Rick Camp, who pitched for the Atlanta Braves from 1976-1985, has died of natural causes. He was 60 years old.
A small-town hero from Trion, Georgia, Camp excelled at sports in school and had the support of the entire community when he went on to play for the major leagues in ’76.
“He was our one guy, the local boy who made it big,” said Greg Baker, a former Trion resident. “He was our T-ball coach, the volunteer PE teacher; everybody’s cousin, hometown hero. Every kid in Trion would fight to wear his number 37. We followed every move he made with the Braves — the highs and lows both on, and later, off the field.”
Camp was mostly a low-key player for the Braves, but he had a shining moment when he was called in to pinch-hit during the 18th inning of a game against the Mets. There, he hit the only home run of his career and tied up the game. And despite not being a big name in sports, he is greatly missed and fondly remembered today by those who knew him, on and off the field.
