Campbell beat the odds when he recovered from a 1935 bout with spinal meningitis. After leading the AL with 104 strikeouts as a rookie (1932), the lefthanded batter led the Browns with 106 RBI the following year. On November 20, 1934, Campbell came to Cleveland for Johnny Burnett, Bob Weiland, and cash. He quickly proved popular with the Tribe and was batting .325 in early August when he complained of a headache in Detroit. Soon he was in critical condition with cerebral spinal fever. Given a fifty-fifty chance to recover, Campbell was miraculously back in uniform in 1936. He collapsed again in May, but still batted a remarkable .372 in 76 games and was honored on Bruce Campbell Day at Cleveland’s League Park. He had three hits that day and went 6-for-6 on July 2, 1036. Philadelphia writers honored Campbell as most courageous athlete of the year in 1936.
