Al Campanis 1998 Deaths

Al Campanis

former Dodgers general manager who helped assemble teams that won four National League pennants and the 1981 World Series; is remembered more, however, for telling a national audience watching ABC's “Nightline” that blacks lacked "the necessities" to be managers and executives; although Campanis was responsible for signing minority stars like Roberto Clemente and Tommy Davis, it still wasn't enough to overshadow his racist comments; he spent almost a half century as a player scout and manager, serving as the team's GM from 1968-87; of coronary artery disease