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Hank Camelli, 1947 Tip Top Bread, Boston Braves

Player: Camelli, Hank

Card: 1947 Tip Top Bread

Position: C

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Gloucester, MA native Henry Richard "Hank" Camelli (December 9, 1914 – July 14, 1996) was an MLB catcher who played between 1943 and 1947 for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves.

Camelli's professional baseball career stretched over 16 seasons (1935–48; 1950–51), 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!

Hank made his major league debut on October 3, 1943, the same day as Gil Hodges. He appeared in single games for the 1943 and 1945 Pirates, the latter because of his military service in the United States Army. His best MLB season was 1944, 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.

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. In 1996, Hank died in Wellesley, Massachusetts at the age of 81.

(excerpted from Baseball Almanac, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)

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Photo from The Deadball Era site

tourstops


Hank is part of the Military Service during Wartime Tour – go to the Next Stop


Hank is also part of the MLB Managers Tour – Go to the Next Stop


Hank is also part of the Pittsburgh Pirates Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop


Hank is also part of the Braves Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop


All Hank’s baseball cards can be seen at TCDB


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