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Robin Evan Roberts (September 30, 1926 – May 6, 2010) was a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
starting pitcher In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pit ...
who pitched primarily for the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...
(1948–1961). He spent the latter part of his career with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
(1962–1965),
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
(1965–66), and
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
(1966). He was inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
in
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...
. After his playing days, he coached the NCAA's
South Florida Bulls baseball The South Florida Bulls baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, United States. The team competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. Founded in ...
team for nine seasons, leading them to 6 conference titles.


Early life

Roberts was born in
Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest ...
, the son of an immigrant Welsh coal miner. He arrived in
East Lansing, Michigan East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...
as part of an Army Air Corps training program. He attended
Lanphier High School Lanphier High School, in the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois, Springfield, is a public high school affiliated with Springfield Public School District 186. It is also the home of the John Marshall Club, a club with open membership dedicate ...
and after World War II, Roberts returned to
Michigan State College Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. I ...
to play basketball, not baseball. 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. After his second season playing basketball, Roberts tried out for the Michigan State baseball team, becoming a pitcher because it was the position that coach
John Kobs John H. Kobs (August 21, 1898 – January 26, 1968) was an American athlete and coach. He was the head baseball coach at Michigan State University from 1925 to 1963 where he compiled a career record of 576–377–16. He also coached men's basket ...
needed most. After playing for Michigan State and spending his second summer playing in
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
with the
Barre Barre or Barré may refer to: * Barre (name) or Barré, a surname and given name Places United States * Barre, Massachusetts, a New England town ** Barre (CDP), Massachusetts, the central village in the town * Barre, New York, a town * Barre (ci ...
Montpelier Twin City Trojans, he was signed by the Phillies.Robin Roberts, Twin City Trojans 1946–1947
from the
Vermont Mountaineers The Vermont Mountaineers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Montpelier, Vermont. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays their home games at Montpelier Recreation Field. History In 2001, local citize ...
website


Professional career


Philadelphia Phillies

Roberts made his major league debut on June 18, 1948, and in 1950 he led his Phillies—whose overall youth earned them the nickname the Whiz Kids—to their first
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
pennant in 35 years. Roberts started three games in the last five days of the season, defeating the heavily favored
Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californi ...
at
Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five pr ...
, 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 since
Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...
in 1917. Roberts also started Game 2 in the
1950 World Series The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees, as 1950 Amer ...
against
Allie Reynolds Allie Pierce Reynolds (February 10, 1917 – December 26, 1994) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Reynolds pitched 13 years for the Cleveland Indians (1942–1946) and New York Yankees (1947–1954). Reynolds was nicknam ...
. He allowed two runs in ten hits in ten innings as the Phillies lost 2-1. From 1950 to 1955 inclusive, Roberts won at least 20 games each season, leading the NL in victories from 1952 to 1955. Six times he led the league in
games started In baseball statistics, games started (denoted by GS) indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he throws the first pitch to the first opposing batter. If a player is l ...
, five times in
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s and
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning ...
, and he once pitched 28 complete games in a row, with one game being 17 innings. During his career, Roberts never walked more than 77 batters in any regular season. He helped himself with his bat, hitting 55
doubles Men's doubles, Women's doubles or Mixed doubles are sports having two players per side, including; * Beach volleyball * Doubles badminton * Doubles curling * Footvolley * Doubles pickleball * Doubles squash * Doubles table tennis * Doubles te ...
, 10 triples, and five
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s with 103 RBIs. His 28 wins in 1952, the year he won
The Sporting News Player of the Year Award ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year Award refers to a set of awards given to the player of the year in various sports as adjudged by '' Sporting News'': Awards include: * ''Sporting News'' College Football Player of the Year, beginning in 1942 ...
, were the most in the National League since 1935, the year when Dizzy Dean won 28 games. Although he had 28 wins in 1952, Roberts had his best season, based on a career high WAR (wins above replacement) in 1953, posting a 23–16 record and leading the NL pitchers in
strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...
s with 198.Roberts career stats
/ref> In a career-high innings pitched, he walked just 66 batters, and his 2.75 ERA was second in the league behind
Warren Spahn Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...
'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 to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
' (then known as the Redlegs) Bobby Adams and then he retired 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.


Later career

After the 1961 season, Roberts was sold to the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
, who acquired the slumping pitcher from the Phillies for slightly more than the $20,000 league
waiver A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...
price. On February 6, 1962, the Phillies announced that Roberts's uniform number 36 would be retired by the team on March 21, 1962, when the Yankees would visit Clearwater to play the Phillies in a spring training game. It was the first uniform number to be retired by the organization. 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. He was released by the Yankees in May 1962 without having appeared in a regular-season game for the Yankees. He signed with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
on May 21, 1962. He went 42–36 with a 3.09 ERA in seasons with the Orioles."Robin Asks, Is Waived From Birds"
Associated Press, Wednesday, July 28, 1965
In his final year in Baltimore, he was the first road roommate and mentor to Jim Palmer, who made his major league debut in relief of Roberts in the third inning of a 12–9 loss to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
in
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and Boston Braves (baseball), since 1953, i ...
on April 17, 1965. Palmer said 47 years later, "Robin Roberts helped teach me even though he knew I was probably going to take his job." 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. Roberts signed with the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after s ...
on August 5. He signed with the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
on July 13, 1966, with the additional capacity of assisting pitching coach
Freddie Fitzsimmons Frederick Landis Fitzsimmons (July 28, 1901 – November 18, 1979) was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher, manager, and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to with the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers ...
. Roberts was also reunited with fellow Whiz Kid
Curt Simmons Curtis Thomas Simmons (May 19, 1929 – December 13, 2022) was an American professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to and to . Along with right-hander Robin Roberts (a member of the Baseball H ...
. His final major league game was with the Cubs on September 3, 1966, at
Forbes Field Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to June 28, 1970. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball (MLB) team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers ...
. He was released by the Cubs on October 3, 1966. He pitched for the
Reading Phillies Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spel ...
during 1967. Roberts was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
in 1976. Ahead of the August 1976 induction, Roberts was named honorary captain of the National League for the
1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 47th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 13, 1976 ...
, which was hosted by the Phillies at
Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capa ...
.


