William Richard Campbell (August 9, 1948 – January 6, 2023) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1973 to 1987. He played for the American League (AL) Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Detroit Tigers and the National League (NL) Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, and Montreal Expos.
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Early life
Campbell was born in Highland Park, Michigan, and raised in Pomona, California. He graduated from Ganesha High School in Pomona, and attended Mt. San Antonio College.
After being drafted for military service in 1968, Campbell joined the United States Army. He served as a radio operator in Vietnam during the Vietnam War and was discharged in 1970.
Start of career
Nicknamed "Soup" after the Campbell Soup Company, Campbell was signed as an amateur free agent pitcher by the Twins and began his career with the Class A minor league Wisconsin Rapids in 1971. In 1972, he moved up to Minnesota's AA level Charlotte affiliate, and in 1973 he started the season with AAA Tacoma and had 10 wins and 5 losses when he was called up to the major leagues in July.
Campbell made his Twins debut on July 14, 1973, in relief of Jim Kaat. He pitched one scoreless inning, and allowed one hit to the Cleveland Indians, while striking out two. Used primarily in relief, he posted a record in 1973 of 3 wins and 3 losses in 28 games, with an earned run average of 3.18. In 1974, Campbell pitched in 63 games, all in relief, and compiled an 8–7 record with 19 saves and a 2.62 ERA. In 1975, he started slowly after a spring training arm injury, and split time between relieving and starting. His overall record was 4 wins and 6 losses, with 5 saves and a 3.79 ERA. In 1976, new manager Gene Mauch named Campbell as his closer. Campbell rose to the occasion; his 78 appearances led the league, and his record was 17 wins, 5 losses, 20 saves, and a 3.01 ERA. He finished 7th in the voting for that year's Cy Young Award, and 8th in the voting for Most Valuable Player.