| Position | Catcher |
|---|---|
| Birth date | May 11, 1920 |
| Birth place | East Wareham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Death date | May 21, 2001 (aged 81) |
| Death place | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Bats | Left |
| Throws | Right |
| Debutleague | Negro league baseball |
| Debutyear | 1948 |
| Debutteam | Baltimore Elite Giants |
| Finalyear | 1948 |
| Finalteam | Baltimore Elite Giants |
| Teams |
|
Joseph Lewis Campinha (May 11, 1920 – May 21, 2001), also known as Joe Campini, was a Cape Verdean-American Negro league catcher in the 1940s. He is believed to be the first professional baseball player of Cape Verdean descent.
A native of East Wareham, Massachusetts of Cape Verdean descent, Campinha played under the name "Campini" for the Baltimore Elite Giants in 1948. A backup for the team's regular catcher Frazier Robinson, Campinha managed a hit and a walk in two plate appearances in his one recorded game for Baltimore,[1] which may have come in April at Bugle Field against the Homestead Grays.[2] Following his stint with Baltimore, Campinha played minor league baseball with the Bangor Pickers in 1949, and the Watertown Athletics in 1950, his final season in professional baseball.[3] Campinha went on to serve in the United States Merchant Marine, and died in Providence, Rhode Island in 2001 at age 81.[4][5]
References
- ^ "Joe Campini". seamheads.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Grays First Home Rival". Baltimore Evening Sun. April 17, 1948. p. 5.
- ^ "Joe Campini". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ Karl Sabourin (February 2, 2021). "Cape Verdean man's legacy of diversity in baseball to be honored by Wareham Gatemen". Wareham Week. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Joseph L Campinha (1920–2001)". ancientfaces.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
External links
and Seamheads