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Card: 1957 Topps #212
Position: RF
playerbio
Player Bio: Rocky Colavito
"He was everything a ballplayer should be: dark, handsome eyes, and a raw-boned build-and he hit home runs at a remarkable rate." - Terry Pluto, The Curse of Rocky Colavito
Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito Jr. (born August 10, 1933 in The Bronx, NY) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder who played for the Indians, Tigers, KC A's, White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees. He is best known for playing for the Cleveland Indians in right field.
Rocky was an All-Star for six seasons (9 All-Star Games). He is the fifth player in the history of the AL to have eleven consecutive 20-home run seasons (1956–66). During that span, he exceeded 40 home runs three times and 100 runs batted in, six times. He also led the AL in home runs, RBI, and slugging average once each. He ranked third among AL right-handed hitters for home runs (371) and eighth for AL games played at right field (1272), at the end of his MLB playing career in 1968.
In 1956, Rocky finished second in Rookie of the Year voting despite having far better hitting stats. In 1959, he hit four consecutive home runs in one game and in 1965, Rocky became the first American League (AL) outfielder to play a complete season with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
After retiring, he returned to Cleveland to work as a TV analyst for WJW in 1972, 1975 and 1976. Rocky also served on the Indians’ coaching staff in 1973 and 1976-1978. Colavito later served on Tribe teammate Dick Howser‘s coaching staff in 1982 and 1983 when Howser managed the Kansas City Royals. Rocky also helped his father-in-law run his mushroom farm near Reading, Pennsylvania.
Most of all, Colavito was a Cleveland Indian's fan favorite. In 1994, Terry Pluto, who covered the Cleveland Indians for The Plain Dealer in the 1980s a, published "The Curse of Rocky Colavito", a book that tried to explain why the Indians had not come within even 11 games of first place since 1959. Pluto's explanation was that the trade of Colavito by the Indians in 1960 sent the team on a path to mediocrity that lasted more than three decades.
Some feel Rocky belongs in the Hall of Fame.
(excerpted from SABR, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)
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(thank you Daniel Serafini for this card)
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Rocky Colavito is part of the New York City Born Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Colavito is also part of the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Rocco is also part of the All-Star Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Rocky is also part of the Cleveland Indians Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Rocco is also part of the Detroit Tigers Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Rocky is also part of the LA/Brooklyn Dodgers Player Tour – Go to the Next Stop
Rocky is also part of the New York Yankee Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop
Rocky is also part of the Chicago White Sox Players Tour – Go To the Next Stop
Rocky is also part of the Athletics Player Tour – Go To the Next Stop
See all Rocky’s baseball cards at TCDB
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