CLEVELAND — The Rocky Colavito statue in Little Italy is the appropriate spot for fans of the 9-time all-star to pay their respects after learning of his passing at the age of 91.
"Rocky was my first sports hero when I was little growing up," said Bill Wyss of Canton.
We also caught up with Dave Sansone of Rocky River, placing a picture of himself with Colavito at the statue's base. He remembers going to Municipal Stadium as a kid and waiting for Rocky after games in hopes of landing a coveted autograph.
"He would just sign all the autographs, but he'd make every kid line up to do autographs. It was amazing. And the one time he signed my autograph and he went like this to my head," Sansone said, showing how Colavito rubbed his head. "I didn't want to wash my hair for 10 days."
Colavito had two stints in Cleveland, the first from 1955 to 1959 when, as the reigning American League home run king, he was traded. He came back from 1965 to 1967.
The local legacy of any pro athlete is tied in part, of course, to how they played but also if they stayed. And if they left, how they left. Was it to chase the money, or was it the result of an unwanted trade? And that 1960 deal for fans that sent Rocky to Detroit days before opening day still sits in the craw of many fans.
"Nobody ever got over that trade," said Wyss. "I was born in 1960, so it had already happened but my Dad and my uncle's and everybody talked about nothing was the same after Rocky was gone."
Gerry Nemeth of Parma Heights said, "it still stings. The older people get stung more than me," he said. "[Former Cleveland General Manager] Frank Lane thought that a singles hitter to hit for average was more important than a home run hitter and time has proven him wrong."
But in a way, that trade cemented Colavito's Cleveland legacy and his place in the hearts of fans who, in 2021, repaid that love in the form of the Little Italy statue. Colavito was on hand for its unveiling. So, too, was Gerry.
"There were 500 people here and I balled like a baby," he said. "They don't make them like Rocky anymore."
Randy Mintz admired him as a kid and worked with him as an adult, visiting with him in his Pennsylvania home many times over the years. Yes, Rocky wasn't from Cleveland, but to be clear— he was and will always be Cleveland.
"If it was his choice he would have played his entire career in Cleveland, Ohio," said Mintz. "One because of the fans, two because of his teammates and three because of the special city this always was for him."
Sentiments Colavito himself shared in 2021 at his statue dedication.
"Cleveland's my favorite city in the world and I'm absolutely honored and overwhelmed," he said.
