Roy Campanella is a fair way down the list of greatest major league catchers of all time, at least per baseball-reference.com WAR. He is 20th, sandwiched between Roger Bresnahan and Jason Kendall. His case only serves to highlight the limitations of WAR as a statistic. He was 26 before he played for the Dodgers, and although his Negro League statistics are counted towards his WAR, three seasons in his 20s (1943, 1946, and 1947) were lost to playing in the international or minor leagues. Then, of course, his career was cut short at 36 years old by a tragic car accident in January 1958.
Campanella joined the Dodgers in 1948, and starting in 1951 (the year of this card), he won three MVPs in five seasons. In 1951 specifically, he batted .325 with 33 home runs and 108 RBIs, leading the Dodgers (along with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, and Gil Hodges) to a 97-60-1 record, one game behind the New York Giants for a World Series berth. Campanella did play in five World Series. He hit two home runs in 1955, and the seven-game victory over the New York Yankees was the only championship of his career.
The corners of this card show the beginnings of wear, but the card is structurally sound. The centering is not perfect, but strong. The colors still pop and the registration is crisp. An excellent (literally) but still-affordable copy of this Hall-of-Fame catcher and iconic Dodger.
This Dutch auction began on January 3rd, 2026, at $420.75. It will be reduced by 5% every four days according to the Bid Reduction Schedule below.
Roy Campanella is a fair way down the list of greatest major league catchers of all time, at least per baseball-reference.com WAR. He is 20th, sandwiched between Roger Bresnahan and Jason Kendall. His case only serves to highlight the limitations of WAR as a statistic. He was 26 before he played for the Dodgers, and although his Negro League statistics are counted towards his WAR, three seasons in his 20s (1943, 1946, and 1947) were lost to playing in the international or minor leagues. Then, of course, his career was cut short at 36 years old by a tragic car accident in January 1958.
Campanella joined the Dodgers in 1948, and starting in 1951 (the year of this card), he won three MVPs in five seasons. In 1951 specifically, he batted .325 with 33 home runs and 108 RBIs, leading the Dodgers (along with Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, and Gil Hodges) to a 97-60-1 record, one game behind the New York Giants for a World Series berth. Campanella did play in five World Series. He hit two home runs in 1955, and the seven-game victory over the New York Yankees was the only championship of his career.
The corners of this card show the beginnings of wear, but the card is structurally sound. The centering is not perfect, but strong. The colors still pop and the registration is crisp. An excellent (literally) but still-affordable copy of this Hall-of-Fame catcher and iconic Dodger.
This Dutch auction began on January 3rd, 2026, at $420.75. It will be reduced by 5% every four days according to the Bid Reduction Schedule below.
