Books and articles about Wilbert Robinson

The jovial Robinson came from New England and played baseball for a living as soon as he could sign on in the New England League. He became the catcher of the storied Baltimore Orioles, where he joined forces, under manager Ned Hanlon, with Willie Keeler, Hughie Jennings, and John McGraw, the scrappy third baseman who was the dominant force of the team. Robinson was the cornerstone of the team, its catcher, directing the play of the others. He was one of Baltimore's better hitters, once making seven hits in a game, and he was durable enough to catch a rare triple header in 1896 and a double header the next day.

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Robinson became John McGraw's partner, off the field and on; the pair owned a billiards parlor in Baltimore. When McGraw took over the New York'A-h)''Giants, Robinson came along to run the pitching staff. The men remained close friends until a sudden, bitter parting of the ways. Why they split is not known. Robinson became the Dodgers' manager in 1914 and left a larger than life imprint on the team, which was called the Robins during much of his 18-year managerial tenure. Yet, Uncle Robbie won more than a place in the hearts of players and fans. He won ball games, and twice won pennants (1916 and 1920) with teams not given a pre-season chance. He remained through 1931, running his club far differently than the despotic McGraw ran the Giants. The Dodgers were known for their easy-going ways. Because Robinson gave his roster of cast-offs and characters freedom, the team was a constant source of oddities and anecdotes. He had a gift for cadging winning performances from discarded pitchers, preferring hard throwers over curveball pitchers. Dazzy Vance, a fireballer who only achieved stardom after age thirty, was Robinson's ace during the 1920s after Robinson gave him more rest between starts than was the norm in those days. Robinson asked his pitchers to hold the other team in check until his own hitters could win the game. He looked to Babe Herman, Jake Daubert, Zach Wheat, Casey Stengel, Jack Fournier and other batters to get a key hit. This simple approach kept the team in contention for many years and made them always entertaining.

