Books and articles about Robin Roberts

A hard-nosed competitor, Roberts ranks as the winningest righthander in Phillies history. A baseball and basketball star at Michigan State, Roberts was disappointed when assigned to Wilmington of the Inter-State League his first pro season, 1948. He wasn't there long; the Phillies recalled him in June when he ran up a 9-1 record. In his first full season, Roberts won 15 games. In 1950, he helped pitch the Phillies to their first pennant in 35 years, going 20-11. When he won his 20th on the final day of the season at Brooklyn, in a pennant-deciding, 10-inning game, he became the Phillies' first 20-game-winner since Grover Alexander in 1917.

SHOPPING » Look for Robin Roberts books at BN.com » Look for Robin Roberts books at Amazon.com Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS » 1966: Robin Roberts' 505th Home Run Allowed Submissions » Major Leaguers in the NCAA Basketball Tournament by David Burkett Around the Web » Robin Roberts from baseball-reference.com » Robin Roberts from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Roberts won 20 games six straight years, from 1950 to 1955, with league highs in wins for four straight, starting in 1952, when he went 28-7. Six times he led the NL in games started, and five times in complete games and innings pitched. He once pitched 28 straight complete games in an era when relief pitchers were regularly employed. He was able to get the outs he needed with men in scoring position, and he helped himself as a fielder and at the plate.

His Achilles' heel was the home run ball, but in his prime he rarely gave one up with men on base. He allowed 46 in 1956, then a major league record. Primarily a power pitcher until late in his career, Roberts had a smooth, flowing motion and threw strikes consistently. Though he pitched over 300 innings in six straight seasons, he never walked more than 77 batters.

All those innings may have taken their toll with shoulder problems that began in 1956. He went 19-18 that season, breaking his 20-win streak. No longer able to muster overpowering speed, he had his worst and most frustrating year in 1957. Though the Phillies were contenders for the first half, Roberts struggled, finishing with only 10 wins, and losing a league-high 22 games.

After going 1-10 in 1961, Roberts was sold to the Yankees, but was released in April 1962, without pitching an inning. But he had made the mental adjustments to become a finesse pitcher. He signed with Baltimore and had a winning record there for three years. Released in mid-1965, he signed with Houston, then moved to the Cubs in 1966, winning his final ML game that September. Roberts was not ready to hang it up at age 40, and joined the Phillies' Eastern League Reading farm club with hopes of returning to the majors.

In his prime, pitching was easy for Roberts, who used to say, "Too many people try to make it more complicated than it really is." He was active in the players' union during his ML time, and served as head coach of the University of South Florida in Tampa and roving minor league instructor for the Phillies. He was made a member of the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in 1976. (AL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 9, 1948: At Boston, Johnny Sain becomes the National League's 1st 11-game winner, beating Robin Roberts and the Phils, 13–2. Alvin Dark has three hits running his hit streak to 21 games. In the 4th inning Dark triples off the reliever Ken Heintzelman, then steals home. » July 18, 1948: In the first of two before 39,623, the Chicago Cubs beat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies 3–2. With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th inning, rookie Robin Roberts hits Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko on the back with successive pitches to force home the winner. Chicago's Johnny Schmitz allows just four hits, three by Johnny Blatnik. The Jays (as they are