Power and speed Campau's success as a baseball player is largely attributed to two talents: power and speed. He is probably most referenced in baseball's record books for having won the
American Association's home run championship in 1890. Although minor records from the 1880s and 1890s are incomplete, he hit at least 135 home runs in his professional baseball career, including a high of 20 home runs in 1894. Although less well reported, Campau also played the game with exceptional speed. While records were not kept for
stolen bases during some of his minor league seasons, Campau is known to have stolen at least 660 bases during his career, including 100 stolen bases in 1887. " The best evidence of Campau's speed and base-running intelligence may lie in a 1906 historical account by sportswriter Revere Rodgers. In an article on remarkable incidents in baseball history, Rodgers wrote that Campau once scored a home run on an infield
pop-up.
Early years in the minors Campau began his professional baseball career with the
Erie, Pennsylvania team in the Interstate League. Campau later recalled that he had caught "western fever" and planned to travel west, but he remained in Detroit until
Al Buckenberger, a prominent Detroit baseball man, secured a post as the manager in Erie and advised Campau to head east with him. Campau joined Buckenberger in Erie for the 1884 season and helped lead Erie to the Interstate League pennant. In 1885, Buckenberger was hired as the manager of an independent baseball team in
Guelph,
Ontario, and Campau followed him there. The following year, Campau played for a team in
London, Ontario that won the Canadian championship in 1886. After the Savannah team collapsed, Campau joined the
New Orleans Pelicans mid-season. In 84 games with New Orleans in the second half of the 1887 season, Campau compiled a .398 batting average and .626
slugging percentage with 19 doubles, 12 triples, 14 home runs and 83 stolen bases. Combining his season totals from Savannah and New Orleans, Campau stole 100 bases and had 59
extra base hits (17 of them home runs). Campau later expressed his gratitude to Detroit first baseman
Dan Brouthers who he recalled was "like a father to me" in Campau's first major league season. Camapu compiled a 27-14 record as the team's manager but was stripped of the title in late August. At least one baseball writer perceived the unfairness of von der Ahe's removing Campau for enforcing rules established by von der AheThere is gratitude for you. Von der Ahe tells his manager to do certain things and because he does it he is humiliated by being removed and a more 'agreeable' man put in his place. I know Charley Campau, and a bigger-hearted or more honorable man never lived. Shortly after being removed as manager, Campau hit an inside-the-park grand slam against the first-place
Louisville Colonels that prompted a tremendous show of support from the St. Louis crowd. When Campau stepped to the plate a fan called out for a home run, and Campau smiled and complied. A fan threw a cigar to Campau, and "then the fun commenced." Three weeks later, Campau announced that he had secured a job as a brakeman with the
Michigan Central Railroad.
Return to the minors Campau returned to the minor leagues in 1891. He spent the season as player/manager of the
Troy Trojans in the
Eastern Association. Campau's side prevailed, and the pitcher's box was moved back for the 1893 season. In 1893, Campau was back in New Orleans with the Pelicans. In 96 games, he hit .337 and scored 98 runs. With the exception of 64 games with the New Orleans club in 1903, Campau spent the rest of his career at Binghamton, finally retiring after the 1905 season. The Binghamton team alleged that, although there was not a signed contract, it had personal letters from Campau agreeing to manage the team in 1903. In the end, Campau played nine games for New Orleans in 1903 and returned to Binghamton for the 1904 and 1905 seasons. He was released by the Eastern League and hired by the Southern League. In August 1906, he was attacked by "an angry army of fans" during a game in
Memphis, Tennessee. Three fans were arrested, but then released "when no one appeared to prosecute them". Campau initially announced he would be tendering his resignation shortly after his escape, but reconsidered and reported for his umpiring assignment the next day. It is unknown how many more games Campau umpired, but his umpiring career ended in 1906. ==Later years==