2006 Baseball Sluggers Plate Block of 4 39c Postage Stamps - MNH, OG - Sc# 4083

Includes Hank Greenberg, Roy Campanella, Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott. This is a numbered plate block of 4 stamps as pictured. (plate number and orientation may vary from stock picture) * * * On July 15, 2006, in Bronx, NY., the USPS honored these four Baseball Sluggers. These men on the "Baseball Sluggers" stamps all have higher batting averages than .250; Roy Campanella - .276; Hank Greenberg - .313; Mel Ott - .304; and Mickey Mantle - .298. Philadelphia native Roy Campanella was a catcher in the American Negro Leagues and Major League Baseball. Campanella signed a Brooklyn Dodgers' contract in 1946. A smart and skilled catcher, he was also impressive at-bat. He averaged more than 85 runs-batted-in per year over the course of his career. Campanella played every All-Star Game from 1949 to 1956 and was in 1949, 1952, 1953, and 1955, and 1956 World Series. In 1969, he was the second African-American player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. After a car accident in 1958, Roy Campanella was paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Henry Benjamin Greenberg, baseball's first Jewish superstar, was born in New York. A powerful slugger, Greenberg earned the nickname "Hammerin' Hank." Even though he had only nine full seasons, he had a career total of 331 home runs and averaged more than 141 runs-batted-in per year played. Greenberg was the first American League player to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The 34-year-old war hero returned in 1945 and hit a home run in his first game back. Hank Greenberg played in four World Series and on five All-Star teams. Melvin Thomas Ott stayed with the Giants 22 seasons. He was an All-Star every year from 1934 to 1945. When he retired, he had 511 career home runs. Mickey Mantle hit 536 home runs and averaged 83 runs-batted-in per year over the course of his career.