Robinson is perhaps best known for a spring training incident. He vowed to outdo Gabby Street's stunt of catching a ball dropped from the Washington Monument. He would catch a ball dropped from an airplane. The stunt was set up, but someone (many say it was Casey Stengel) substituted a grapefruit, which exploded on impact. With his eyes shut and his chest wringing wet, Robinson believed himself covered with his own blood until he heard his team laughing. (JK)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » February 7, 1899: Under a joint ownership arrangement, several Baltimore players are shifted to Brooklyn, and that club transfers several to the Orioles. Manager Ned Hanlon takes Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others with him while John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson remain in Baltimore. The powerful new Brooklyn team is nicknamed the Superbas. » February 28, 1900: John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson both sign contracts with Baltimore. When the long-rumored move by Baltimore to disband occurs, the two players are supposed to report to Brooklyn, but they will refuse and sit out the first third of the season instead, Finally, they are traded to St. Louis. » March 23, 1900: John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson, and Bill "Wagon Tongue" Keister, an infielder, are sold by Brooklyn to St. Louis for $15,000. McGraw and Robby refuse to report. » May 8, 1900: John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson end their holdout and sign with the Cardinals. Both contracts have the reserve clause crossed out, freeing McGraw to return to Baltimore in the AL in 1901. » September 19, 1900: St. Louis C Wilbert Robinson objects to umpire Jim Gaffney calling a Brooklyn runner safe at home, and throws the ball at the ump. Gaffney swings his mask at Robby and tosses him out of the game. Cardinals captain John McGraw refuses to put in another catcher, claiming one is injured and the other suspended. The ump forfeits the game to the Superbas. The Brooklyn fans object to the suspension of play and President Ebbets refunds money to those who want it. » October 20, 1900: The Cardinals withhold the final month’s pay on all but five players, including John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson, citing late hours, dissipation, and gambling as reasons for the poor showing of the team, which finished tied for 5th. » June 8, 1902: At Dayton, Ohio, 4,900 fans turn out to watch Baltimore top Cleveland, 6-2. The winning battery is Tom Hughes and Wilbert Robinson. » October 12, 1913: John McGraw hosts a reunion for Hugh Jennings and the old Orioles. After a night of heavy drinking, he blames his longtime friend, business partner, and teammate Wilbert Robinson for too many coaching mistakes in the Series. Robby replies that McGraw made more mistakes than anybody and McGraw fires him. Eyewitnesses say Robby douses McGraw with a glass of beer and leaves. They won't speak to each other for 17 years. Six days later Robby will begin a legendary 18 years as manager, replacing Bill Dahlen. The team will carry the nickname Robins, as well as Dodgers, during his tenure. » April 14, 1914: At Brooklyn, Wilbert Robinson wins his first game as manager, defeating the Braves, 8–2. » April 18, 1914: At Ebbets Field, Wilbert Robinson leads his Dodgers to a pasting of John McGraw's Giants. Brooklyn racks Christy Mathewson for 10 hits and nine runs in seven innings. Zack Wheat leads the way with a 3-run homer while driving home five runs. » March 13, 1915: In an infamous exhibition at Daytona Beach, Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson is set to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane flying at an altitude of 525 feet. Aviatrix Ruth Law supposedly forgets to bring a baseball aloft and instead drops a grapefruit which splatters all over Robbie. Outfielder Casey Stengel is the assumed culprit of the switch. » April 14, 1915: The Giants open the season with a trouncing of Wilbert Robinson's Dodgers, 16–3. » August 25, 1915: The Giants release Rube Marquard to Toronto (IL) but the veteran pitcher refuses to go to the minors. He works out his own deal and is signed by Wilbert Robinson and the Dodgers. Rube will post a 13–6 record next season for Uncle Robby. » February 10, 1916: C Chief Meyers is waived to Brooklyn by the Giants where he rejoins Wilbert Robinson. The Braves also claim him. Owners Ebbets and Haughton toss a coin to determine Meyers' fate, and Ebbets wins the right to sign him. » October 16, 1916: Brooklyn owner Charles Ebbets rewards manager Wilbert Robinson with a $5,000 bonus for a job well done. » October 26, 1917: Miller Huggins, who managed the Cardinals to a 3rd-place finish, is signed to run the Yankees by owner Jake Ruppert. Co-owner Til Huston, who favored Wilbert Robinson for the job, has a falling out with partner Ruppert and will sell his half interest to Ruppert in 1923. » September 16, 1924: At Ebbets Field, Cards 1B Jim Bottomley's three singles, a double, and two home runs produce a major-league record 12 RBI in the St. Louis 17–3 win over the pennant-chasing Robins. Willie Sherdel coasts home for the win. Bottomley starts the rampage with a 2-run single in the 1st, doubles home a run in the 2nd, hits a 4th inning grand slam off Art Decatur, and a 2-run home run off Decatur in the 6th. He follows with a 2-run single in the 7th, off Tex Wilson, and a run-scoring single in the 9th, after which he's removed for a pinch runner. Brooklyn manager Wilbert Robinson, watching from the dugout, set the previous record with the Orioles in 1892. » May 30, 1931: The Cards retake first place and hold it the rest of the season, as they win a Memorial Day doubleheader from the Reds and the Giants lose a pair to Brooklyn. In the 2nd game at the Polo Grounds, Robins 3B Wally Gilbert has six consecutive hits but falls one short of the major-league record held by his manager, Wilbert Robinson. The Robins' Gordon Slade adds a grand slam in the sweep. » September 27, 1931: In a scheduled doubleheader at Ebbets Field, the Dodgers beat the Giants 12–3 in the opener. The nitecap, called on account of darkness after three innings with no score, will turn out to be the final contest between managers Wilbert Robinson and John McGraw, one-time friends and business partners, but now bitter enemies. McGraw has the edge, 197–190, with five ties. » October 23, 1931: Brooklyn announces Wilbert Robinson is through as manager and the club will be called the Robins only in the past tense. Max Carey, a no-nonsense sort, will take over next year. » August 12, 1933: Brooklyn's longtime manager, Wilbert Robinson, is appointed president of the Atlanta Crackers (SA) and will also manage the club. He is 69. » August 8, 1934: Wilbert Robinson dies in Atlanta. Beloved as "Uncle Robbie," the jovial and bemused manager of the Dodgers for 18 seasons, his 7-for-7 day with Baltimore still stands as a major-league record. » April 25, 1945: Baseball writers cannot seem to get any Hall of Fame candidates past the 75 percent requirement, but a committee selected to bring in some old-timers succeeds with a group of turn-of-the-century names: Jimmy Collins, Roger Bresnahan, Fred Clarke, Dan Brouthers, Ed Delahanty, Hugh Jennings, Mike "King" Kelly, Jim O'Rourke, Wilbert Robinson, and Hugh Duffy. Collins, overlooked in six HOF elections, was on the all-time teams of Connie Mack and John McGraw. » September 16, 1975: Rennie Stennett ties Wilbert Robinson's ML record, set June 10, 1892, by going 7-for-7 in a 9-inning game. The Pirates 2B collects two hits each in the first and 5th innings, and scores five of his club's runs in a 22–0 massacre of the Cubs, a major-league record for the biggest score in a shut out game in the 20th century. John Candelaria pockets the easy win, while Rick Reuschel is the loser. His brother Paul Reuschel, along with Tom Dettore, Oscar Zamora, and Buddy Schultz also pitch for Chicago.