Roy White: From Compton to the Bronx

A young man from Compton rises to the highest levels of baseball greatness.

Roy White played on the New York Yankees from 1965 through the 1979 season. Roy grew up on the tough streets of Compton and created a successful all-star baseball career playing alongside such greats as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and many others. Today Roy White sits among the greatest all-time Yankees in most offensive categories. After his career with the Yankees, Roy White became a star in Japan playing for the Tokyo Giants and playing alongside the greatest Japanese player of all time Sadaharu Oh.

Considered one of the classiest baseball players ever, this is Roy White’s story, but it’s also the story of a unique period in baseball history when the Yankees fell from grace and regained glory and the country dealt with societal changes in many ways.

One of the most beloved Yankees of All-Time, Roy White was an all-star outfielder for the Yankees from 1965 to 1979. Roy played in the 1977 and 1978 World Championship Yankees teams. He later played for the Tokyo Giants in Japan, coached with the Yankees, and founded the Roy White Foundation, which provides financial assistance to young adults and children whose desire to further their education is inhibited by financial complications. Roy White sits among the all-time leaders on most of the all-time Yankees lists. After a wonderful 32-year career in education, Dr. Paul Semendinger is now a fulltime author and part time college professor and is widely known for his knowledge of the history of baseball, specifically the New York Yankees. He is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and is the Editor-in-Chief of the successful Yankees blog, Start Spreading the News. Paul lives in New Jersey with his wife.