Rocky Colavito was a popular Major League Baseball player with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers in the 1950s and ‘60s, a six-time all-star who was one of the great sluggers of his era.
- Died: December 10, 2024 (Who else died on December 10?)
- Details of death: Died in Bernville, Pennsylvania at the age of 91.
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Rocky Colavito’s legacy
Colavito is best known for his days as a slugger with the Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians), but the Bronx-born ballplayer grew up a New York Yankees fan, going as far as to drop out of high school to pursue a career in professional baseball. His gambit worked, though it didn’t land him on the Yankees. Instead, Cleveland signed him.
After a strong start in the minor leagues, Colavito made his major league debut in 1955, though he didn’t play a full season until 1956. That year, he hit 21 home runs on his way to securing second place in the Rookie of the Year voting. He improved in ’57, then in 1958, he exploded into one of the great power hitters of the era. That year, he hit .303 with a 1.024 OPS, slammed 41 home runs and 113 RBI, and was third in MVP voting. 1958 also began his streak of hitting over 30 home runs five years in a row, and six out of seven years, with three of them being 40-homer seasons.
In 1959, he slammed four home runs in one game on his way to leading the American League with 42 overall.
Despite Colavito’s massive fan popularity and presence at the plate, Cleveland traded him to the Detroit Tigers in 1960, a trade that proved to be hugely unpopular in Cleveland. He continued to be a feared hitter in Detroit, enjoying what was arguably his best season in 1961, with 45 home runs and 140 RBI, plus a .402 OBP and .982 OPS. He returned to Cleveland from 1965 to 1967, enjoying good years there before winding down his career with a few other teams. His last was his once-beloved New York Yankees. He played 39 games with them in 1968 before retiring.
After retirement, Colavito went back and forth between working as a broadcaster and a coach for various teams. He was hitting coach for the Kansas City Royals in 1982 and 1983 and was ejected in the infamous Pine Tar Incident of July 1983.
All told, Colavito was a nine-time all-star. In 2006, he was inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame.
Tributes to Rocky Colavito
Full obituary: Cleveland.com
