Last Day in the Dugout

The dugout can be a lonely location, too, particularly in the long hours before a game. For Bert Campaneris, the Oakland Coliseum dugout must have felt particularly solitary, perhaps even forlorn, on the day this photograph was taken by longtime Topps photographer Doug McWilliams. This was the day that Campaneris wore the uniform colors of the Oakland A’s for the final time; they were the only franchise he had known since departing Cuba 15 years earlier.

With some players, they never realize that their tenure with a club is ending, only to be stunned by an unexpected trade during the winter. That was not the case with Campy; he knew that the end had come in Oakland. After a decision made by arbitrator Peter Seitz one year prior that had effectively ended the reserve clause – and a subsequent agreement between players and owners – free agency had come to baseball. With their contracts expiring at the end of the season, Campaneris and seven of his A’s teammates (including future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers and standouts Sal Bando and Don Baylor) were about to become free agents. Owner Charlie Finley, claiming financial limitations, had made it clear he would not bid for any of his veteran players.

After departing the Bay Area, Campaneris indeed found new riches in free agency, signing a contract with the Texas Rangers, but he found team success elusive, never again returning to the World Series. Sadly, those halcyon days in Oakland, where Campaneris had made a name for himself, had come to an inglorious end on that lonely, desolate dugout bench.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum features a collection of nearly 250,000 photographs like this one. Reproductions are available for purchase. To purchase a reprint of this photograph or others from the Photo Archive collections, please call (607) 547-0375 or email jhorne@baseballhall.org. Hall of Fame members receive a 10-percent discount.