Bill Campbell was one helluva significant guy in the history of major league baseball and the Red Sox. I inquired with Bill Newlin a few months ago about doing his bio with the SABR project but was told that it was in the works.
Campbell was the third free agent in modern baseball history after Andy Messersmith and Catfish Hunter. He was the first player signed after the collective bargaining agreement of 1976 to be followed shortly after by Reggie Jackson and Rollie Fingers. He went from making $23000 a year with the parsimonious Twins (after three outstanding seasons there) to $1,000,000 with the Red Sox on a five year contract. He was one of the last signings by Dick O'Connell who would be fired within the next year, ushering in the Haywood and Shoddy era.
Zimmer certainly overused him, but it followed years of abuse by the Twins. His best season was 1976 with the Twins when he went 17-5 (second historically only to Elroy Face among RP's in wins}, pitched a remarkable 167 innings all in relief and closed 68 games. He was 8th in voting for MVP in 1976 and 5th with the Red Sox for the Cy Young in 1977.
He was one of maybe four MLB players who saw combat in Vietnam. Although a radio operator, he was sent out on jungle patrols after a conflict with a junior officer.
As was noted he got off to a rough start in April, 1977. Some of us remember that a banner was hung in the bleachers "Sell Campbell. Bring back $1.50 Bleachers." Campbell recalled that it was a hairy time. Fans threw things at him when warming up in the bullpen and beer at his wife in the stands. (This from the excellent SABR bio by Vincent Cunnato which recently appeared and included an interview with Campbell done just last February.}
Campbell was outspoken on racial issues in Boston in the fraught 1970's. When he was asked toward the end of the 1978 season about the chances of the. Red Sox signing his former teammate Rod Carew, he said it was not likely because "Boston is not a racially suitable city." He was friendly with Jim Rice. They lived in the same condo complex. After Rice's magnificent 1978 season, he said if Fred Lynn had had the same season "the man would have been put on a pedestal and taken through Kenmore Square."
I always wondered what would have happened if Zimmer had not abused him. He did have a serviceable career up to 1986. It was a different era then. He said he never seriously worked on rehabbing his arm until 1980.
