The Best Baseball Name. Ever. Rocky Colavito… you could almost imagine what a guy with a name like that would look like… how he’d crush the ball… absolute cannon for an arm… how he’d thrill you one minute and break your heart the next
...for a singles hitter?
. How he’d stride up to the plate... flex those muscles… point that bat… the sign of the cross… glare at the pitcher… big swing…
Rocky Colavito was one of the most charismatic colorful players to ever wear the Old English D , or any other major league uniform, for that matter. He was born in New York… with a name like ‘dat, what’d ja expect… and grew up a big Yankee fan, idolizing (who else?) Joe DiMaggio.
Instead of signing with the Yankees, Rocky inked a pact with Cleveland which gave him a lot more attention than the Bombers… he paid his dues- 5 full years in the minors, before breaking in with the Tribe in 1956. Instantly his good looks, home-run bat, and signing autographs forever made him the most popular guy on the team, especially with the young girls!
… and he just crushed the ball almost from the start. Starting in ’56 he cranked 21, 25, 41 and 42 home runs yearly for the Tribe, usually not hitting for a high average (although he hit .303 once), but driving in tons of runs… was the coverboy on Time Magazine in ’59 for an article about baseball’s young sluggers… and really made a name for himself by hitting 4 home runs in a row in one game against Baltimore… only the 3rd guy in baseball history to do THAT!
After the 1959 season, the Cleveland General Manager, Frank (Trader) Lane outsmarted himself and actually sent Rocky Colavito to the Tigers for the American League batting champ, Harvey Kuenn. Now Harvey was a darn good infielder and a great hitter, but with almost no power. The Free Press headline read "42 Home Runs for 140 Singles," Lane said “We traded hamburger for steak,” and the Indians went into a decline that lasted 30 years.
In his first game as a Tiger, at CLEVELAND, the Rock went 0 for 6 in front of over 50,000 fans who made it clear what they thought of the deal. Kuenn went 2 for 7 and had a couple of good years for the Tribe, but he was pretty much done as an effective player in the early ‘60s.
Rocky’s contract squabbles with Lane, and later on with Jim Campbell, probably helped to make him expendable, but no one could ever argue that he was a clutch performer who was a great clubhouse guy and hustled all the time. In his 4 Detroit seasons, the Rock cranked 35, 45, 37 and 22 dingers while playing virtually every game… from 1961 through 1965 he missed only 5 games- a real ironman!
What a lineup the Tigers had in the early ‘60s. Power from Norm Cash , Rocky Colavito, Al Kaline, Charley Maxwell… in ’61 the team won 101 games and still finished behind the Mantle-Maris Yankees…3 guys on that team all scored over 100 runs… that was the best team Rocky ever played on… he never played on a pennant winner.
And that Tiger outfield was tremendous in the early ‘60s… you had Al Kaline in right, Rocky in left, and a great glove man, Billy Bruton, in center. Kaline had one of the best arms in the league and Rocky’s was considered the strongest and he loved to show it off… in the minors he’d stand at home plate and heave the ball over the centerfield fence.. did it in Kansas City in ’65- over 410 feet!
His mannerisms were legendary and every kid in Michigan could mimic them… Bob Addie wrote in The Sporting News in 1962: “Is it true that Detroit’s Colavito was the inspiration for the Twist? … Watch Rocky when he comes to the plate … He wriggles around uncomfortably like a man wearing itchy woolens… Somebody ought to put his movements to music when he goes up to the plate.”
The end as a Tiger came after the 1963 season… The Tigers thought Willie Horton was ready to supply the power (actually not quite yet) and they’d moved Jake Wood to the outfield and badly needed a second baseman… the contract squabbles didn’t help so after an off year with only 22 home runs...
...Rocky Colavito was sent packing to the Kansas City Athletics for Jerry Lumpe, Dave Wickersham and Ed Krakow… pretty good deal for Detroit as Wickersham won 19 games in ’64 and became a decent relief pitcher for a few years. Lumpe only played full time in ’65 and was a goner after ’67. Krakow never did much with the Tigers.
Rocky had a few more good years… banged 34 homers for a horrible KC team in ’64 and finally went back to Cleveland in ’65. As much as trading the Rock originally hurt the Tribe, getting him back may have wounded them even more… they gave up Tommy John, Tommie Agee and John Romano – all turned out to be pretty good major leaguers, especially John.
His first year with Cleveland was only OK by his standards, 30 home runs, but he was nearing the end of the line. Playing every single day for years had taken it’s toll and he hung ‘em up after the 1968 season, batting .204 for the Dodgers.
Rocky Colavito notes and quotes: After getting off to a slow start in Detroit after the big trade: I was trying too hard. Getting traded from the Indians was a shock-erino.” In 1961 in New York, Rocky rushed into the stands to protect his father and wife from hecklers. He was ejected from the game, but was not fined or suspended. Cleveland kept trying to get the Rock back in the early ‘60s… Offered packages of up to 6 players… their attendance dropped more than a half-million from ’59 to ’60… predictably they banged out more hits, but scored fewer runs without Colavito. Future Tiger, Tom Tresh was a batboy for Rocky’s Daytona Beach team during his rookie year in 1951. Rocky after being traded to KC: “I’m glad to get away from Detroit… glad to get away from the front office. I like to feel appreciated.” Later …”I am sorry to leave Detroit, which is a fine baseball town. I got along with the players and manager.” In a 22 inning loss to New York in 1962, Colavito cranked out 7 hits in 10 at-bats. "The first Vic Tanney graduate to make the big leagues.” – Bob Addie (on what players look like out of uniform) "Rocky had almost everything you want in a ballplayer. He was an idol, he could hit the homer and he was young. I was against trading him." - Nate Dolin, Cleveland Indian Vice Prez Rocky Colavito took the mound against the Tigers in a Sunday game in New York in 1968… Tigers were slumping at the time, after McAuliffe’s suspension… Rocky handled them well- 2 2/3 innings with no runs given up… wonder what he would have done as a pitcher!!
After getting off to a slow start in Detroit after the big trade: I was trying too hard. Getting traded from the Indians was a shock-erino.”