La Vida Voices: The Game with Bert Campaneris
Versatility became one of the hallmarks of this Latino legend from Pueblo Nuevo, Cuba. While many remember Bert Campaneris for being the first to play all nine positions in a major league game, others recall him as a stellar fielding shortstop who was a master base stealer. The starting shortstop on the Oakland A’s dynasty team of the early 1970s, Campaneris swiped 50+ bases seven times and amassed 649 stolen bases (a 77 percent success rate) over his 19-year career. We recently spoke with the six-time All-Star.
The Game
You were part of that pioneering generation of Latino players coming from Cuba in the 1960s as baseball is integrated. What was it like in that journey from Cuba, through the minor leagues and into the major leagues?
I came in 1962 from Cuba. But I first signed a professional contract after a tournament in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1961. I went back to Cuba but [Fidel] Castro wouldn’t let me come back to the United States to play. So I got released. I had to wait till 1962; the team renewed my contract for ’62. When I finally came in 1962, I went to Daytona Beach my first year of minor league ball.
What were the first English words you had to learn to navigate being a young Cuban player in Florida in 1962?
Well, the first, right away, chicken.
Yeah. I ate lots of chicken. [Because of Jim Crow laws], a lot of times we cannot go to a restaurant. After the game, we’d go in the bus, and Tony La Russa had to go into the restaurant to get the chicken. We’re in the bus, waiting for La Russa to bring back the food to the bus.
You were a base stealer extraordinaire; you stole 649 bases and were successful on 77 percent of your attempts. What’s the art of stealing?
Well, I learned how to steal a base playing a lot of winter ball. In winter ball, everyone stole bases. We would check out the pitcher and determine what kind of move [he had]. I would [watch players like] Luis Aparicio. He was a terrific base stealer. He went nine years in a row [as stolen base leader]. In 1965, I said, “This year, I’m going to beat Aparicio.” And I beat Luis Aparicio in stolen bases that year. I stole 51 bases in 1965.You have to be quick and you have to get a good jump. If you don’t get a good lead, the catcher’s going to throw you out. Also, you have to pick the right pitch, and you have to pick the right catcher to steal a base.
I could’ve stolen more bases if I played longer. Because, in my last few years, I don’t play that much. They used me more as a utility player. You have to play; every year I played 130, 140, sometimes [almost] 160 games. When you play 80 or 90 games you’re not going to steal that many bases.
Was there a particular catcher you ever thought twice about trying to steal against?
Sometimes you pick out a catcher, and sometimes you know the pitcher. Some pitchers were quicker to home plate than others. I remember Carlton Fisk had a very good arm, and one pitcher who was hard to judge was Luis Tiant.
That’s fascinating in that the combination of Luis Tiant and Carlton Fisk was hard to steal on. Can you predict the one guy—speed to the plate? The other one has a gun behind the plate. As a base stealer, how do you read a pitcher? What do you look for?
Well, I got a few pitchers I guess that were easy to steal bases. Dean Chance was a California Angel. I drive him crazy [laughter]. He’s a good pitcher but I got a lot of hits against him. I got a lot of walk against him. So anytime I walk or get on base, I know I’ll for sure get a stolen base. Because he goes so slow with his shoulder, I concentrate on the shoulders how they were moving just a little bit, I’ll already be halfway [laughter]. Sometimes, they’re catching then they throw to second base. I remember one game in Kansas City, he threw three pitchouts, and, I thought, well, now you cannot throw another pitchout because I’m going out with 3 and 0, and he never throw one strike. I go like that, yeah, I can. Stolen base is easy. So we got some pitcher, you can steal a base easy. But some pitchers are a bit tough.
Rollie Fingers, without hesitating, told me, “[Bert Campaneris] is the best shortstop that ever played behind me. The smoothest fielder.” What do you have to say about that?
I remember one game we played in Anaheim, and he was pitching really good that day. Somebody hit a line drive to shortstop and I jumped so high, as high as a bird. I saw the line drive, but didn’t think I had a chance of catching the ball. I caught it and Rollie got excited and happy and yelled ‘Yeah!’
Featured Image: Bettmann