still occasionally referred to in print) win the nitecap, 6–4, collecting 17 hits, including a homer by Del Ennis. Schoolboy Rowe evens his record at 5–5, beating Russ Meyer. » August 18, 1948: At Philadelphia, Rex Barney fires a one-hitter, beating the Phils, 1–0. The lone hit is a looping single by Ralph Caballero that just eludes a diving Duke Snider. Barney completes his victory by striking out the side in the 9th. The 2nd-place Bums score their lone run in the first when Robin Roberts wild pitches home Brooks from 3B. » July 18, 1950: At Chicago, the Phils split with the Cubs, winning the nitecap 8–3 as Bubba Church beats big Bob Rush. Chicago wins the opener, 5–2, with Paul Minner besting Robin Roberts. The Phils now share the top spot in the NL with Boston and the Cards. » July 22, 1950: The Phils split a pair with the Reds to retain a tie for the NL lead with the Cardinals. Robin Roberts wins his 11th in the opener, stopping the Reds, 2–0, on four hits. Willard Ramsdell takes the loss. In game 2, Howie Fox shuts out the Phils till the 9th to win, 6–1. » July 25, 1950: Phillies pitchers Bubba Church and Robin Roberts shut out the Cubs 7–0 and 1–0 in a doubleheader sweep. The wins put the Phils in 1st-place by a half-game over St. Louis. » August 16, 1950: The Phils polish off the second place Braves, 5–1 on Robin Roberts' three-hitter. The Phils score four in the fourth off Vern Bickford, concluding the scoring with Del Ennis' 26th homer. » September 23, 1950: Don Newcombe outpitches Robin Roberts to give Brooklyn a 3–2 against the first-place Phils. » October 1, 1950: In Robin Roberts' 3rd start in five days, Dick Sisler's dramatic home run off Don Newcombe in the 10th clinches the pennant 4–1 for the Whiz Kids. It is the Phillies' first pennant in 35 years. In the play that sets the stage for Sisler's heroics, CF Richie Ashburn, playing shallow, throws out Dodger runner Cal Abrams at the plate in the bottom of the 9th. Abrams will later say, "I think they should have held me at 3rd," while Dodgers' skipper Burt Shotton, commenting on having Duke Snider hitting away, "I should have bunted. If you don't believe me, look in the newspapers." Brooklyn's only score comes when Pee Wee Reese hits a drive into the screen over the wall in right field. The ball falls on top of the wall and bounces up and down long enough for Reese to leg out an inside-the-park home run. » October 5, 1950: Allie Reynolds and the Yankees win again over ace Robin Roberts 2–1 in 10 innings in Philadelphia. Joe DiMaggio's leadoff home run in the 10th inning is the game winner. » June 18, 1951: In a matchup of aces at Shibe Park, Larry Jansen defeats Robin Roberts, 2–0. Jansen's 4-hitter gives the Giants their eighth straight win and the Phils their seventh straight loss. » July 28, 1951: Pitcher Russ Meyer hurls a 1–0 shut out over the Cubs, the fourth shutout in a row for the Phillies staff. Robin Roberts, Ken Johnson and Bubba Church pitched the earlier shutouts. » July 29, 1951: Against the Phillies, Cubs player-manager Phil Cavarretta earns his money by driving home three runs in a first game win, 5–4, snapping the Cubs 10-game home losing streak. His triple in the sixth off Robin Roberts ends the Cubs' scoreless inning skein of 31 innings, and the consecutive scoreless innings by Phils pitchers at 41. Cavarretta takes the bench in game two but inserts himself as a pinch hitter in the seventh when Roberts relieves, and hits a grand slam home run as the Cubs sweep, winning the nitecap, 8–6. The nitecap loss goes to Bubba Church, who put two runners on before giving way to Roberts. It is Church's first and only career loss to Chicago after nine straight wins. » August 7, 1951: The Phils shut out the Braves 1–0 in 15 innings in the 2nd game of a doubleheader as reliever Ken Heintzelman bests Warren Spahn, also in relief. The Phils capture the opener, 3–1, on Robin Roberts' 15th win. » August 11, 1951: In Philadelphia, the Giants lose to the