John Roseboro
| Johnny Roseboro | |||
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Roseboro in 1957.
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| Catcher | |||
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Born: May 13, 1933 Ashland, Ohio |
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Died: August 16, 2002 (aged 69) Los Angeles, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| June 14, 1957, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 11, 1970, for the Washington Senators | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Home runs | 104 | ||
| Runs batted in | 548 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Junior Roseboro (May 13, 1933 – August 16, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970, most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Roseboro was a four-time All-Star player and won two Gold Glove Awards for his defensive skills. He was the Dodgers' starting catcher in four World Series with the Dodgers winning three of those. He is considered one of the best defensive catchers of the 1960s. Roseboro was known for his role in one of the most violent incidents in baseball history when Juan Marichal struck him in the head with a bat during a game in 1965.
Roseboro was born in Ashland, Ohio and enrolled at Central State University. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent prior to the 1952 season and, began his professional baseball career with the Sheboygan Indians of the Wisconsin State League. He posted a .365 batting average with Sheboygan in 1952 to finish second in the league batting championship. Roseboro missed the 1954 season due to military service but, after five years in the minor leagues, he was promoted to the major leagues in June 1957 at the age of 24.
During his first season, Roseboro served as backup catcher for the Dodgers' perennial All-Star catcher, Roy Campanella, and was being groomed to be Campanella's replacement. However, he was promoted to the starting catcher's position ahead of schedule when Campanella had a tragic car accident in January 1958 that ended his career. In his first full season, with the team having moved to Los Angeles, Roseboro hit for a .271 batting average along with 14 home runs and 43 runs batted in. He was also named as a reserve player for the National League in the 1958 All-Star game. In 1959, Roseboro led the league's catchers in putouts and in baserunners caught stealing, helping the Dodgers win the National League Pennant. The Dodgers went on to win the 1959 World Series, defeating the Chicago White Sox in six games.
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