Robin Roberts (baseball)
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| Robin Roberts | ||
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| Starting Pitcher | ||
| Born: September 30, 1926 Springfield, Illinois |
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| Batted: Both | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| June 18, 1948 for the Philadelphia Phillies |
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| Final game | ||
| August 26, 1966 for the Chicago Cubs |
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| Career statistics | ||
| Record | 286-245 | |
| ERA | 3.41 | |
| Strikeouts | 2,357 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
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| Member of the National | ||
 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Elected | 1976 | |
| Vote | 86.86% | |
Robin Evan Roberts (b. September 30, 1926, Springfield, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher whose years with the Philadelphia Phillies (1948-61) led to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Roberts also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles (1962-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Chicago Cubs (1966).
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[edit] Before the Phillies
After World War II, Roberts returned to Michigan State University—where he had attended an Army Air Corps training program—to play basketball, not baseball.[1]. Almost by accident he became a baseball pitcher for MSU[1]. After playing for MSU and spending his second summer playing in Vermont with the Barre-Montpelier Twin City Trojans, he was signed by the Phillies.[2]
[edit] With the Phillies
Roberts had his major league debut on June 18, 1948.
In 1950 he led his Phillies "Whiz Kids" team, the youngest major league baseball squad ever fielded, to its first National League pennant in 35 years. Roberts started three games in the last five days of the season, defeating the heavily favored Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, in a pennant-deciding, 10-inning game. It was his 20th victory, becoming the Phillies' first 20-game-winner since Grover Cleveland Alexander did it in 1917. Since then, the 1950 Phillies have been known as the "Whiz Kids."
Between 1950 and 1955 Roberts won 20 games each season, leading the NL in victories from 1952 to 1955. Six times he led the league in games started, five times in complete games and innings pitched, and once pitched 28 complete games in a row. During his career, Roberts never walked more than 77 batters in any regular season. Beside this, he helped himself as a fielder as well as with his bat, hitting 55 doubles, 10 triples, and five home runs with 103 RBI.
His 28 wins in 1952, the year he won the The Sporting News Player of the Year Award, are the most in the National League since 1935, the year Dizzy Dean also won 28 games.
Despite his 28 victories in 1952, Roberts enjoyed his best season in 1953, posting a 23-16 record and leading the NL pitchers in strikeouts with 198. In a career-high 346⅔ innings pitched he walked just 66 batters, and his 2.75 ERA was second in the league behind Warren Spahn 2.10, narrowly missing the Triple Crown.
One highlight of May 13 1954, Cincinnati Redlegs' Bobby Adams hit a lead-off home run off Roberts. Then, Roberts retired the next 27 batters in a row to win 8-1, on a one-hitter game.
[edit] After the Phillies
After the conclusion of the 1961 season, Roberts was released by the Philadelphia Phillies. Roberts then tried out in spring training with the New York Yankees but was released shortly after the season began. After that the Baltimore Orioles picked him up and he had several successful seasons for the Orioles, going 42-36 in 3½ seasons before moving on to the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs to conclude his career.
His final major league game was on September 3, 1966 but he pitched in the minors during 1967.
[edit] Legacy
In his 19-season career, Roberts compiled a 286-245 record with 2,357 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA, 305 complete games, 45 shutouts, and 4,688⅔ innings pitched in 676 games. He holds the Major League record for home runs allowed by a pitcher (505). He holds the major league record for most consecutive Opening Day starts for the same team with 12, between 1950 and 1961.
Roberts was the only pitcher in major league history to defeat the Boston Braves, the Milwaukee Braves and the Atlanta Braves.
Robin Roberts was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.[3]
In 1999, he ranked number 74 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Phillies have honored him with the retirement of his uniform number 36 and a statue outside the first base gate of Citizens Bank Park.
On July 21, 2003, Roberts returned to Montpelier, Vermont to accept two honors: The Vermont Mountaineers retired his number from his playing days with the Barre-Montpelier Twin City Trojans, and Governor Jim Douglas presented him a proclamation that made the day "Robin Roberts Day" in the State of Vermont.[2]
[edit] Career statistics
- 7-time All-Star (1950-56)
- 5-time Top 10 MVP (1950, 1952-55)
- 6-time won 20 or more games (1950-55)
- 4-time led league in won games (1952-55)
- Twice led the league in strikeouts (1953-54)
- Led league in shutouts (1950)
- 6-time led the league in games started (1950-55)
- 5-time led league in complete games (1952-56)
- 5-time led league in innings pitched (1951-55)
- 6-time pitched over 300 innings (1950-55)
- Ranks #27 on the all-time wins leaderboard
- Holds the record for most home runs allowed by a pitcher, with 505
- Holds five Philadelphia Phillies team records as of 2008: most complete games pitched, most games pitched, most innings pitched, most hits allowed, and most losses
[edit] Career as author
Roberts has written two books about his baseball experiences: The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant (1996, ISBN 156639466X)[4], and My Life In Baseball (2003, ISBN 1572435038), both with C. Paul Rogers, III, a law professor at Southern Methodist University.
[edit] References
General references:
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- (1992) Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts. St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-88365-785-6.
Specific references:
- ^ a b A Man for All Seasons, a Fall 2002 New Educator article from a Michigan State University website
- ^ a b Robin Roberts, Twin City Trojans 1946–1947 from the Vermont Mountaineers website
- ^ Robin Roberts at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum website
- ^ The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant from the Temple University Press website
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Robin Roberts from BaseballLibrary.com
- Robin Roberts from TheBaseballPage.com
- 1950: When Philadelphia's Whiz Kids won the NL pennant, a 2002 Baseball Digest article via findarticle.com
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| Preceded by Warren Spahn |
National League Strikeout Champion 1953-1954 |
Succeeded by Sam Jones |
| Preceded by Larry Jansen & Sal Maglie |
National League Wins Champion 1952-1955 (1953 with Warren Spahn) |
Succeeded by Don Newcombe |
| Preceded by Warren Spahn |
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1962 |
Succeeded by Bobby Richardson |
