Roy Campanella was voted the 1955 National League MVP on December 8, 1955, narrowly finishing ahead of Brooklyn Dodgers teammate Duke Snider to capture the award for the third time in his career.
Campanella was previously voted MVP in 1951 and 1953. To receive the honor again in 1955, months after the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series, he garnered 226 total points to Snider’s 221.
Campanella and Snider tied with eight first-place votes each, but the catcher received six for second place and three for third. Snider had four and two votes, respectively for those spots.
As one of the leaders on Boys of Summer team, Campanella batted .318/.395/.583 with 20 doubles, 32 home runs and 107 RBI. Snider hit .309/.418/.628 while leading the Majors with 126 runs scored and 136 RBI in what was his sixth of seven consecutive All-Star campaigns.
The 1955 season was a bounce-back effort for Campanella, who struggled the year prior after injuring his left hand in Spring Training and rushing a return, only to struggle at the plate.
Campanella wound up undergoing another surgery after the 1954 season to set the stage for his resurgence.
Campanella elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, and Snider earned enshrinement in 1980.
Dodgers celebrate Roy Campanella
While Campanella starred for Brooklyn, he tragically was robbed of an opportunity to shine in Los Angeles due to a car accident that left him paralyzed.
The Dodgers honor his name by annually presenting the Roy Campanella Award to a player in the organization “who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher.”
Campanella passed away at the age of 71 in June 1993.
More must-reads: