During a reception in Colorado Springs on Tuesday night honoring his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Rich “Goose” Gossage made special mention of Robert “Bus” Campbell.
Gossage said a phone call from Campbell was one of the first he received after the announcement he had been selected for induction in Cooperstown.
“It was one of the happiest phone calls I received,” Gossage said Wednesday night. “I was so glad to hear from him at that time.”
Gossage received a telephone call Wednesday afternoon from Gary Campbell, Bus Campbell’s son. This time, it was sad news: Bus had died.
Gossage said most pitchers who came out of this area lost one of their biggest mentors.
“Bus Campbell was at the top of the chart as a pitching coach and a person,” Gossage said. “He broke down pitching in terms that everyone could understand. I didn’t meet Bus until later in my career, but he helped add three or four years to my career.”
Campbell, 87, died at Swedish Hospital of complications from injuries suffered in a fall Monday as he was entering his home in Englewood.
Campbell worked with many pitchers who made it to the major leagues, including Roy Halladay, Burt Hooton, Mark Huismann, Scott Elarton, Jamie Moyer, Brian Fisher, Bob Welch, Brad Lidge, Danny Jackson, Jay Howell, Mark Knudson, Mike Trujillo, Darrel Akerfelds, George Frazier, Clint Zavaras and Nick Willhite.
Campbell was the pitching coach for Denver South High School and coach Dick Yates during its baseball prominence in the 1960s. His other assignments included stops at the University of Colorado with coach Irv Brown, at the University of Northern Colorado with coach Tom Petroff and at the University of Iowa with Petroff.
Campbell was born in Fort Morgan and moved to Denver when he was 8 years old. He is survived by his wife, Helen; daughters Patricia, Cindy and Sandy; and son, Gary. Another son, Randy Campbell, who coached baseball at Heritage High School, died in 1987.
Services for Bus Campbell are pending.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
