Happy birthday, Campy!

Roy Campanella batting against the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series

Today marks what would have been the 103rd birthday of the great Roy Campanella.

The longtime Brooklyn Dodgers catcher and Hall of Famer, who passes away in 1993, spends nearly half of his life confined to a wheelchair after a single-vehicle accident in January 1958 leaves him paralyzed and ends his career.

Campanella is just 15 when he makes his pro debut in 1937 with the Washington Elite Giants of the Negro National League, where his first manager is Hall of Fame catcher Biz Mackey.

With the Elite Giants

The most homers he hits during a Negro League season is six in 1940. One of those six come in Harrisburg as Campanella, then 18, and the Baltimore Elite Giants play the Homestead Grays.

Campanella spends eight seasons in the Negro Leagues before signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946.

During his 10 seasons in the major leagues from 1948-57, Campanella hits .276 in 1,215 games for Brooklyn with 242 home runs, 856 runs batted in, eight National League All-Star selections and three National League Most Valuable Player awards.

“I never want to quit playing ball,” Campanella says during his playing career. “They’ll have to cut this uniform off of me to get me out of it.”