 1940s. He was known for his stellar defense and consistent batting...
, pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Elmer Singleton
Elmer Singleton
Bert Elmer Singleton , was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in the majors, between and , for the Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Senators...
, outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Stan Wentzel
Stan Wentzel
Stanley Aaron Wentzel was an American professional baseball player. A longtime minor league outfielder and, later, a manager, Wentzel's only stint in Major League Baseball came at the end of the season, when he appeared in four games in centerfield for the Boston Braves. The 28-year-old rookie...
and infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
Whitey Wietelmann
Whitey Wietelmann
William Frederick "Whitey" Wietelmann was an American professional baseball player who played infielder in the Major Leagues from - for the Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates...
. Herman was promptly named playing manager of the 1947 Pirates
1947 Pittsburgh Pirates season
- Offseason :* October 2, 1946: Steve Nagy was purchased by the Pirates from the Brooklyn Dodgers.* Prior to 1947 season **Joe Muir was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pirates....
, but he was aghast at the cost — Elliott — the Pirates had paid for him. "Why, they've gone and traded the whole team on me," he said. Elliott would win the National League Most Valuable Player award and lead Boston to the 1948 National League pennant
1948 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves *All-Star Game, July 13 at Sportsman's Park: American League, 5-2-Other champions:*College World Series: USC*Little League World Series: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania...
. Herman's 1947 Pirates lost 92 games and finished tied for seventh in the NL, and he resigned before the season's final game.
Camelli was Boston's second-string catcher (behind Phil Masi
Phil Masi
Philip Samuel Masi was an American professional baseball player. From though , he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Boston Braves , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox...
) in 1947, his final season in the Majors. The Braves then sent him to the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
of the AAA 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...
for 1948. He died in Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
, at the age of 81.