Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito Jr. (born August 10, 1933) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player,

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and television

sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

as an

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

from 1955 to 1968, most prominently as a member of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

where, he established himself as a fan favorite for his powerful hitting and his strong throwing arm. A nine-time All-Star player, Colavito averaged 33 home runs per year for his first 11 seasons, exceeding 40

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s three times and 100

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

six times. He is the fifth player in the history of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

(AL) to have eleven consecutive 20 home run seasons (1956–1966). In , he hit four consecutive

s in one game and, was the AL home run champion. He was also the first outfielder in AL history to complete a season without making an

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

. During his tenure in the major leagues, Colavito also played for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Kansas City Athletics The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 seas ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

, and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. At the time of his retirement in 1968, Colavito ranked third among AL right-handed hitters for home runs (371) and eighth for AL games played as a

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

(1,272). After his playing career, he worked as a television sports

color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main (play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and t ...

for

WJW (TV) WJW (channel 8) is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, WJW maintains studios on Dick Goddard Way (named for the station's late longtime weatherman—previousl ...

before returning to the playing field to serve as a coach with the Indians and the

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. In 2001, Colavito was voted one of the 100 greatest players in Cleveland Indians' history by a panel of veteran baseball writers, executives and historians. He was inducted into the

Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball. Awards Most Valuable Player *George Burns (first baseman), George Burns (1926) *Lou Boudreau (1948) *Al Rosen (1953) Cy Young *Gaylord Pe ...

in 2006.

Early years

Colavito was born and raised in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

where he became a devoted

fan, particularly of

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

. At the age of sixteen, he dropped out of Theodore Roosevelt High School after his sophomore year to play semipro baseball in hopes that it would lead to his dream of playing in Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball rules called for a player to wait until his school class graduated before signing, and only a special appeal allowed him to go pro after a one-year wait. The Yankees expressed little interest in him, and the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

had to bow out due to financial problems. The Cleveland Indians did take interest in his strong throwing arm (Indians

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

Mike McNally Michael Joseph McNally (September 13, 1893 – May 29, 1965), nicknamed Minooka Mike, was an American professional baseball player, scout, manager and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder and utility player from ...

had watched him try out in

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

) and signed him at age 17 as an undrafted amateur free agent on January 1, 1951, with two-thirds of his signing bonus deferred until he progressed in their system. In 1954, Colavito hit 38 home runs and accumulated 116 RBIs for the minor league baseball team,

Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and play their home games at Victory Field, which open ...

Cleveland Indians

Colavito made his MLB debut on September 10, for the Cleveland Indians wearing number 38. In , he started the season playing in the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

, once showing off his throwing arm by hurling a ball over the center-field wall, from home plate. In July, he returned to the Indians. He finished the season

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

.276 with 21 home runs, and was tied for runner-up in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. In , he batted .252 with 25 home runs. In , Colavito, now wearing number 6, batted a career-high .303 with 41 home runs (one behind league leader

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

) and 113 runs batted in. He led the AL that season in slugging with a .620 average (the highest by an Indians right-handed hitter until

Albert Belle Albert Jojuan Belle (born August 25, 1966), known until 1990 as Joey Belle, is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1989 to 2000, most notably for the Cleveland Indians. Known for his fierce, competitive temperament ...

in ), and finished third in the

MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

balloting. Colavito also pitched three hitless innings for Cleveland against the

on August 13 that season. In , Colavito hit 42 home runs and became the first Indians player to have two consecutive 40-HR seasons; he tied

Harmon Killebrew Harmon Clayton Killebrew Jr. (; June 29, 1936May 17, 2011), nicknamed "The Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. He was a prolific power hitter who spent most of hi ...

for the AL lead that season (was one short of

Al Rosen Albert Leonard Rosen (February 29, 1924 – March 13, 2015), nicknamed "Flip" and "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American baseball third baseman and right-handed slugger for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball for ten seasons in the 194 ...

