Robin Roberts (baseball)

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Robin Roberts
Starting Pitcher
Born: September 30 1926 (1926-09-30) (age 83)
Batted: Both Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 18, 1948
for the Philadelphia Phillies
Final game
August 26, 1966
for the Chicago Cubs
Career statistics
Record     286-245
ERA     3.41
Strikeouts     2,357
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Image:Empty Star.svg Baseball Hall of Fame Image:Empty Star.svg
Elected    1976
Vote    86.86%

Robin Evan Roberts (b. September 30 1926, Springfield, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played with the Philadelphia Phillies (1948-61), Baltimore Orioles (1962-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Chicago Cubs (1966). His major league debut was 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. Amazingly, 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 went down in baseball history known forever 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.

Despite his 28 victories in 1952, Roberts enjoyed his best season in 1953 posting a 23-16 record and also 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.

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.

Contents

[edit] Highlights

  • 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 #26 on the all-time wins leaderboard
  • Only pitcher in major league history to defeat the Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves.

[edit] Facts

  • On 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.
  • His 28 wins in 1952 are the most in the National League since 1935, when Dizzy Dean also won 28 games.
  • Hold the record for most home runs allowed by a pitcher, with 505.

[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.

Image:Robin-roberts-time.jpg
Robin Roberts on cover of Time Magazine

Robin Roberts was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

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.

Roberts has written two books about his baseball experiences: The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant (1996), and My Life In Baseball (2003), both with C. Paul Rogers, III, a professor at the law school of Southern Methodist University.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

  • (1992) Baseball A Doubleheader Collection of Facts, Feats, & Firsts. St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News Publishing Co.. ISBN 0-88365-785-6. .

[edit] External links

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
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