Rocky Colavito Biography

Rocco Domenico Rocky Colavito Jr. was an American professional baseball player, coach, and television sports commentator born on August 10, 1933, and died on December 10, 2024. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from 1955 to 1968, most prominently with the Cleveland Indians, known for his powerful hitting and strong throwing arm. At the time of his retirement in 1968, Colavito ranked third among AL right-handed hitters with 374 home runs and eighth in AL games played as a right fielder with 1,272. A nine-time All-Star, he averaged 33 home runs per year during his first eleven seasons, hit over 40 home runs three times, and drove in 100 or more runs six times. After his playing career, Colavito worked as a television sports color commentator for WJW (TV) before returning to the field as a coach with the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals. In 1954, he hit 38 home runs and drove in 116 RBIs while playing for the minor league Indianapolis Indians. In 1958, he batted a career-high .303 with 41 home runs and 113 RBIs while wearing number 6, finishing one home run behind league leader Mickey Mantle.