's club record) and was the AL leader in

extra-base hits In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire anot ...

(66) and

total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while ...

(301). On June 10, at

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

' cavernous Memorial Stadium, he became the second player in AL history to hit four consecutive

home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

in a nine-inning game;

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...

hit four in . In an interview in 2021, Colavito called the game the highlight of his career. He was selected for both of the All-Star Games held for the first time that season and homered in Game 2 (two All-Star games were held annually in 1959 through ). In the AL pennant race that year, the Indians finished second, five games behind the

. This was the closest he would come to a title until 1967. He also finished fourth in the MVP vote. Colavito would hit 30-plus home runs for seven seasons, establishing himself as a major power hitter. He also was an excellent outfielder with a very strong arm despite being flat-footed.

Detroit Tigers

Colavito was easily the Cleveland fans' favorite, with his handsome appearance and approachability, always accommodating the hundreds of Indians autograph seekers after each game even if it took a few hours. On April 17, , Indians

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

Frank Lane Frank Charles Meyers LaneCorbett, Warren: ''Frank Lane,''

...

unexpectedly traded him to the

for

Harvey Kuenn Harvey Edward Kuenn (; December 4, 1930 – February 28, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers (1952–1959), Clev ...

(the 1959 AL batting champion, having hit .353) just two days before the opening day of the season in Cleveland against the Tigers. The trade proved to be a good one for the Tigers but an unpopular trade for the Indians, whose fans lost their favorite player and best hitter. Kuenn had a minor injury early in the season, he hit .308 for the Indians, but was traded away at the end of the year. Lane, whose reputation as a wheeler-dealer earned him the moniker Frank "Trader" Lane in the sports press, further irritated fans by saying, "What's all the fuss about? All I did was trade hamburger for steak." Tigers general manager

Bill DeWitt William Orville DeWitt Sr. (August 3, 1902 — March 4, 1982) was an American professional baseball executive and club owner whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned more than 60 years. His son William Jr. is currently the principal o ...

jokingly responded that he liked hamburger. Colavito (uniform #7) was placed in right field because of his strong throwing arm, moving

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kal ...

to center field that season. Colavito hit .249 with 35 home runs and 87 RBI. In , Colavito hit .290 with a career-high 45 home runs, 140 RBI, and 129

runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls ...

. Detroit led the Major Leagues in scoring, and he placed eighth in the MVP race. Colavito was switched from right field to left field for the Tigers, and Kaline was reestablished in right field. Colavito was selected for both All-Star Games again and homered in Game 2. During one doubleheader that season, he hit 4 home runs, 3 in Game 2. Tiger fans were happy to get Colavito in Detroit, but did not take to Colavito the same way as Indians fans had in Cleveland, preferring the more consistent Kuenn. Sportswriter

Joe Falls Joseph Francis Falls (May 2, 1928 – August 11, 2004) was an American journalist. He began his career in his native New York City. At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a copyboy for the Associated Press. After an apprenticeship of eight year ...

, who viewed Colavito as a "self-ordained deity", began going after Colavito in the press and started a feature chronicling the runs he failed to drive in. The Detroit journalist kept a statistic on Colavito during his years playing for the Tigers. When Colavito stranded a runner, Falls would give him an "RNBI" (Run Not Batted In). This infuriated Colavito and created a tense relationship between the two of them for several years. In one game, Falls – acting as the official scorer – charged Colavito with a controversial

, and the "Rock" personally confronted him after the game. Another time when Colavito was in a batting slump and the Tigers fans started razzing him for it, he threw a ball he barely caught in left field over the right-field light tower and roof. On May 12, 1961, Colavito was ejected from a game with the Yankees in New York after climbing into the stands which was against MLB rules (though other Tigers players who followed Colavito into the stands were not ejected), to go after a drunken Yankee fan who had been scuffling with his older father there after the fan started harassing Colavito's wife. The Tigers played the game under protest, which they won 4–3. Colavito ($35,000 in 1961) drew the local fans' criticism by holding out for a higher 1962 salary ($54,000) than established team star

($39,000 to $49,000). In 1962, Colavito had 164 hits (Kaline 121), 37 home runs (Kaline 29), and 112 RBI (Kaline 94). He was selected for both All-Star Games for the third time and homered in Game 2. In 1963, Colavito hit .271, with 22 homers and 91 RBI.

