| Robin Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Roberts with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1926-09-30)September 30, 1926 Springfield, Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: May 6, 2010(2010-05-06) (aged 83) Temple Terrace, Florida, U.S. | |
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 18, 1948, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 26, 1966, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 286–245 |
| Earned run average | 3.41 |
| Strikeouts | 2,357 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1976 |
| Vote | 86.9% (fourth ballot) |
Robin Evan Roberts (September 30, 1926 – May 6, 2010) was an AmericanMajor League Baseballstarting pitcher who pitched primarily for thePhiladelphia Phillies (1948–1961). He spent the latter part of his career with theBaltimore Orioles (1962–1965),Houston Astros (1965–66), andChicago Cubs (1966). Roberts was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame in1976.[1]
After retiring from Major League Baseball, he coached theUniversity of South Florida college baseball team for nine seasons, leading them to six conference titles.
Roberts was born inSpringfield, Illinois, the son of an immigrant Welsh coal miner. He arrived inEast Lansing, Michigan as part of anArmy Air Corps training program.[2]
He attendedLanphier High School. AfterWorld War II, Roberts returned toMichigan State College to playbasketball, notbaseball.[2] Roberts led the Spartans' basketball team in field-goal percentage in 1946–1947, was captain of the team during the 1946–1947 and 1949–1950 seasons, and earned three varsity letters in basketball. He wore number 17 for the Spartans.[3] After his second season playing basketball, Roberts tried out for the Michigan State baseball team, becoming a pitcher because it was the position that coachJohn Kobs needed most.[2]
After playing for Michigan State and spending his second summer playing inVermont with theBarre–Montpelier Twin City Trojans, he was signed by thePhiladelphia Phillies.[4]
Roberts made hisMajor League Baseball debut with thePhiladelphia Phillies on June 18, 1948. In1950, he led his Phillies, whose overall youth earned them the nickname theWhiz Kids, to their firstNational League pennant in 35 years. Roberts started three games in the last five days of the season, defeating the heavily favoredBrooklyn Dodgers atEbbets Field, in a pennant-deciding, season-ending, 10-inning game. This marked his 20th victory of the season, and Roberts became the Phillies' first 20-game winner sinceGrover Cleveland Alexander in 1917. Roberts also started Game 2 in the1950 World Series againstAllie Reynolds. He allowed two runs and ten hits in ten innings as the Phillies lost 2-1.
From 1950 to 1955, Robertswon at least 20 games each season, leading the National League in victories from 1952 to 1955. He led the National League ingames started six times, incomplete games andinnings pitched five times, and he once pitched 28 complete games in a row, with one of those games lasting 17 innings. During his career, Roberts neverwalked more than 77 batters in any regular season. He helped himself with his bat, hitting 55doubles, 10triples, and fivehome runs with 103RBIs.
Roberts' 28 wins in1952, the year he was named theSporting News MLB Player of the Year award, were the most in the National League since 1935, the year whenDizzy Dean won 28 games.
Although he had 28 wins in 1952, Roberts had his best season, based on a career highwins above replacement (WAR) in1953, posting a 23–16 record[5] and leading National League pitchers instrikeouts with 198.[6] In a career-high346+2⁄3 innings pitched, he walked just 66 batters, and his 2.75ERA was second in the league behindWarren Spahn's 2.10.
One of the most memorable highlights of his career occurred on May 13, 1954, when Roberts gave up a lead-off home run toBobby Adams of theCincinnati Reds, then known as the Cincinnati Redlegs, but then went on to retire 27 consecutive batters to win 8–1, on a one-hit game.
Roberts consistently (11 out of 14 years) had a better winning percentage than did the Phillies in games in which he had no decision. Overall, the Phillies were 1,020–1,136 from 1948 to 1961, a winning percentage of .4731. Roberts was 234–199 in that span, for a winning percentage of .5404.
After the1961 season, Roberts was sold to theNew York Yankees, who acquired the slumping pitcher from the Phillies for slightly more than the $20,000 leaguewaiver price.[7]
On February 6, 1962, the Phillies announced that Roberts' uniform number 36 would be retired by the team on March 21, 1962, when the Yankees would visitClearwater to play the Phillies in a spring training game. It was the first uniform number to be retired by the organization.[8] Roberts started for the Yankees in the spring game, gave up four runs in three innings, and was the winning pitcher in the Yankees' 13–10 victory.[9] He was released by the Yankees in May 1962 without having appeared in a regular-season game for the Yankees.
Roberts signed with theBaltimore Orioles on May 21, 1962.[10] He went 42–36 with a 3.09 ERA in3+1⁄2 seasons with the Orioles.[11]
In Roberts' final year inBaltimore, he was the first road roommate and mentor toJim Palmer, who made his major league debut in relief of Roberts in the third inning of a 12–9 loss to theBoston Red Sox inFenway Park on April 17, 1965.[12] Palmer said 47 years later, "Robin Roberts helped teach me even though he knew I was probably going to take his job."[13] Dissatisfied with his new role as a spot starter and long reliever, Roberts requested his release, which was granted by the Orioles on July 27, 1965.[11]
Roberts signed with theHouston Astros on August 5.[14] He signed with theChicago Cubs on July 13, 1966, with the additional capacity of assisting pitching coachFreddie Fitzsimmons. Roberts was also reunited with fellow Whiz KidCurt Simmons.[15] His final major league game was with the Cubs on September 3, 1966, atForbes Field. He was released by the Cubs on October 3, 1966.[16] He pitched for theReading Phillies during 1967.[17]
Roberts was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1976. Ahead of the August 1976 induction, Roberts was named honorary captain of the National League for the1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which was hosted by the Phillies atVeterans Stadium.[18]
From 1971 to 1975, Roberts coached theGermantown Academy boys varsity baseball team inFort Washington, Pennsylvania.[19] The 1972 Germantown team went 22–1 and won the Inter-Ac League championship with a record of 10–0. Roberts' son was a member of that team.[20] An annual baseball player award is named in Roberts' honor.