Phils, as Robin Roberts shuts them out, 4–0, for his 16th win. Putsy Cabellero hits his 1st major league homer, off George Spencer for the 3rd place Phils (57-52), now just one 1/2 games behind New York. » August 26, 1951: Rookie hurler Niles Jordan of the Phillies blanks the Reds 2–0 in his first ML start. Jordan gives up three hits, the same number allowed by loser Willard Ramsdell. The Reds win the opener, 4–2, as Ewell Blackwell bests Robin Roberts. » September 3, 1951: In a Labor Day doubleheader at the Polo Grounds, the Phils Robin Roberts stops New York, 6–3, in the opener. The Giants blow a 3–0 1st inning lead when homers by Ashburn and Swish Nicholson bring the Phils back. Dave Koslo salvages a 2nd game, winning 3–1 over Niles Jordan. Willie Mays makes another rookie error in the 2nd. After an apparent inside-the-park home run, Phils 3B Tommy Brown appeals, and Mays is called out for failing to touch 3B. He is credited with a double. » September 7, 1951: Preacher Roe walks six Phils, but pushes his record to 19–2, as the Dodgers win 11–6 over Robin Roberts. Carl Furillo hits two homers, Andy Pafko adds #22, and Billy Cox drives in four runs with a bases loaded triple and two doubles. » September 17, 1951: At St. Louis, Brown cracks a homer in the 10th, off starter Al Brazle, as the Phils win, 2–1. Robin Roberts goes all the way for his 20th win. » September 21, 1951: In Brooklyn, the Dodgers keep a woozy Campanella on the bench, preferring to rest him for the World Series. Rookie Clem Labine ignores Dressen's orders to take a full windup, preferring to pitch out of the stretch with the bases jammed in the 1st. Phils 3B Willie Jones then hits a grand slam and Labine ends up in Dressen's doghouse. The Phils win, 9–6, behind Robin Roberts. » September 25, 1951: The Dodgers continue to slide. After the Dodgers lose two out of three in Philadelphia, Boston sweeps two from Brooklyn. Warren Spahn wins the opener 6–3 over Branca, his 4th straight loss, and Jim Wilson coasts to a 14–2 three-hit win in the 2nd game. Earl Torgeson drives in six runs in the nitecap. Meanwhile, the Giants win 5–1 over Robin Roberts and the Phils to move a single game in back of the Dodgers. » September 29, 1951: The Giants and Dodgers both win on shutouts to stay tied. New York tops the Warren Spahn and the Braves 3–0 on Maglie's 23rd win and Don Newcombe shuts out the Phillies, 5–0, for his 20th victory. Campy and Pafko homer as Robin Roberts takes the Phils loss. » September 30, 1951: Jackie Robinson hits an upper deck home run in the 14th inning off Robin Roberts, who came on in the 8th, to give the Dodgers a critical 9–8 win over the Phils. Robbie saves the game in the 13th by making a great catch of an Eddie Waitkus line drive and throwing to 2B for a DP. In the process, he injures his elbow. Reliever Bud Podbielan is the winner, the victory keeping Brooklyn in a first place tie with the Giants. Catcher Andy Seminick of the Phils walks five times, the first Phillie to do so in a game. The Dodgers overcome a 6–1 deficit to win and set the stage for a playoff with the Giants. » September 29, 1952: The Phils Robin Roberts wins his 28th game, the most in the league since 1935, a 7-4 win over New York. It is Roberts's 30th complete game. » July 14, 1953: The NL wins its fourth All-Star Game in a row, 5-1 in Cincinnati's Crosley Field behind the stellar pitching of Robin Roberts and Warren Spahn. Cardinal OF Enos Slaughter gets two hits, scores twice, and robs Harvey Kuenn of an extra-base blow. » April 13, 1954: Pittsburgh opens at home for the first time in 61 years and defeats the Phils 4–2 before 32,294. Curt Roberts, the Bucs' first black player, hits a triple against Robin Roberts in the first inning. » April 24, 1954: Marv Grissom and the Giants shut out the Phils, 1-0, at the Polo Grounds. Whitey Lockman's 300-foot home run off Robin Roberts is the only score. » May 13, 1954: Bobby Adams of the Redlegs hits a lead-off home run against Phillies