Campanis Now Says It Was All for the Best

A year later, Al Campanis presents his thoughts more clearly.

“Time has diffused the immediate hurt of April 6,” he said.

“It has turned to a plus for baseball and myself.”

The results of and reaction to Campanis’ memorable appearance on the television show “Nightline” are chronicled elsewhere.

A year later, Campanis has weathered the initial storm, recovered from the loss of his job as a Dodger vice president and has been contributing to the affirmative action process that baseball has instituted since his “Nightline” appearance of last April 6.

Campanis said at the time that blacks lacked some of the necessities to manage in the majors. He has recently been working with Dr. Harry Edwards, the California Berkeley sociology professor who was selected by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth to develop a talent pool of former minority players. Campanis has been assisting Edwards in the development of the pool and helping in the organization of management clinics around the country. He recently spoke to some of Edwards’ sociology classes.

“I concluded my speech by telling them that if losing my job with the Dodgers has helped the blacks, I’m happy it happened,” Campanis said. “It was a shock at the time, but if I contributed to increased employment of minorities, I feel it was worthwhile.”

Campanis, in the meantime, has had time to do things he had never done before, alternating between homes in Fullerton, Lake Arrowhead and a new residence in San Clemente.

At 71, he has lost 25 pounds through exercise and diet, continues to work on a book of his life, will be married soon to Georganne Benson, a 45-year-old nurse from Salt Lake City, and is considering accepting his attorney’s recommendation that they enter the field of sports agentry. He is already assured of one client, since his grandson, Jimmy Campanis, a USC catcher eligible for the June draft, has asked Campanis to represent him.

“I’m his grandfather,” Campanis said. “I’m his adviser, not his agent.”

In the year since “Nightline,” Campanis has attended several games at Dodger Stadium, including Monday’s season opener. He says that he has received only favorable mail and reaction from people on the street regarding what he attempted to say on “Nightline” and what he stood for during his 46 years with the Dodgers. He has been invited to reappear on the show but thinks it would serve no purpose.

“I’m the luckiest man alive,” he said. “I spent 46 years with the best organization in baseball. I have two fine sons and five grandchildren. My mother is alive and well. I was married to a wonderful woman for 35 years, and now I have a new lady to help fill my life. I can’t complain in the least.”