John Roseboro, Jr.
John is the older brother of two athletic brothers who owe much of their ability to father John Roseboro Sr., a former in the old Negro baseball leagues. Young John spent many hours at the Ashland Y.M.C.A. and the playgrounds, which developed the skill and coordination to later stand him in good stead in high school, college, and professional baseball.
In Ashland High School football he made JV, special, and two year varsity letters, his senior year climaxed by being voted “Most valuable player,” and scoring leader with nine touchdowns. A broken leg during football his sophomore year ended his basketball competition. In baseball he varsity lettered three years as a catcher, outfielder, and “relief” pitcher, was leading hitter in 1950 with a .588 average. Scouted by Cleveland and Philadelphia, he was signed by the Dodgers his freshman year at Central State, where he played football two seasons. Getting experience in the minors, John played for Sheboygan in 1952, Great Falls “53, military service ball in Germany in “54, Pueblo and Cedar Rapids in ’55, Montreal in ’56 and ’57, and up to the Dodgers in 1958. He spent 1968-69 with the Minnesota Twins and his eighteen-year playing career ended in 1970 with the Washington Senators. He later served as coach with the Angels and Dodgers, and the past two years with a “Baseball Fantasy” program, where older men who always wanted to be pros have a “fun” week at training camp.
Some highlights of his career: caught two no-hitters, Sandy Koufax pitching; played for ’59 Dodger which was the first team in history to come from7th place to 1st place in one season, which World Series drew the largest game crowd in history of 92,706 people; played in four World Series; hit grand slams in 1960 and 1963, and a three-run homer in 1963 in a World Series 4-0 sweep over the Yankees.
John resides in Los Angeles where he and his wife, Barbara Fouch, now operate Fouch-Roseboro Agency in public relations and communications.
Nominator: Edward “Bud” Plank
Presenter: Edward “Bud” Plank