After one season as acolor commentator on Phillies broadcasts in1976, Roberts coached theUniversity of South Florida baseball team inTampa, Florida from 1977 to 1985. He led the team to its firstNCAA Tournament in 1982 and won six conference titles with the Bulls. He was named the Sun Belt coach of the year each season from 1978 to 1982. His uniform number 36 was the first to be retired by the team,[21] and he was honored on the center field wall at the team's since demolishedRed McEwen Field; he also is honored on the newUSF Baseball Stadium.[citation needed]
During the baseball off-season, Roberts toured with the Robin Roberts All-Stars basketball team. The team played against other touring squads, such as theHarlem Globetrotters.[citation needed]
Roberts was also the president of the Gold King Seafood Company inPhiladelphia, even during his baseball career. This was central to an appearance Roberts made onWhat's My Line? in 1957, where the panelists had to decipher what else he did besides play baseball.[22][23]
In his 19-season career, Roberts compiled a 286–245 record with 2,357 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA, 305 complete games, 45shutouts, and4,688+2⁄3 innings pitched in 676 games. He is second toJamie Moyer for the major league record forhome runs allowed by a pitcher (505) and holds the record for most consecutive opening day starts for the same team with 12, from 1950 to 1961.
As a switch hitter, Roberts posted a .167batting average (255-for-1525) with 107runs, 55doubles, 10triples, 5home runs, 103RBI and 135bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded a .967fielding percentage.[5]
Roberts is the only pitcher in major league history to defeat theBraves franchise in all three cities that the team has been based in:Boston,Milwaukee, andAtlanta.
Roberts's record for home runs allowed can largely be attributed to his durability and his tendency to pitch inside the strike zone. Roberts threw4,688+2⁄3 innings during his 19-year career, 21st on the all-time innings pitched list. Roberts challenged hitters to put the ball in play, issuing relatively few walks (1.7 per 9 innings pitched) and strikeouts (4.5 per 9 innings pitched).
In 1962, thePhiladelphia Phillies honored Roberts with theretirement of his uniform number, 36.
In 1966, Roberts was inducted into thePennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1969, in conjunction withMajor League Baseball's 100th anniversary, the Phillies conducted a fan vote to determine thePhillies all-time team. On August 5, 1969, atConnie Mack Stadium, the Phillies honored the members of the all-time team, including Roberts as the only right-handed pitcher. He was also honored as the greatest Phillies player of all time.
In 1978, the Philadelphia Phillies inducted Roberts as the first Phillie in thePhiladelphia Baseball Wall of Fame (along with Connie Mack as the first Athletics player in the Wall of Fame).
In 1983, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Phillies, Roberts was selected as one of only two right-handed pitchers on thePhillies Centennial Team.
In 1985, during Roberts' last game as coach of theSouth Florida Bulls baseball team, the team retired his number 36.
In 1992, Roberts was one of 30 members of the charter class of formerMichigan State University Spartan athletes, coaches, and administrators inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.[24]
In 1998, theWilmington Blue Rocks retired Roberts's number 36 at the Carolina League All-Star game held at the Blue Rocks' Frawley Stadium. He was the first former player to ever have his number retired by the team.[25]
In 1999, he ranked No. 74 onThe Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,[26] and was a nominee for theMajor League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2020,The Athletic ranked Roberts at number 72 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriterJoe Posnanski.[27]
On May 18, 2003, Roberts' number 36 was among the first two uniform numbers retired by the Michigan State baseball program.[28]
On July 21, 2003, Roberts returned toMontpelier, Vermont, to accept two honors: TheVermont Mountaineers retired his number from his playing days with the Barre-Montpelier Twin City Trojans, and GovernorJim Douglas presented him aproclamation that made the day "Robin Roberts Day" in the State of Vermont.[4]
On April 3, 2004, the Phillies new ballpark,Citizens Bank Park, officially opened, with a statue of Roberts outside the first-base gate.
Also in 2004, Roberts was a member of the inaugural class inducted into thePhiladelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
Robin Roberts Stadium in Roberts's hometown ofSpringfield, Illinois is named in his honor.[29]
Roberts was an outspoken critic ofLittle League Baseball. His remarks on the organization appeared in a 1975Newsweek article, titled "Strike Out Little League".[30]
In 2013, theBob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Roberts as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army Air Force during World War II.[31]
Roberts coached his son, Dan Roberts, in high school. His son went on to coach theArmy Black Knights, leaving that job after an alcohol-related arrest,Batavia Muckdogs, andClearwater Threshers.[19][32]
Roberts died ofnatural causes on May 6, 2010, aged 83, at his home inTemple Terrace, Florida.[33] For the remainder of their2010 season, thePhiladelphia Phillies wore a commemorative #36 patch on their uniforms and hung his jersey in their dugout during home and away games.[34]
Roberts wrote two books about his baseball experiences,The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant (1996,ISBN 1-56639-466-X)[35] andMy Life in Baseball (2003,ISBN 1-57243-503-8), both co-authored with C. Paul Rogers, III, aSouthern Methodist University Law School professor.
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| National | |
| Other | |
