John Roseboro

John Junior Roseboro (May 13, 1933 – August 16, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1957 until 1970, most notably for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Roseboro was a four-time All-Star player and won two Gold Glove Awards for his defensive skills. He was the Dodgers' starting catcher in four World Series with the Dodgers winning three of those. He is considered one of the best defensive catchers of the 1960s. Roseboro was known for his role in one of the most violent incidents in baseball history when Juan Marichal struck him in the head with a bat during a game in 1965.

Baseball career

Roseboro was born in was born in Ashland, Ohio and enrolled at Central State University. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as an amateur free agent prior to the 1952 season and, began his professional baseball career with the Sheboygan Indians of the Wisconsin State League. He posted a .365 batting average with Sheboygan in 1952 to finish second in the league batting championship. Roseboro missed the 1954 season due to military service but, after five years in the minor leagues, he was promoted to the major leagues in June 1957 at the age of 24.