Kansas City A's

In November , Colavito was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the

. Colavito, wearing uniform #7, spent only one season with Kansas City, earning a $50,000 salary as the highest-paid player on the A's. On September 11, , at 31, he became one of the youngest players to reach the 300-home-run mark (also was his 900th RBI), doing so against the

. Colavito hit .274, with 164 hits, 34 home runs, 31 doubles, and 102 RBI for the A's. He also was selected for the All-Star Game. The A's had finished in last place with a 57–105 record.

Return to Cleveland

In January , Colavito was brought back to Cleveland from Kansas City by Indians general manager

Gabe Paul Gabriel Howard Paul (January 4, 1910 – April 26, 1998) was an American executive in Major League Baseball who, between 1951 and 1984, served as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Colt .45s, Cleveland Indians and New York Yanke ...

, by a three-team trade. Paul traded pitcher

Tommy John Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943), nicknamed "The Bionic Man," is an American retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the Cleveland Indians, ...

(who would win 286 games after the trade and play until ), outfielder

Tommie Agee Tommie Lee Agee (August 9, 1942 – January 22, 2001) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from through , most notably as a member of the New York Mets team that became known as th ...

( AL Rookie of the Year and the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

' top hitter in as they won their first pennant), and catcher

John Romano John or Johnny Romano may refer to: * Johnny Romano (1934–2019), American baseball player * John Romano (physician) (1908–1994), American physician and psychiatrist * John Romano (writer) (born 1948), screenwriter and producer {{human name dis ...

, to the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox sent catcher

Cam Carreon Camilo Carreón (August 6, 1937 – September 2, 1987) was an American professional baseball player. The catcher appeared in 354 games over all or parts of eight Major League Baseball seasons between and for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Ind ...

to Cleveland, and outfielder

Mike Hershberger Norman Michael Hershberger (October 9, 1939 – July 1, 2012) was an American professional baseball player and outfielder for the Chicago White Sox (1961–1964, 1971), Kansas City / Oakland Athletics (1965–1969) and Milwaukee Brewers (1970) d ...

, center fielder

Jim Landis James Henry Landis (March 9, 1934 – October 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball player. Landis played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder on six teams from 1957 through 1967. While playing eight seasons for the Chicago ...

, and pitcher

Fred Talbot Frederick Wilson Talbot (born 17 December 1949) is a Scottish former television presenter. He spent much of his career in North West England. In February 2015, and again in May 2017, he was found guilty of a string of indecent sexual assaults ...

(February) to Kansas City. During the home opener on April 21, with a crowd of 44,000, Colavito (uniform #21) hit a two-run homer. He hit .287 that season, and placed fifth in the MVP vote after leading the AL in RBI (108) and walks (93). He finished among the league's top five players in home runs (26), hits (170), and runs (92). He also was selected for his eighth All-Star Game. Colavito played in all of Cleveland's 162 games without committing an error (274 chances), but did not win one of the three AL

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

s for an outfielder. On September 6, he got his 1,000th RBI. The Indians finished in 5th place with a 87–75 record. In , Colavito hit .238 with 30 home runs and 72 RBI. He also was selected for his ninth and last All-Star Game. The Indians finished in 5th place with a 81–81 record. Colavito received a $55,000 and $57,000 salary from Cleveland, the highest given to an Indians' team player during those two years.

