Rocky Colavito, one of baseball’s most popular figures in the 1950s and ’60s, passed away Tuesday night at his longtime Berks County home after a lengthy illness, a family source confirmed. He was 91.
A New York native, Colavito played 14 seasons in the big leagues for six teams and hit 374 home runs and drove in 1,159 runs.
After coming up through the Cleveland Indians farm system – and spending the 1953 season in Reading – he had two tenures in Cleveland, from 1955-59 and 1965-67. He was dealt to the Detroit Tigers before the 1960 season in a controversial trade that outraged Cleveland fans.
He was a nine-time All-Star, hit 30 or more home runs seven times and had 100 or more RBIs six times. He finished in the top five three times in voting for the American League MVP. He hit four consecutive home runs in a 1959 game at Baltimore.
Mark Sommer wrote a 2019 biography titled, “Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger.” During interviews with Colavito, former teammates and fans, he tried to determine why his popularity remains so high, especially in Cleveland.
“He completely captured the imagination of a generation,” Sommer said in 2021. “Rocky Colavito was a home run hitter and he had a cannon of an arm. He developed into almost mythic status. On top of that, he always hustled. He always carried himself with class. He modeled himself after his own hero, Joe DiMaggio.
“He always went out in public dressed really nice. He always wanted to set a good example for young fans and fans of all ages. That resonated with Clevelanders.”
Colavito met his wife, Carmen, a Berks County native, when he played for the Reading Indians in 1953. They married the following year and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary earlier this year. They lived in Bern Township.
Rocky, Carmen, two of their three children and several other family members traveled to Cleveland in 2021 to celebrate his 88th birthday and to watch the unveiling of a statue in his honor in the city’s Little Italy section.
“I am honored and absolutely overwhelmed by the response that Cleveland has always had for me,” Colavito told the Reading Eagle then. “It’s breathtaking, I’ll tell you. To be remembered after not playing for more than 50 years, it’s unbelievable.
“For them to erect a statue of me, it’s just a wonderful thing for me and my family. It’s just unbelievable.”
Funeral arrangements will be announced.
Source: Berkshire mont
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