"A star with both the bat and glove, Roy Campanella was agile behind the plate, had a rifle arm and was an expert handler of pitchers. He was named National League MVP three times, including a 1953 selection when he set single-season records for catchers with 41 homers and a National League best 142 RBI. Before signing with the Dodgers, the broad-shouldered receiver starred with the Negro National Leagues' Baltimore Elite Giants for seven seasons. His career was cut short by a tragic auto accident prior to the 1958 season." - National Baseball Hall of Fame Biographical Entry (link)

"A successful catcher is defined by his ability to handle the pitching staff, throw out would-be stealers, and keep errant throws and pitches in front of him. Roy Campanella possessed all these skills and then some.The man they called 'Campy' was the complete package, leading National League catchers in putouts six times, and clubbing 242 home runs in his 10-year Major League career. From 1948-1957, Roy Campanella was securely anchored behind home plate for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He caught in five World Series, won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1951, 1953, and 1955, and was the first black catcher in Major League Baseball history. In 1969, he joined baseball’s elite with his induction into the Hall of Fame." - CMG Worldwide Biography (link)

"Now he won't be suffering anymore. I loved Roy Campanella, I loved him like a brother. I'm going to miss him very much. As well as being a great base ball player, he was a great human being." - Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda in Roy Campanella's Obituary (Ebony, August 1983)

"One of the game’s most likeable, knowledgeable and talented players, Roy Campanella was a major contributor to the Dodgers from 1948-57... Much more than a force on the field with his pinpoint accurate throwing arm, 'Campy' was a good-natured rock in the clubhouse who was appreciated by his teammates. He was well known for spinning yarns and giving friendly counsel to his fellow players at “Campy’s Bullpen” outside the old clubhouse at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, FL." - Official Website of Walter O'Malley (link)

"Only 5-08, Campy combined toughness on the field with a gentle disposition off the field to become one of the most beloved ballplayers of his day. Tragically, Campanella was paralyized from the neck down in a car accident following the 1957 season, ending his career at only 35. But Campy kept smiling. A hero to blacks, Italians, and Brooklynites as a player, Campy now became a hero to disabled people as well, becoming a spokesman for their cause, and a shining example of cheerfulness in the face of adversity. Campanella never gave in to despair despite a brutal physical therapy program, and long outlived the expected lifespan for someone with his injuries." - Biographical entry on everything2.com website (link)

"The dominant catcher in the major leagues during the early 1950s was Roy Campanella, a three-time National League Most Valuable Player (1951, 1953, 1955) known for both his fielding and hitting abilities. His spectacular baseball career, however, was cut short when an automobile accident in 1958 left him paralyzed." - Encyclopedia Britannica Online (link)