Chicago White Sox, LA Dodgers, and NY Yankees

In late July , Colavito (hitting .241 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI) was traded by the Indians to the

, who finished three games out of first that season. In 60 games for the White Sox that season, Colavito managed to get 42 hits with 3 home runs and 29 RBI. In March , he was purchased by the

from the White Sox. Colavito hit 3 home runs for the Dodgers in his

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

debut, and batted .204 with 23 hits in 60 games. He was released by the Dodgers on July 11 that season. On July 15, 1968, Colavito was signed as a free agent by the New York Yankees, the last team and season of his 14-year MLB playing career. During his first time up batting for the Yankees, he hit a three-run homer against the Senators. On August 25, Colavito (uniform #29), who was now 35 years old, became the last position player until

Brent Mayne Brent Danem Mayne (born April 19, 1968) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1990 to 2004 for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, ...

in to be credited as the

winning Winning may refer to: * Victory Film * ''Winning'' (film), a 1969 movie starring Paul Newman * '' Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman'', a 2015 documentary by Adam Carolla and Nate Adams Music * ''Winning'', an album by Ten Foot Pole, 2022 ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

in a game. He pitched scoreless innings as a reliever in the first game of a doubleheader against the league-leading Detroit Tigers. Not only did he face down Al Kaline and Willie Horton, he further vexed the Tigers by scoring the winning run for the Yanks in the eighth inning. He also homered in the second game. Colavito's pitching feat as a Yankee was not seen again in the AL until May 6,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, when

Baltimore Oriole The Baltimore oriole (''Icterus galbula'') is a small icterid blackbird common in eastern North America as a migratory breeding bird. It received its name from the resemblance of the male's colors to those on the coat-of-arms of 17th century L ...

Chris Davis earned a win. Colavito got 20 hits including 5 home runs in 39 games played for the Yankees. He was released by the Yankees on September 30, 1968 and retired as a player.

Later career

Colavito was hired by the Cleveland Indians as a broadcaster on WJW-TV for the 1972 season. He was a first base coach for the Indians during the 1973 season, broadcaster during the 1975 season, hitting coach and broadcaster during the 1976 season, and first base coach during the 1977 and 1978 seasons. He was a hitting coach for the

during the 1982 and 1983 seasons. In 1982, Colavito and

Manager

Dick Howser Richard Dalton Howser (May 14, 1936 – June 17, 1987) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop, coach, and manager who was best known as the manager of the Kansas City Royals during the 1980s and for guiding them to the franchise's first W ...

, a former

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

for the Indians, were involved in a traffic accident and struggle with police. Colavito and Howser were convicted of interfering with police and received 90-day jail sentences. Both appealed and served six months of probation. Colavito was involved in the 1983

pine tar game A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

and was ejected for arguing the umpires' decision to negate

George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mo ...

's home run and call him out, which would have given the Yankees the win; the decision was later overturned, the game was resumed a month later with the Royals in the lead as the result of Brett's home run, and the Royals won the game.

Personal life

Colavito has been married since 1954. On August 11, 2015, he had to have his right leg amputated below the knee due to problems with Type 2 diabetes, of which he had suffered for a number of years.

MLB stats

Batting stats:

Pitching stats:

Fielding stats:

MLB achievements

Notable achievements: * 6-time AL All-Star (1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966) * AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1958) * 2-time AL Total Bases Leader (1959, 1962) * AL Home Runs Leader (1959) * AL RBI Leader (1965) * AL Base on Ball Leader (1965) * 20-Home Run Seasons: 11 (1956–1966) * 30-Home Run Seasons: 7 (1956–1962, 1964, 1966) * 40-Home Run Seasons: 3 (1958, 1959, 1961) * 100 RBI Seasons: 6 (1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965) * 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 1 (1961) Other achievements: * 9 All-Star Games (1959-2, 1961–2, 1962–2, 1964, 1965, 1966) * ML Fielding Percentage Leader as Right Fielder (1965) * ML Fielding Percentage Leader as Outfielder (1965) * Four consecutive home runs in one game (1959) * Four home runs in one game (1959)

Legacy

Colavito was one of the most popular power hitters and outfielders of his time with one of the best throwing arms in baseball. In , Colavito was voted the most memorable personality in Indians history. In , Colavito received a huge ovation at the introduction of the Indians' All-Century team. On July 29, 2006, Colavito, along with

Ray Chapman Raymond Johnson Chapman (January 15, 1891 – August 17, 1920) was an American baseball player. He spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Indians. Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by pitcher Carl Mays and died ...

