Books and articles about Bert Campaneris

Surrounded by superstars, Bert Campaneris was a key contributor to the great Oakland teams with his competitive spirit and superb play. His memorable debut with the Kansas City A's (July 23, 1964) included two home runs, one off the first major league pitch ever thrown to him. Bert became only the third player in big league history to hit two homers in his first game. He made headlines in one of club owner Charlie Finley's publicity stunts in 1965. On September 9, Campaneris played every position in a nine inning game. He also led the A's in hitting (.270), edged his cousin, Jose Cardenal, for the league lead in steals (51), and led the league in triples (12). Campy became one of baseball's all-time top base thiefs, stealing 649 bases to rank seventh all-time on his retirement and leading the American League six times, including his first four full seasons (1965-68).

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When the A's moved to Oakland in 1968, Bert led the league in hits (177) and at-bats. Though he struck out more than some leadoff hitters and didn't walk much, he was a catalyst in the Oakland attack. Hitting from an extreme crouch, the Cuban righthander would get on base and disrupt pitchers. He improved consistently on defense, leading AL shortstops with 795 chances in 1972. An adept bunter, he led the AL in sacrifice bunts in 1972 (20) and 1978 (40). Despite these credentials, Bert is most associated with an unfortunate incident in the 1972 American League Championship Series. In Game Two, he already had three hits, two steals and two runs scored as he faced Detroit hurler Lerrin LaGrow. When LaGrow's pitch hit Campaneris in the ankle, Bert flung his bat at the hurler. A near-riot ensued as Detroit manager Billy Martin charged Campaneris. The batter and pitcher were both ejected. Bert was suspended for the remainder of the playoffs, reinstated for the World Series (in which he was hit by pitches three times), and suspended for the first seven games of 1973. He was the shortstop on TSN's post-season AL All-Star Team in 1973 and 1974. In 1976, his 52 steals helped the A's set an AL club record with 341 steals. Like most of the A's, Campaneris played out his option, moving to the Rangers. After a full season with Texas (1977), age and injuries limited Bert to part-time, utility duty. He spent 1982 in the Mexican League. In 1983, at the age of 41, Campaneris returned to the big leagues as a utility infielder with the Yankees, playing for Billy Martin. He responded with a career-high .322 batting average in 59 games and solid defense at second and third base. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 13, 1962: Bert Campaneris of Daytona Beach (Florida State League) pitches ambidextrously in a relief appearance. Facing Ft. Lauderdale, Campy throws lefty to lefthanders, and switches when righthanders come up. » July 23, 1964: A's rookie Bert Campaneris sends Minnesota to defeat 4–3 with two home runs in his ML debut. The first comes on the first pitch thrown to him, by Jim Kaat, just the 2nd American League player to debut like that. And the 21-year-old Cuban joins Bob Nieman as the only player since 1900 with two home runs in his first ML game. » September 8, 1965: Bert Campaneris plays all nine positions against the Angels in a promotion to hype poor attendance at Kansas City. When Campy takes the mound in the 8th inning, the first batter he faces is his cousin Jose Cardenal, who pops out. Campy allows one run, and leaves the game in the 9th after a collision with Angels C Ed Kirkpatrick at home plate when Campy is catching. Rene Lachemann replaces Campy as catcher. The Angels win it in the 13th inning 5–3, with the win going to Campy's batterymate Aurelio Monteagudo. » August 29, 1967: Bert Campaneris bangs out three triples for Kansas City, but Cleveland still wins, 9–8, in 10 innings. Campy is the first to have three triples in a game since Ben Chapman in 1939. » September 22, 1968: Cesar Tovar becomes the 2nd player to play every position in a game as Minnesota's all-purpose star leads the Twins to a 2–1 win over the Oakland A's. Bert Campaneris of the Kansas City A's was the first to pull off this stunt in 1965. Tovar starts the game on the mound and the first batter he faces is Campaneris. Tovar strikes out Reggie Jackson in his one inning. » September 13, 1970: Kansas City sweeps a pair from Oakland, winning both by 8–7 scores. In the 11-inning opener, A's SS Bert Campaneris sets an American League record by participating in six DPs. It will be tied in the National League. » September 21, 1970: The A's Vida Blue no-hits the Twins 6–0, becoming the youngest pitcher to perform the feat since Paul Dean, 36 years ago to the day. The only base runner against Blue is Harmon Killebrew, who walks in the 4th inning. Bert Campaneris, who helps Blue with a leaping catch on Mitterwald in the 5th, adds a triple and home run. An Oakland crowd of only 4,284 watches Blue's 2nd ML start. » August 22, 1971: Oakland book ends solo homers to defeat the Red Sox, 2–1. Bert Campaneris leads off the game with a shot and, with two out in the 9th inning, Reggie Jackson ends the game with a homer. » October 8, 1972: During his club's 5–0 win in the 2nd game of the ALCS, Oakland's Bert Campaneris fires his bat at Detroit P Lerrin LaGrow. Campy, who had been hit by a pitch, is fined and suspended for the rest of the series. LaGrow is also thrown out of the game, but Detroit manages just three hits against Blue Moon Odom. » October 13, 1972: Commissioner Kuhn announces that Bert Campaneris will be allowed to play in the World Series. » October 9, 1973: Bert Campaneris leads off the 11th with a home run to give Oakland a 2–1 win over Mike Cuellar and the Orioles. » October 16, 1973: The A's win game three of the World Series 3–2 in 11 innings as Bert Campaneris gets the winning RBI. In a private clubhouse meeting, Dick Williams tells A's players he will resign after the Series. » October 21, 1973: Oakland wins the World Championship for the 2nd straight year as Bert Campaneris and MVP Reggie Jackson homer in the 5–2, 7th-game victory. » April 24, 1976: Oakland's Bert Campaneris steals five bases in an 8–7 win over Cleveland. » August 22, 1976: Bert Campaneris collects five hits in leading the A's to a 7–6 11-inning win over the Red Sox. » July 14, 1978: Texas P Fergie Jenkins allows three solo homers -- one to Fred Lynn and two to Dwight Evans -- in beating Boston, 4–3. Bert Campaneris homers off Mike Torrez (11-5). » September 28, 1995: The Reds defeat the Expos by a score of 9-7, with Expos reliever Greg Harris pitching the 9th ambidexterously. The Reds don't score against him as he faces two with his (normal) right arm and two with his left. After Harris (right-handed) retires Reggie Sanders on a grounder, manager Felipe Alou permits him to do what he had wanted to try for 10 years. Following a wild lefty toss to the backstop, he walks Hal Morris. Remaining as a southpaw, though, he gets Eddy Taubensee to ground out. Finally, returning the ball to his right hand, he retires Bret Boone on a ground out. Harris uses a special six-finger glove, which is sent to the Hall of Fame. Before Harris, Bert Campaneris was the last pitcher to use both hands in a professional game, doing it in 1962 for Daytona Beach in the Florida State League. The only major leaguers to toss with each hand are: Tony Mullane (July 18, 1882); Larry Corcoran (June 10, 1884); Elton "Icebox" Chamberlain (May 9, 1888); Tony Mullane again (July 14, 1893). » September 14, 1999: The Royals lose a doubleheader to the Angels, 8-6 in the opener and 6-5 in the nightcap. In the second game, KC OF Mark Quinn makes a memorable major league debut. After making out in his 1st trip to the plate, Quinn doubles in his next at bat, then hits homers in his last two times up. He becomes just the 3rd player in history to hit two home runs in his 1st big league game. Bob Nieman (1951) and Bert Campaneris (1964) are the only others to accomplish the feat.