Charles Columbus “Count” Campau earned his nickname because of his regal appearance and his background; he was a member of a prominent Detroit family and educated at Notre Dame, and was regarded as one of the smartest players of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. His Major League career was brief, just 147 games with the Detroit Wolverines, St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators, but he was one of the best known, and highest regarded minor league players for 20 years. Campau was especially popular in New Orleans, where he played for parts of four seasons, managed for one, and adopted as his home. In 1893 Campau, who The New Orleans Times-Picayune called “one of the best students of baseball,” wrote an article as “Advice for Amateurs” about the “Science of the Sport:” “Many a time I have been asked for my views on the successful way to make a good ball player. From a player’s standpoint a ball player is born and not made. But with continued practice and coaching from and older and experienced head the amateur will probably reach the top notch in the profession. There are two things, when combined, (which) will make a good ball player. A practical and intellectual knowledge of the pastime or sport will aid the amateur.” The New Orleans Pelicans captain explained what passed for “scientific baseball” in 1893; position by position: “The most important position is the pitcher. For three reasons he ranks as the most important player on the team. He is the pivot upon which the victory of the team rests. Should he be slightly disabled or out of condition all hopes of victory would go glimmering and the rest of the team would not put up a good game of ball. A good pitcher, with fair fielders, is better than a poor pitcher with brilliant fielders. With a weak pitcher, a fast fielding team would make a sport, and with good hitters would likely win one game out of ten.” Campau blamed pitching for the Pelicans slow start that season; in spite of being “as hard a batting team” as there was in the league, they “could not win for the reason that the box was decidedly weak.” “Another important factor in a game is the catcher…A catcher with good judgment and a quick brain will prevent the speedy base runner from advancing, and will lessen the work of the pitcher by watching the bases. A good battery, with judgment, will work a hard batter, and the chances are that he will pop up a fly or send a grounder to short. The catcher’s work does not only consist of receiving the delivery of his pitcher, for such a catcher is not worth the chest protector he wears, and will never become a success…(Charlie) Bennett, (Jack) Clements, (Buck) Ewing and (Morgan) Murphy are catchers who watch every point of the game. They back up the first baseman at every safe opportunity.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 00:57:11 +0000
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