Brooklyn, born John Cangelosi moved south and graduated from Miami Springs High School in Miami Springs, FL.
After excelling on the diamond at Miami Dade College, the outfielder was drafted in the fourth round of the 1982 MLB January Draft by the Chicago White Sox.
After spending a few seasons in the Sox minor league organization, Cangelosi had an outstanding spring in 1986, and eventually won the starting center field job on the south side of The Windy City. He stole a then rookie record 50 bases for the ChiSox.
After the productive rookie season, Cangelosi was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates and became a part of a young, future playoff contending team.
After four summers playing at Three Rivers Stadium, The Candy Man called five other MLB cities home before retiring after the 1999 season.
The scrappy outfielder reunited with his skipper from Pittsburgh, the legendary Jim Leyland, in Miami. The two fiery competitors contributed to bringing a World Series title to Florida with the Marlins in 1997.
Since this retirement from the game, Cangelosi has continued to dedicate his life to the game he once played. He currently owns and operates Cangelosi Baseball, a Chicago-based training facility. The 13-year MLB veteran is also part owner of Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports in Lockport and Bensonville, IL and Hilliard, OH.
In this recent interview, the now 60-year-old Cangelosi takes time to tell us about seeing himself on has early baseball cards, playing games with cards as a kid, his most memorable fan interactions and some of his baseball idols.
Tony Reid–Your very first trading card came out in the 1983 Fritsch Appleton Foxes set. What was it like seeing yourself on a baseball card for the first time?
John Cangelosi-I have seen it. It’s me in white pants and a red shirt in a base stealing position.
TR–Your official big league cards came in many of the 1986 update sets including Donruss The Rookies, Fleer Update and Topps Traded to name a few. What were your thoughts seeing your rookie cards?
JC-It was flattering. I never thought I would be in the big leagues, let alone be on a baseball card. I remember playing with cards as a kid. I was very blessed to be put on a card and play in the big leagues as long as I did. It was a cool experience. It’s still cool. People still being them and want autographs and stuff, which I am very flattered to do.
TR–Did you collect baseball cards growing up?
JC-The funny thing is I didn’t collect cards, we played with them. Growing up in Miami, we would bet. You would stack them up and bet against your friends and you either won the cards or you lost the cards. I didn’t collect them for certain player purposes. We just collected cards as kids. I kept them in my bedroom. I didn’t collect them to have a Joe DiMaggio card, per se. It was cool to have them.
TR–Playing in Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York and other cities, what was your most memorable fan interaction over the years in the bigs?
JC-Wow. There are a lot. Just off the top of my head, not to say it in a cocky way but I am a fan favorite because I am just me. I never treated people differently. I still keep in touch with some fans I’ve met. This one family, I met their daughter and I was really nice to her and then they started going to Spring Training and before you know it I’m going to Christmas parties. I enjoy meeting new people and letting them be a part of that lifestyle, something that they are not normally a part of but when they come into my circle they get to live a little bit of that.
TR–Do you remember the first time you were asked for you autograph?
JC-At the ballpark, even in the minor leagues, there are the little groupies and fan clubs, and they would ask you for your autograph. It came with the territory. It was cool to share moments like that with people.
TR–With your long career in the game as a player and now in the coaching and instructional side of the game, do you have an office or room where you have memorabilia displayed?
JC-I have some stuff displayed. A lot of my stuff is in storage. In my library, I have a picture from the World Series and my jersey I wore when we won the World Series. I have my rookie jersey and the World Series replica trophy.
TR-If you could go back to your playing days and swap a jersey with any player in the opposing dugout, who would it be and why?
JC-That’s a tough one. I am a fan of players from back in the day before I even played. I would love to swap a jersey with Willie Mays or Pete Rose. I mimicked my game after Pete Rose with his hustle and his head first slide. I freaking love the guy, dude. He was always good to me.
TR–What was it like meeting someone who you molded your style of play and game after?
JC-I was flattered. The way I met Pete Rose was I was hitting early at the Reds Stadium. The cages used to be by their locker room. He came out and he just said ‘Hey Candy, how are you doing?’ He just started shooting the s*** with me. ‘You are a good player, man. I wish you all the best.’ It was totally genuine. He didn’t have to stop and say anything. That was a great experience but on the flip side there were guys in his stature that were total a*******, too. Pete Rose is genuine. I love the guy.
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