DALLAS — Rocky Colavito, the hero of the 1950s and 1960s for thousands of Cleveland baseball fans, passed away. He was ninety-one.
Colavito spent his whole adult life in Bernville, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and his family confirmed his passing to the Guardians on Tuesday afternoon.
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During his eight years with the Indians, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Colavito captivated Cleveland with his raw strength. Although he made his big league debut on September 10, 1955, he didn’t really take off until 1956. Colavito, a right-handed hitter, finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year vote after hitting 21 home runs in just 322 at-bats.
During two stints with the Indians, Colavito hit 190 of his 374 home runs.
From 1957 to 1959, his power was truly on display. Over the course of those three years, The Rock hit 118 home runs. In 1959, he led the AL with 42 home runs.
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“The loss of Rocky is deeply felt by all of us,” said Bob DiBiasio, senior vice president of public affairs for the Guardians. Rocky was one of the most well-liked characters in the franchise’s history and a generational hero. As sandlot players mimicked Rocky’s on-deck circle ritual of kneeling and then stepping into the batter’s box, stretching the bat over his shoulders and pointing it at the pitcher, it was clear how popular he was in Northeastern Ohio.
I’m proud to have been one of them. Rocky always had the utmost respect for the fans and loved our organization. “I’m grateful that God picked me to play in Cleveland,” he would frequently say. The whole Colavito family, along with his numerous teammates and other organizations affected by his demise, have our deepest sympathies.
Cleveland general manager Frank Lane made the surprising deal of Colavito to Detroit for batting champion Harvey Kuenn shortly before the 1960 season began. For many years, Cleveland’s fan base was resentful of the deal.
Ultimately, Colavito returned to Cleveland between 1965 and 1967. Colavito played for the White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, and Kansas City in addition to Cleveland and Detroit.
Colavito’s biographer, Mark Sommer, stated on Cleveland.com Tuesday evening that the nine-time All-Star passed away naturally.
According to Sommer, he has been battling a variety of health issues throughout the past few months. After being admitted to the hospital, Colavito spent some time in treatment before returning home. This year, he and his spouse, Carmen, commemorated their 70th wedding anniversary.
Sommer, whose book Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger was published in 2019, claimed that Rocky was a remarkable and adored athlete, particularly in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. He is truly among the most well-liked ballplayers of all time.
He had a deep affection for Cleveland. He praised God that he was able to play in Cleveland when the statue was unveiled for him a few years ago. I’m not sure how often Cleveland hears that, but they definitely heard him say it.
He was a model citizen. During his playing career, he had a reputation for staying after games to sign autographs. For him, that served as a sort of signature. He was raised as a Yankees supporter and looked up to Joe DiMaggio.
In 14 seasons, Colavito would amass 374 home runs. In 13 years, DiMaggio finished with a 361.
According to Sommer, fans adored him because he always carried himself in the best possible light.
On August 10, 1933, Rocco Domenico Rocky Colavito Jr. was born.
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