Addie Joss Adrian "Addie" Joss (April 12, 1880 – April 14, 1911), nicknamed "the Human Hairpin", was an American professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Cleveland Bronchos of Major League Baseball, later known as the Naps, between 1902 and 191 ...

Sam McDowell Samuel Edward Thomas McDowell (born September 21, 1942), is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a starting pitcher from 1961 to 1975, most notably for the Cleveland Indians. A six-time All-Star, ...

Herb Score Herbert Jude Score (June 7, 1933 – November 11, 2008) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and announcer. Score pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1955 through 1959 and the Chicago White Sox from 1960 through 1962. He was ...

and manager

Al López Alfonso Ramón López (August 20, 1908 – October 30, 2005) was a Spanish-American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers, Boston Bees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cle ...

, were all inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame. On August 10, 2021, his 88th birthday, a statue of Colavito was unveiled at Tony Brush Park in Cleveland's Little Italy. Colavito was in attendance for the ceremony.

The Curse of Rocky Colavito

In 1994,

Terry Pluto Terry Pluto (born June 12, 1955) is an American sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and author who primarily writes columns for ''The Plain Dealer'', and formerly for the '' Akron Beacon Journal'' about Cleveland, Ohio sports and religion. Plu ...

, who covered the Cleveland Indians for ''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...

'' in the 1980s and became the top sports columnist for the ''

Akron Beacon Journal The ''Akron Beacon Journal'' is a morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States. Owned by Gannett, it is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper's coverage focuses on local news. The Beacon J ...

'' (but returned to ''The Plain Dealer'' in 2007), published '' The Curse of Rocky Colavito'', a

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...

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. He also suggested, that the trade in 1965 to bring Colavito back to the Indians was just as bad as the one that had sent him away. Pluto wrote a sequel, ''Burying the Curse'', in 1995, after the Cleveland Indians won their first American League Championship in 41 years that season. Cleveland lost the World Series 4–2 to the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. In , the Indians won the AL pennant again, but lost the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

4–3 to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

after needing just two more outs in Game 7 to win. In 1999, Pluto wrote the

''Our Tribe'', a history of the Cleveland Indians. Pluto insists in the book, that the curse is still in effect. The Indians' won the American League Championship again 19 years later, in 2016. Cleveland lost the World Series to the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

4–3; Cleveland's last World Series title was in 1948, when they defeated the Boston Braves.

References

* ''Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia'' (2000). Kingston, New York: Total/Sports Illustrated. .

External links

Rocky Colavito
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Rocky Colavito
at Baseball Almanac
Rocky Colavito
at Baseballbiography.com
Rocky Colavito
at Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Cleveland Indians Press Release, July 11, 2006
– Indians Hall Of Fame {{DEFAULTSORT:Colavito, Rocky 1933 births Living people American League All-Stars American League home run champions American League RBI champions American sportspeople of Italian descent Baseball coaches from New York (state) Baseball players from New York (state) Cedar Rapids Indians players Chicago White Sox players Cleveland Indians announcers Cleveland Indians coaches Cleveland Indians players Daytona Beach Islanders players Detroit Tigers players Indianapolis Indians players Kansas City Athletics players Kansas City Royals coaches Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball hitting coaches Major League Baseball right fielders Navegantes del Magallanes players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela New York Yankees players New York Yankees scouts Reading Indians players San Diego Padres (minor league) players Spartanburg Peaches players Sportspeople from the Bronx American amputees