It’s easy to overlook just how good Bert “Dagoberto (Blanco)” Campaneris really was. He batted first and was a critical component of the Oakland A’s who won 3 straight World Series titles, 1972-1973-1974.
During his great career, he had 2,249 hits and 646 stolen bases. His batting average of .259 was quite respectable for a shortstop of that era, or a time when most of them were known for their glove and legs rather than bat. He played in the post-season 7 times. He was always in the middle of everything as any Oakland A’s fan will tell you.
On this in 1965, Bert played all 9 positions. He pitched one inning and gave up a run. Overall, a very rare performance for a major leaguer.
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