Count Campau

Charles Columbus Campau

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 160 lb.
• School University of Notre Dame
• Debut July 7, 1888
• Final Game July 17, 1894
• Born October 17, 1863 in Detroit, MI USA
• Died April 3, 1938 in New Orleans, LA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

"The 'Count' was known not only for his slugging but also for his grace as an outfielder. Although slight in build, he seemed to get extraordinary power from his wrists and arms." - from his obituary in the 1939 Spalding Base Ball Guide

One of the greatest minor leaguers of the 19th century, outfielder Count Campau played three unconnected seasons for three different teams in the majors, managing part of one season.

A descendant of one of Detroit's founding families, Campau attended the Notre Dame and began his pro career in 1885. In 1887, he hit .398 with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern League. He got his first taste of major league ball in 1888, hitting .203 in 70 games for the Detroit Wolverines of the National League.

After playing in the International League in 1889, Campau began 1890 with the Detroit Wolverines of the International Association and hit 3 home runs to tie for the circuit lead. The St. Louis Browns of the American Association bought his release, along with that of several other players, on June 25th, and the club ripped off a string of victories. Count led the AA with 9 homers, accomplishing the rare feat of leading both a major and a minor league in home runs in the same season. He hit .322 for the Browns with 12 triples and was second in the league in slugging percentage. Additionally, he was one of five men to manage St. Louis that year, going 27-14 at the helm for a club that went 78-58 overall.

Campau moved on to the Troy Trojans of the Eastern Association in 1891 and spent parts of the next two summers back with New Orleans. He had his last taste of big league ball in 1894 with the Washington Senators, going 1-for-7 in 2 games. He played in the minors for another decade and also managed for several years, most notably New Orleans in 1903 and the Binghamton Bingoes of the New York State League for several years. After his playing days, Campau umpired in the minor leagues briefly.

Record

In 1890, Campau had 15 consecutive games with at least 2 hits. This is still the (untied) major league record.

Notable Achievements

• AA Home Runs Leader (1890)

Preceded by James Roseman

St. Louis Browns Manager 1890

Succeeded by Tommy McCarthy

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Notes
1890	St. Louis Browns	American Association	27-14	--	replaced Tommy McCarthy (11-11), John Kerins (9-8) and James Roseman (7-8) on June 28/ replaced by Tommy McCarthy on August 24
1896	Seattle Yannigans/Rainmakers	New Pacific League	13-19	4th
1901	Binghamton Bingoes	New York State League	69-45	3rd
1902	Binghamton Bingoes	New York State League	71-41	2nd
1903	New Orleans Pelicans	Southern Association		--	replaced by Zeke Wrigley
	Binghamton Bingoes	New York State League		6th	replaced Fred Popkay
1904	Binghamton Bingoes	New York State League	40-85	8th
1905	Binghamton Bingoes	New York State League		--	replaced by Robert Drury

Related Sites

• Count Campau at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page
• A collection of Count Campau items was auctioned off in 2002. Campau Collection (scroll down).
• Obituary in 1939 Spalding Guide
• Baseball History Daily story on Count Campau part 1
• Baseball History Daily story on Count Campau part 2