Bill Campbell (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
William Richard Campbell (born August 9, 1948 Highland Park
, Michigan
) is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who played from 1973 to 1987. He played for the Minnesota Twins
, Boston Red Sox
and Detroit Tigers
all of the American League
and the Chicago Cubs
, Philadelphia Phillies
, St. Louis Cardinals
and the Montreal Expos
all of the National League
.
Nicknamed "Soup" because of his last name, Campbell was one of the top relief pitcher
s in all of baseball with the Minnesota Twins in 1976 and the Boston Red Sox in 1977. He signed with Boston after the 1976 season as one of the first high profile big money free agents in baseball. Campbell was elected to the American League All-Star
team in 1977. Campbell was awarded both AL Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News
and Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award (the first American League winner and first two-time winner of this award) following the 1976 and 1977 campaigns. Bill is tied for the American League record for wins by a reliever in a single season, as a result of his 17-5 performance in 1976.
He began experiencing arm trouble in 1978, and never again regained his once dominant status in the game.
According to the back of his 1985 Topps baseball card, Campbell saw combat duty in Vietnam as a radio operator.
Highland Park, Michigan
- Geography :According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 16,746 people, 6,199 households, and 3,521 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,622.9 per square mile . There were 7,249...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played from 1973 to 1987. He played for the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
all of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
and the Montreal Expos
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
all of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
.
Nicknamed "Soup" because of his last name, Campbell was one of the top relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
s in all of baseball with the Minnesota Twins in 1976 and the Boston Red Sox in 1977. He signed with Boston after the 1976 season as one of the first high profile big money free agents in baseball. Campbell was elected to the American League All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team in 1977. Campbell was awarded both AL Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award was established in 1960 by The Sporting News as TSN Fireman of the Year Award. The award originally recognized the best closer from each league, but in 2001 the award was broadened to include all relievers...
and Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award (the first American League winner and first two-time winner of this award) following the 1976 and 1977 campaigns. Bill is tied for the American League record for wins by a reliever in a single season, as a result of his 17-5 performance in 1976.
He began experiencing arm trouble in 1978, and never again regained his once dominant status in the game.
According to the back of his 1985 Topps baseball card, Campbell saw combat duty in Vietnam as a radio operator.