JIM CAMPBELL
President, 1978-1990
General Manager, 1962-1983
--Class of 2000--
Born - 2/5/1924
Died - 10/31/1995
Biography:
Jim Campbell was married to baseball, literally and figuratively, and his devotion to the game cost him his wife of 15 years. "She accused me of loving baseball more than her. Damned if she wasn’t right," Campbell later said. Making his start in the Tigers organization for the Tomasville, Georgia farm club in 1949, he quickly moved up the ranks, with owner John Fetzer promoting him to Vice President and Director of Minor League Operations in 1960. He held that position until 1963, when he became Fetzer's Vice President and General Manager. Considered family by Fetzer, Campbell was allowed in many cases to run the team the way he saw fit. That worked well, as he shared many of Fetzer's values. Conservative in nature, Campbell held on to baseball's past when it came to negotiating contracts and when it came to his views on arbitration and free agency. Hank Aguirre once refused to sign a contract drawn up by the cigar-smoking executive until it involved a raise in salary. Aguirre got his wish. Campbell increased his salary one cent. Despite his hard-line tactics, Campbell came by his ways honestly. The ex-Ohio State University baseball player was a frugal man himself who believed in few frills. And he was good at what he did. During his tenure, the Tigers won a World Series (in 1968) and fielded contenders throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1972, the nucleus of the '68 team had one last push, winning the American League East title before plummeting to the depths of the standings in 1974. Campbell, who became team president in 1979, soon rebuilt the Tigers into another contender. They won the World Series in 1984 with a core of players built once again through a flourishing farm system. Like its predecessor, that nucleus also went on to win another A.L. East crown. However, just as in 1972, the remnants of the 1987 Tigers fell deep into the second division just two years later. Campbell was eventually promoted to chairman and chief executive to make room for Bo Schembechler on January 8, 1990. However, the Campblell-Schembechler front office didn't last long. Mike Ilitch purchased the team on August 22, 1992, and Campbell's 43-year relationship with the Detroit Tigers was ended with a phone call. Without his first love, Campbell didn't live much longer. He died of a heart attack on Halloween in 1995.
Executive Record:
Code:
Year Team W L WP Finish Champs
1962 Detroit 85 76 .528 4
1963 Detroit 79 83 .488 5
1964 Detroit 85 77 .525 4
1965 Detroit 89 73 .549 4
1966 Detroit 88 74 .543 3
1967 Detroit 91 71 .562 2
1968 Detroit 103 59 .636 1 WS
1969 Detroit 90 72 .556 2
1970 Detroit 79 83 .488 4
1971 Detroit 91 71 .562 2
1972 Detroit 86 70 .551 1 DIV
1973 Detroit 85 77 .525 3
1974 Detroit 72 90 .444 6
1975 Detroit 57 102 .358 6
1976 Detroit 74 87 .460 5
1977 Detroit 74 88 .457 4
1978 Detroit 86 76 .531 5
1979 Detroit 85 76 .528 5
1980 Detroit 84 78 .519 4
1981 Detroit 60 49 .550
1982 Detroit 83 79 .512 4
1983 Detroit 92 70 .568 2
1984 Detroit 104 58 .642 1 WS
1985 Detroit 84 77 .522 3
1986 Detroit 87 75 .537 3
1987 Detroit 98 64 .605 1 DIV
1988 Detroit 88 74 .543 2
1989 Detroit 59 103 .364 7
1990 Detroit 79 83 .488 3