Jim Campbell
Catcher for the Houston Colt .45s (1962-1964)
(Thanks to Gary Campbell for providing photos and scans)


"HERE COME THE COLTS!" JIM CAMPBELL BOOKLET (1962):

Jim Campbell 1963 Topps Card


Color photo of Jim Campbell

August 29, 1962 AP story: Jim Campbell wins game for the Colts with homer off Bob Gibson

April 27, 1963 Sporting News article: "Mad Man Campbell"
      Photo from the article

June 29, 1963 Sporting News article: "Campbell Crashes Record"

March 14, 1966 article in Palo Alto (CA) Times about Jim's retirement from baseball         
         Photos for this article:    Jim with baseball gear        Jim with family

1962 Wirephoto of Jim Campbell, Merritt Ranew and Norm Larker

Autographed photo - Jim Campbell


Photos of Jim Campbell in a Colt .45 game at Candlestick Park, San Francisco:
     Photo 1       Photo 2






Here is Gary Campbell's story about his search for his father Jim's Colt .45 jersey:

Aloha Friends and Family,
 
I wanted to share this story with my good friends and family. As you all know, I am very proud of my Dad and his accomplishments playing Major League Baseball. About 6 years ago, I received a book called 'A Six Gun Salute: The History Of The Houston Colt .45's'. At the back of the book there was a section of Colt .45's memorabilia, which is very rare as the team was only around for 3 years, from 1962-1964.

To my surprise, was a picture of a 1962 Colt .45's home jersey worn by catcher Jim Campbell! There was a name at the bottom of the picture, courtesy of Tom Sharon. This guy had my Dad's jersey! The one he wore the year I was born! The one he was wearing when he hit a home run off of Bob Gibson the day I was born! I had to talk to Tom Sharon.

It took me 2 years and about 50 emails to finally find Tom Sharon. When I contacted this Man, I found out that he was a collector of Houston Sports Memorabilia and he lives in Hockley Texas. He told me that if I could find another 1962 Colt .45's home jersey, he might trade me for it.

For the past 3 years and at least 100 emails, I looked everywhere. These are hard to find. I found 1 road jersey, but he already had one of those.  He told me that he would leave a stipulation in his will,  when he died, if his Son didn't want the jersey that he was to offer to sell it to me. A real nice guy.

Well, I received a call from Tom about 2 weeks ago. He had been contacted by another collector from New York who wanted that jersey. He offered Tom the world for it. Out of respect for me and my Father, Tom called me and told me about this. I knew if the jersey went deep into a collection in New York, I would never see it.

The negotiation began. At one time, Tom accepted this collector's offer to trade many other items for the jersey. I knew that the jersey should come back and stay in our Family, if it was meant to be, it will happen.

Tom called me at the beginning of the week to tell me that the Man started to substitute this for that and he got a bad feeling about it. He called the deal off. Besides, Tom always wanted me to have it, eventually.

Last Monday, Tom accepted my offer to buy the jersey. After 6 years of searching and at least 150 emails to strangers, It was ours, back in the Family. My Holy Grail!

The story gets even better. On Wednesday, the day the jersey was shipped to me. I was searching Ebay and found a 1964 Cincinnati Reds Home Jersey number 8! Dad's Red's jersey...on Ebay. It was too strange, I bid on it with one minute to go and bought that one too, on the day the Colt jersey was arriving in Hawaii.

Gary Campbell with jersey - front
Gary Campbell with jersey - back
The Colts uniform with Gary's Colts collection
Jim Campbell and Gary Campbell
Jim signing autographs
Jim's 70th birthday announced on AT&T Park scoreboard
Jim with J.C. Hartman        The Campbells with Hartman
Jim with Hal Smith
Fan letter to Jim Campbell





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