| Dave Roberts | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1944-09-11)September 11, 1944 Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: January 9, 2009(2009-01-09) (aged 64) Short Gap, West Virginia, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 6, 1969, for the San Diego Padres | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 16, 1981, for the New York Mets | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 103–125 |
| Earned run average | 3.78 |
| Strikeouts | 957 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
David Arthur Roberts (September 11, 1944 – January 9, 2009) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball as a left-handedpitcher from 1969 to 1981 for eight teams. He was second in theNational League (NL) with a 2.10earned run average (ERA) in1971 for theSan Diego Padres, after which he was traded to theHouston Astros, where he spent the four most productive years of his career. Roberts was also a member of the1979 World Series winningPittsburgh Pirates team. Over his major league career hewon 103 games.
Roberts was one of the bestJewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, ranking fourth in careergames (445; behind onlyScott Schoeneweis,Ken Holtzman, andJohn Grabow), fourth in wins (103) andstrikeouts (957) behindSandy Koufax, Holtzman, andSteve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).[1]
Roberts was born inGallipolis, Ohio, and was Jewish.[2][3][4] He attended George Washington elementary school, and then started high school atGallia Academy, finally moving to and in 1963 graduating fromCentral High School inColumbus, Ohio, where his parents had relocated.[2][5] In basketball, he was All-Columbus.[5]
Roberts was signed in June 1963 as an undrafted amateurfree agent by thePhiladelphia Phillies.[2]
He played on farm clubs for the Phillies,Kansas City A's, andPittsburgh Pirates (who claimed him onwaivers in April 1964 for $8,000 ($81,000 in current dollar terms), and was chosen by San Diego with the 39th pick in the1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft.[6][5]
Pitching for the 1963Spartanburg Phillies he was 9-3 with a 1.79ERA, Class-AWestern Carolina League and throwing threeshutouts in his 17 starts.[7][5] In 1966 he pitched forAguilas in theDominican Winter League, posting an ERA of 2.17 in 108innings.[5] Roberts was 1968 Pitcher of the Year for theInternational LeagueColumbus Jets, after going 18–5.
In the minor leagues from 1963–69, he was 65–32 with a 3.00 ERA.[2]
After debuting with the Padres in 1969, Roberts was sixth in the NL inwalks per 9 innings (2.13) in 1970.[2] He went 14–17 for the last-place 1971 Padres, finishing second to theNew York Mets'Tom Seaver with a 2.10 ERA.[2] He was sixth in the voting for the NLCy Young Award, seventh in walks per 9 innings (2.04), ninth in innings pitched (269.7), tenth incomplete games (14), and 24th in the voting for the NLMVP Award.[2] He held batters to a .191batting average when runners were in scoring position.[2]
Roberts was traded from the Padres to theHouston Astros forDerrel Thomas,Bill Greif, andMark Schaeffer on December 3, 1971.[8] His being traded by the Padres was just prior to the Padres signing another Dave Roberts (see below), who joined the club in 1972. If this trade had not taken place, the Padres' roster would have featured two unrelated players named "Dave Roberts", making this among the few occasions where a team's roster featured two unrelated players with the same name.
In 1972, Roberts was 12–7 for the Astros.[2] In 1973, he recorded a career-best 17–11 record, setting a club record with a career-high sixshutouts (second in the NL).[2] Roberts was the August 25, 1974NL Player of the Week.[2] That season, he finished sixth in the NL in wins andsacrifice hits (12), seventh in games started (36), eighth in complete games (12), and tenth in ERA (2.85) and walks per nine innings (2.24).[2]
Roberts was dealt along withMilt May andJim Crawford from the Astros to theDetroit Tigers forLeon Roberts,Terry Humphrey,Gene Pentz andMark Lemongello on December 6, 1975.[9] After a 16–17 season with the 1976 Tigers, in which he was fifth in theAmerican League (AL) in shutouts (4), seventh in games started (36) and ninth incomplete games (18),[2] he had surgery on his knee. On the final day of the 1976 season, Roberts gave upHank Aaron's final career hit and RBI in the sixth inning. Aaron was lifted for apinch runner.[citation needed]
In 1977, Roberts was theOpening Day starter for the Tigers.[10] In July 1977 he was purchased by theChicago Cubs.[2]
In 1978, Roberts batted .327 for the Cubs, with a .500slugging percentage, in 52at bats,[2] which was the eighth highest batting average for a pitcher in thedesignated hitter era.[citation needed]
In February 1979 he signed as free agent with theSan Francisco Giants.[2]
Roberts was traded along withBill Madlock andLenny Randle from the Giants to thePittsburgh Pirates forAl Holland,Ed Whitson andFred Breining on June 28,1979.[11] Combined, in 1979 he had a 2.90 ERA.[2]
After pitching just two games for the Pirates in 1980, Roberts was purchased by theSeattle Mariners in April.[2] He pitched the rest of the season in Seattle, going 2–3.[2]
Following that season, Roberts became a free agent, and in January 1981 he was signed by the Mets.[2] He pitched just seven games for the Mets, going 0–3 with a 9.39 ERA, before being released in May.[2] In June, Roberts was signed as a free agent by the Giants, but never pitched for them in the majors.[2]
Among Jewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, Roberts ranks fourth in careerappearances (445; behind onlyScott Schoeneweis,Ken Holtzman, andJohn Grabow), fourth in wins (103) andstrikeouts (957) behindSandy Koufax, Holtzman, andSteve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).[1]
After his playing career, he worked for theAllegany County, Maryland Detention Center, and served as an assistant baseball coach atPotomac State College from 1996 to 1998 inWest Virginia.[5]
On January 9, 2009, Roberts died oflung cancer that he developed fromasbestos exposure as a young man, at his home inShort Gap, West Virginia, at the age of 64.[5][12][13][14] According to his wife, Carol, he was exposed to carcinogenic chemicals while working for several offseasons as aboilermaker.[15] He is buried at Frostburg Memorial Cemetery, not far fromLefty Grove's grave.