P Robin Roberts. Roberts then retires the next 27 batters to win, 8–1. » May 26, 1954: Robin Roberts of the Phils stops a personal 7-game losing streak to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field with an 8–6 win over Brooklyn. » June 12, 1954: Jim Wilson, 32, no-hits the Phillies 2-0 before 28,218 in Milwaukee. Robin Roberts takes the loss, his first after nine straight wins over the Braves. It is Wilson's first start after pitching just 8 2/3 innings of relief, giving up 7 runs. Ironically, the Braves asked waivers on Wilson 2 weeks earlier, with no takers. » August 24, 1954: Robin Roberts is lifted in the seventh as the Braves finally knock out the Phillies ace, winning 5-1. Roberts had pitched 13 straight complete games against the Braves over three years, with a 12-1 record. » September 26, 1954: Going into the last day of the NL season, Don Mueller leads in hitting with .3426; Duke Snider is 2nd at .3425, followed by Willie Mays at .3422. The Giants win in 11 innings over the Phillies Robin Roberts, as Mays garners a single, double, and triple in 4 ABs. He finishes at .345 while Mueller slips to .341, the same as Snider. » April 21, 1955: Brooklyn wins its 10th in a row, trouncing Robin Roberts of the Phils 14-2. This sets a new ML record for consecutive wins to start a season, later broken by Oakland. » May 7, 1955: Behind Carl Erskine, the Dodgers beat Robin Roberts and the Phils, 6–3, for their 9th straight win. All the Phils scoring is on solo homers -- two by Willie Jones and one by Del Ennis. For the Phils, it is their 8th loss in a row while the Brooks have now won 20 out of 22 games. The game is almost forfeited in the 7th after plate ump Art Gore chases Roberts, Earl Torgeson, and Jack Meyer from the Phils bench. Fans rain dozens of beer cans down on Gore and fellow ump Jocko Conlan. » May 15, 1955: After the Braves win the lidlifter with the Phils, 6–5, Philadelphia comes back in the nitecap to win, 9–1, and break their 13-game losing streak. Robin Roberts is the victor. Billy Bruton's leadoff home run is the only run off Roberts. » August 19, 1955: Robin Roberts of the Phils defeats Don Newcombe of the Dodgers 3-2 to become the first 20-game winner in 1955. » September 20, 1955: Reserve 1B Frank Kellert's HR is the Dodgers' 200th of the season, making them the first team to hit 200 or more in a season more than once. They did it with 208 in 1953. Robin Roberts surrenders 2 HRs to the Dodgers, making it 40 for the season, a ML record. » June 26, 1956: Robin Roberts and the Phillies hand the Braves a 4-2 loss. It was the first loss for the Braves after 11 wins under new manager Fred Haney. » May 2, 1957: Robin Roberts strikes out 13 Cubs en route to a 4–2 Phillies win. No Phils infielders record an assist in the game. » September 22, 1957: Duke Snider's 39th and 40th HRs are the last that will be hit at Ebbets Field. The Duke of Flatbush ties Ralph Kiner's NL mark of hitting at least 40 HRs in 5 consecutive seasons. Phillie Robin Roberts, who has a penchant for throwing HR balls, is the loser, 7-3. » May 31, 1959: In the 2nd game of a doubleheader, Gene Freese's home run accounts for the only Phillies run in a 2–1 loss to the Braves and Warren Spahn. For Freese, it is his 5th pinch homer of the season, one short of the NL record. Freese will hit 23 home runs this season, but no more in the pinch. The Phils win the opener, 6–0, behind Robin Roberts. » July 30, 1959: In his ML debut, Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4 with two triples off Robin Roberts to lead the Giants to a 7–2 win over the Phils. McCovey was hitting .372 with 29 home runs at Phoenix when promoted. » September 11, 1959: The Phillies Robin Roberts beats the Giants 1-0 on a 3-hitter. Roberts also gains revenge on Willie McCovey by ending McCovey's consecutive-game hitting streak at 22 games. Phils CF Richie Ashburn holds the rookie record of 23 games. » April 17, 1960: Eddie Mathews hits his 300th home