Rocky Colavito, a former outfielder known mainly for his time in Cleveland, has died at 91. The Guardians shared the unfortunate news on Tuesday evening.
Drafted by Cleveland in 1950, Colavito made his MLB debut in 1955 and played his first full season in 1956. He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting that year after hitting .276/.372/.531 with 21 homers and 65 driven in. Colavito continued to find success as his career progressed, eventually leading the American League in home runs during the 1959 season (42) to earn a pair of his nine career All-Star game honors.
Colavito spent stints with Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City before getting dealt to the White Sox in July 1967. The then 33-year-old would appear in just 60 games for the club, hitting .221/.306/.300 with three homers and 29 RBI. He was later purchased by the Dodgers in March 1968 to end his tenure in Chicago and retired at the season’s end after struggling in stints with Los Angeles and the New York Yankees.
When all was said and done, Colavito slashed .266/.359/.489 with 374 home runs and 1,160 RBIs during his 14-year career. He would trade in his cleats for a microphone, serving as a television color commentator in Cleveland, before returning to the dugout as a coach for the since-renamed Guardians and the Royals. Colavito was inducted into Cleveland’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
On behalf of Sox On 35th, we would like to send our deepest condolences to all of Colavito’s loved ones during this difficult time. He will be dearly missed.
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Featured Photo: Marvin E. Newman.
