Historical June 1989 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Seventeen year old Dewitt Campbell is a tall, good-looking, personable young man in his junior year at Roosevelt High School.
He attended St. Roch’s Elementary School and, after a freshman year at DuBourg, he transferred to Roosevelt. Dewitt was selected to be a bat boy for the St. Louis Cardinals in a very stiff competition.
After he was called in for an interview, he was chosen.
His duties include taking care of bats, balls and other equipment or basically anything the umpire asks him to do.
When there is a day game, Dewitt gets to the stadium by 9:00 a.m. as there is a great deal of work to do before the game.
After night games he often does not return home until midnight and then must get up early to be at school the next day.
His mother Margaret Campbell, a teacher in the public schools in St. Louis, chauffeurs him between work, school, and home. Dewitt is happy to be working with so many different people and is awed by the famous ones, but he also says how down to earth they are. Ozzie Smith receives a lot of fan mail and is very nice to work for.
When Mike Shannon came up to him and started a conversation, Dewitt decided he would like to stay with the Cardinals and work his way up to the front office. Teasing goes with the job and Dewitt is often kidded by the players about his first name.
One day, he was sitting in the dugout doing his homework when the realization hit that’ this is really neat, working with the Cardinals in the background:’ In spite of his new job, Dewitt is expected to keep up his grades and he is doing well.
This writer will never forget the day Dewitt came into the St. Louis Public Library Kiosk and announced that he had been chosen bat boy.
He was transformed, almost floating on air.
We wish Dewitt success and happiness with the Cardinals all the way “home” to the front office.
Original photograph caption
Skinker DeBaliviere resident Dewitt Campbell is a bat boy for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is pictured here in front of the Kiosk at Des Peres and Kingsbury. Photo by Mary Ann Shickman. The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, June 1989, page 1.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, June 1989.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1989_06.pdf, printed page(s) 1; PDF page(s) 1.
