Roy Campanella Award Winner: Jamey Carroll
Watch Jamey Carroll, even when he grounds out and you can tell what kind of baseball player he is. He drops the bat and races full speed through the bag. It sounds like nothing special, but when there are 162 games in a season, injuries and other issues, full speed isn’t always what you see.
Not for Carroll. For his passion and play, the Dodger players selected him as the winner of the Fifth Annual Roy Campanella Award.
Carroll was given the award during a dual-purpose news conference on Sept. 23. The Dodgers Dream Foundation, California State University, Northridge and the Campanella family have joined in a long-term partnership that will ensure the legacy of the Hall of Fame catcher for years to come. The DDF will make an annual financial contribution to support the Roy and Roxie Campanella Physical Therapy Scholarship Endowment at CSUN while also providing an internship opportunity within the Dodgers’ medical department each season for a student from the university’s physical therapy program.
Joni Campanella Roan, the Dodger legend’s daughter, presented the Campanella Award, which is given to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher, to Carroll during the press conference.
“This past offseason, when I had an opportunity to head into free agency, I was hoping to have an opportunity to play for an organization that was rich in history and a place where I could be surrounded by the true aura of baseball,” said Carroll. “When the opportunity came to put this jersey on, I was extremely thankful.”
Carroll said he was humbled that his teammates selected him for the award.
“To stand up here today and have my name somewhat in the little bit associated with (Campanella) is an extreme honor,” said Carroll. “I’m very grateful for my teammates who just give me the opportunity to play hard. When I walk away from the game, I want to be known as a good teammate and a guy who left it all out there, and when you get something like this voted by your teammates, you kind of have an understanding that what you do is appreciated.”
Women in Blue 