Dick Brockell

Charles Richard Brockell Jr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 198 lb.
• High School Elkton High School
• Born August 4, 1934 in Wilmington, DE USA
• Died October 3, 2013 in Elkton, MD USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Charles Brockell played in the minor leagues from 1954 to 1956 and from 1959 to 1961. He spent three years in AAA. He later was a college coach and sportswriter.

He began his career in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, playing for the Brunswick Pirates as a 19-year-old in 1954. That year, he hit .269/.347/.429 with 12 home runs and 29 doubles in 134 games. He was 5th in the Georgia-Florida League in homers, 3rd in RBI (98) and 5th in doubles. He was second in fielding percentage at both SS (.926) and 3B (.927) among players with 50+ games at those spots. With Brunswick again in 1955, he hit .269/.339/.378 with 12 home runs in 129 games. He played at least 10 games at C, OF, SS and 1B. He split 1956 between the Billings Mustangs (113 G, 5 HR, .262 BA) and Williamsport Grays (5 G, 0 HR, .111 BA) and hit a combined .259 with five home runs in 118 games. He did not play in 1957 or 1958 due to military service in the US Army in Germany.

Returning to baseball - and the Pirates organization - in 1959, Brockell hit .232/.290/.376 with nine home runs and 35 RBI in 100 games split between the Columbus Pirates/Gastonia Pirates (54 G, 5 HR, .234/.286/.368) and Salt Lake City Bees (46 G, 4 HR, .228/.295/.386). By this time, he was only catching. He split 1960 between the Columbus Jets (68 G, 2 HR, .266 BA) and Salt Lake City (33 G, 0 HR, .277 BA) and hit .270/.326/.359 with two home runs and 37 RBI in 101 games. He wrapped up his career with the Macon Peaches (6 G, .316 BA) and the Jersey City Jerseys in the Cincinnati Reds system (18 G, 0 HR, .152 BA) and hit .200 with 13 hits in 24 games combined.

Overall, Brockell hit .259 with 527 hits and at least 40 home runs in 606 games spread over six seasons.

He later owned and operated a restaurant in Elkton, MD, coached baseball for Cecil Community College for 20 years (they renamed their field for him) and was sports editor for the Cecil Whig and Newark Weekly Post.

Sources include Newark Post obituary