Medford mail tribune., April 07, 1963, Image 47

Perhaps THE BEST thing that hap
pened to American League baseball
in recent years was a Christmas card.
It happened this way :
Four men huddled around the living room of
a Bronx, N. Y., apartment. Baseball scout Mike
HcNally of the Cleveland Indians and Dominic
Colavito were bargaining heatedly; the other two
were silent. One was Rocco (Rocky) Domenico
Colavito, an awkward, muscular 17-year-old; the
other, his stocky iceman father.
McNally was offering a $3,000 bonus for young
Rocco's unproved diamond talents. Brother Dom
was demanding an extra $600 for the kid brother
he had helped raise after their mother died. But
there was another reason for holding out. Only
20 blocks away was Yankee Stadium, and most
of his life Rocky had dreamed of playing where
he had studied every movement of his boyhood
idol, Joe DiHaggio.
The Yankees, however, hadn't topped Cleve
land's offer, and negotiations dragged on until
the head of the Colavito clan grew impatient. In
Italian, he asked Rocky a question. Rocky nodded.
Then the father spoke curtly to Dom who, after
a moment's hesitation, turned to HcNally. "Okay,
we'll sign."
Later, HcNally asked why the sudden change.
"Pop asked if you were the scout who sent us a
Christmas card," Dom replied, a little sourly.
"When he learned you were, he just said, 'Sign.'
We did."
Could the American League have survived a
Yankee outfield of Hickey Hantle, Roger Haris
and Rocky Colavito? Together they've hit 463
home runs in the last four years. The leader?
Rocky Colavito with 159.
As the '63 season opens this week, the most
likely challenger to the Yankee pennant habit is
Detroit, where Rocky nowadays exhibits his hand
some profile and Adonis physique to the "ohs"
and "aha" (and some boos) of one of baseball's
oddest followings. His slugging in 1961 (45
homers) almost upset the l'-nkees, and although
he kept up the pace last year (37 homers), in
juries to other Tiger stars left him shouldering
an impossible burden. In 1963, he thinks it will
be different: "Everybody looks great I know I
feel good."
Whatever the Tigers do, one thing is certain.
Durable Rocky probably will go on "feeling good,"
and his Little League enthusiasm, body beautiful,
and circus antics will draw fans up to 1,500
extra a game, according to Detroit estimates.
The reason is that Rocky is a baseball rarity, a
glamour athlete who is exciting as hero or goat.
Last year, for example, he thumped across left
i field with elephantine strides as a foul fly
seemingly arched beyond his reach but no i With
unexpected grace, , his flat feet propelled him
under the ball, and his glove swooped out for the
catch. As fans cheered, the hero tripped on the
bullpen rubber, the ball bounced loose, and Minne
apolis scored the game-winning run.
No matter. Not long after, against his once
beloved Yankees, he came up with six singles and
a triple in 10 at-bats in a 22-inning game. In
1959, after a slump (he calls them "slackening
offs"), he pounded four homers in one game in
Baltimore's vast stadium, where no team had hit
more than three in a game before.
Rocky has provided a Hollywood show since he
SPORTS
ROCKY
COLAVITO
Baseball's
Glamour
Boy
B7 YJ
When Rocky Colavito stretches his muscles,
women sigh and enemy pitchers cringe.
Can Detroit beat out
the Yankees this year?
Maybe not, but here's a
fans' favorite who will
make it a good show
By JACK RYAN
came up with Cleveland in 1956 and entered the
batting box, clawing dirt like an enraged bull,
stretching his 33-ounce bat behind his shoulders
so biceps and shoulder muscles danced, then peer
ing malevolently into the deep recesses of the
pitcher's mind.
Delighted teen-agers formed half a dozen fan
clubs (motto: Socko Rocco), Cleveland attendance
rose from 600,000 to 1,000,000, fans sent him re
ligious medals during slumps, and Rocky happily
signed autographs by the hour, forming rowdy
teen-agers into lines like a stern Scoutmaster and
making each one say, "Thank you."
Coming up against the likes of Frank Lane, the
Cleveland general manager, and Bobby Bragan,
the manager, must have been a shock to Rocky.
They liked him personally. "I wish I had his dis
position," said frantic Frank Lane. "Always
happy" But as a ballplayer no. Lane held onto
him mainly for attendance purposes, and Bragan
seemed to regard him as a Bronx hayseed just
right for playing jokes on.
Despite new slogans from his fan clubs
("Don't Knock the Rock"), Lane sent his
erratic slugger to Detroit in 1960 for Harvey
Kuenn, a steady single hitter.
"I don't know why he did that," Rocky said in
some bewilderment upon leaving the city which
once voted him Han of the Year. "It aorta sur
prises you, huh?"
Detroit frowned on such nonsense as fan clubs,
and in general Rocky's wide-eyed boyishness
found itself blacked out in a blg-businesB atmos
phere. The 1960 season was his most dismal (35
home runs and a .249 average), but where other
players would have heard nothing but jeers,
Rocky's irrepressible gee-whiz attitude toward
baseball and life won him a loyal following. Fan
groups assembled in left field, good-natured teas
ing greeted his batting gyrations, and his team
mates learned to steel themselves against the
bone-crushing handshakes he dispenses after each
homer. By 1961 Rocky had found a "home" again
and the loyal following he needs.
Rocky's real home is a suburban brick split
level in Temple, Pa., where he lives with his wife
of eight years, Carmen Perrotti Colavito, and
their children, Rocco, 7, and Harisa, 5. The Cola
vitos met while he was playing with Reading, Pa.
After a brief try at big-city living, they decided
to settle in Carmen's home town because the
Bronx boy was convinced "trees and space are
better for kids."
During the season, Rocky sees his family when
the Tigers visit New York. Carmen and the
youngsters move in with uncles, aunts, or Grand
pa, and family and friends have an exuberant re
union which swells to hundreds at Yankee Stadi
um. Once a near riot broke out when a drunk
annoyed Carmen and Hr. Colavito. The clan
moved in from all directions including Rocky,
who rushed into the stands from left field and was
tossed out of the game.
Every year and 1963 is no exception the
Bronx Colavitos have been planning a mass mi
gration to Tiger Stadium for a World Series and
a family celebration on behalf of Rocky. Of
course, this would have been more convenient and
more probable if Rocky had signed with the
Yankees in the first place, Christmas card or not
Has he any regrets?
"Naw," says Rocky. "They wanted me as a
pitcher, and pitchers don't get to play every day."
fom.lv Wnkly. April 7. IM3