Sport: Man Behind the Plate

From his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948, Roy Campanella looked more like a weight lifter than a baseball player. With 215 lbs. packed on a 5 ft. 9 in. frame, he had a barrel belly and a pair of massive legs. But on a baseball diamond Campanella was an athlete of grace who bolted the bases with a sprinter's furious stride and howitzered the long ball to left with a short, powerful swing.

And when he strapped on his catcher's gear and settled into a crouch behind the plate, Campy was at home. Whistling pegs to second, blocking runners...