run, off Robin Roberts, plus a double and triple, as Milwaukee beats Philadelphia 8–4. To date, only Jimmie Foxx hit his 300th at a younger age. » May 13, 1960: At Cincinnati, the Reds are down 9–1 when P Raul Sanchez starts a brawl by plunking three of four Phils batters in the 8th inning, the last batter being P Gene Conley. Phils manager Gene Mauch then charges the mound to tackle Sanchez. Both dugouts empty with fights all around. The most cinematic is 2B Billy Martin, 5'11" taking on the 6'11" Conley, though future Hall of Famers Frank Robinson and Robin Roberts is a close second. It takes 12 minutes to restore order. The Phils romp 14–3, then lose 5–1 in the doubleheader. » July 21, 1960: Robin Roberts pitches his 3rd career one-hitter, and the 3rd one-hitter of the season in new Candlestick Park. Felipe Alou spoils Roberts' no-hit bid in the 5th inning of a 3–0 Philadelphia win. 3B Joe Morgan fields the hit, but falls down and cannot make a throw. » August 30, 1960: At San Francisco, Sam Jones strikes out 14 Phillies and drives in the winning run in the 5th to beat Robin Roberts, 2–1. » April 11, 1961: Robin Roberts ties Grover Cleveland Alexander's National League record with a 12th-straight Opening Day start, but Philadelphia loses 6–2 to Don Drysdale and the Dodgers. Roberts is 5–6 on Opening Day. » May 7, 1961: The Phils outhit the Giants, but first place SF wins, 7–0, behind Billy Loes. Three of the Giants six hits off Robin Roberts are home runs. » June 6, 1961: At San Francisco, Robin Roberts wins his 1st game of the year, 3–2, after seven straight defeats. Pancho Herrera's 3-run homer decides it. Roberts will finish the year 1–10, the worst record ever for a Hall of Fame pitcher. » October 16, 1961: Veteran pitchers Robin Roberts and Billy Loes are purchased by the Yankees and Mets respectively. Roberts will be released in April without ever pitching an inning for the Yanks. » March 21, 1962: Philadelphia retires P Robin Roberts' number 36. » April 16, 1962: The Yankees release vet Robin Roberts, signed in October. The Orioles will sign Roberts on May 21st. » May 21, 1962: The Orioles sign veteran Robin Roberts, released by the Yankees on April 30. Roberts will win 42 games for Baltimore before going to Houston. » August 26, 1962: Robin Roberts, discarded earlier in the year by the Yankees, beats Whitey Ford 2–1 on home runs by Brooks Robinson and Jim Gentile to complete a 5-game Oriole sweep of the sagging Yankees. The Twins and Angels are now three games behind New York. » May 23, 1963: Baltimore vet Robin Roberts two-hits the Senators to win 6–0. Both hits are by weak-hitting Eddie Brinkman. » May 28, 1963: The first-place Orioles win their 9th straight game, a Robin Roberts 4–2 victory over the A's. » July 17, 1964: The first-place O's win again as Robin Roberts shuts out Detroit 5–0, despite giving up 11 hits. » August 29, 1966: Chicago Cubs veteran Robin Roberts, acquired recently from Houston, wins the final victory of his career, beating the Atlanta Braves, 4–2. Roberts has now beaten the Braves in all three locations: 12–6 vs. Boston: 21–24 vs. Milwaukee: 1–0 vs. Atlanta (as noted by Joe Mackay). Roberts will retire having giving up 505 home runs, the only one above 500. » January 22, 1976: Pitchers Robin Roberts and Bob Lemon are voted into the Hall of Fame. » August 15, 1980: Oakland's Rick Langford (13-9) defeats the Mariners 11–3 for his 17th consecutive complete game, the most in the majors since Robin Roberts' 20 in a row in 1953. » September 29, 1986: Cleveland 2B Jay Bell becomes the 9th player in history to hit a home run on the first ML pitch he sees, but the Indians fall to the Twins, 6–5. Bell tolls his home run off Bert Blyleven, for whom Bell, along with two other players, had been traded the previous year. Bell's dinger is the 47th of the season against Blyleven, breaking the major-league record of 46 home runs allowed by Robin Roberts in 1956. Blyleven will end the year with 50 gophers.