Post-playing career

After one season (1976) as a
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main ( play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and ...
on Phillies broadcasts, Roberts coached the University of South Florida Bulls baseball team from 1977–1985. He led the team to its first NCAA Tournament in 1982, and won six conference titles with the Bulls. His uniform number 36 was the first to be retired by the team and was honored on the center field wall at USF's now-demolished
Red McEwen Field Red McEwen Field (originally USF Baseball Field) was a baseball venue located on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, United States. It opened in 1967 and had a capacity of 2,500 for most of its history. "The Red" was ...
; and is honored on the new
USF Baseball Stadium USF Baseball Stadium at Red McEwen Field is a baseball stadium located in Tampa, Florida, United States. It is home to the University of South Florida Bulls baseball team of the Division I American Athletic Conference. The facility has a cap ...
as well. During the baseball off–season, Roberts toured with the Robin Roberts All–Stars basketball team. The team played against other touring squads, such as the
Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their style of play. Created in 1926 by Tommy Brookins in Chicago, Illinois, the team adopted the name ''Harlem'' because of ...
. Roberts was also the president of the Gold King Seafood Company in Philadelphia, even during his baseball career. This was central to an appearance Roberts made on ''
What's My Line? ''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'' in 1957, where the panelists had to decipher what else he did besides play baseball.


Legacy

In his 19-season career, Roberts compiled a 286–245 record with 2,357 strikeouts, a 3.41 ERA, 305 complete games, 45
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
s, and innings pitched in 676 games. He is second to
Jamie Moyer Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Over his 25-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Moyer pitched for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Bost ...
for the major league record for
home runs allowed In baseball statistics, home runs allowed (HRA) signifies the total number of home runs a pitcher allowed. The Major League Baseball record for the most home runs allowed by any pitcher belongs to Jamie Moyer (522 in his career). He gave up home ru ...
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 hitter, Roberts posted a .167
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
(255-for-1525) with 107 runs, 55
doubles Men's doubles, Women's doubles or Mixed doubles are sports having two players per side, including; * Beach volleyball * Doubles badminton * Doubles curling * Footvolley * Doubles pickleball * Doubles squash * Doubles table tennis * Doubles te ...
, 10 triples, 5
home runs In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, 103 RBI and 135
bases on balls A base on balls (BB), also known as a walk, occurs in baseball when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls '' balls'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called out. The base on balls is defined in Sec ...
. Defensively, he recorded a .967
fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, di ...
. Roberts is the only pitcher in major league history to defeat the Braves franchise in all three cities that the team has been based in: Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta. Roberts's record for home runs allowed can largely be attributed to his durability and his tendency to pitch inside the strike zone. Roberts threw innings during his 19-year career, 21st on the all-time innings pitched list. Moreover, 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, the Philadelphia Phillies honored Roberts with the retirement of his uniform number, 36. In 1966, Roberts was inducted into the
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (PSHF) is a nonprofit organization established in 1962.Home page
Pennsylvania Sports Hall o ...
. In 1969, in conjunction with Major League Baseball's celebration of the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, the Phillies conducted a fan vote to determine the Phillies all-time team. On August 5, 1969, at Connie 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 the
Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame The Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame is a collection of plaques, mounted on a brick wall next to the Left Field Gate at Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark of the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1978 to 2003, the Phillies inducted one figure from th ...
(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 the Phillies Centennial Team. In 1985 during Roberts' last game as coach of the
South Florida Bulls baseball The South Florida Bulls baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, United States. The team competes in the American Athletic Conference of NCAA Division I. Founded in ...
team, USF retired his number 36 In 1992, Roberts was one of 30 members of the charter class of former Michigan State University Spartan athletes, coaches, and administrators inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame. In 1998, the
Wilmington Blue Rocks The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They are located in Wilmington, Delaware, and play their home games at Daniel S. Frawley Stadium. F ...
retired Roberts's No. 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. In 1999, he ranked No. 74 on ''
The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the
Major League Baseball All-Century Team In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball (MLB) players from the 20th century. Over two million f ...
. On July 21, 2003, Roberts returned to
Montpelier, Vermont Montpelier () is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. The site of Vermont's state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population ...
, to accept two honors: The
Vermont Mountaineers The Vermont Mountaineers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Montpelier, Vermont. The team, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays their home games at Montpelier Recreation Field. History In 2001, local citize ...
retired his number from his playing days with the Barre-Montpelier Twin City Trojans, and Governor
Jim Douglas James Holley Douglas (born June 21, 1951) is an American politician from the state of Vermont. A Republican, he served the 80th governor of Vermont from 2003 to 2011. On August 27, 2009, Douglas announced that he would not seek re-election fo ...
presented him a
proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...
that made the day "Robin Roberts Day" in the State of Vermont. On April 3, 2004, the Phillies new ballpark,
Citizens Bank Park Citizens Bank Park is a baseball stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the city's South Philadelphia Sports Complex. It is the home playing field of the Philadelphia Phillies, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. The ...
, 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 the
Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was established in May 2002 to honor individuals and groups who are either area natives who became prominent in the field of sports or who became ...
. In Roberts's home town of Springfield, Illinois, Robin Roberts Stadium is named for the former ballplayer. Roberts was an outspoken critic of Little League baseball. His remarks on the organization appeared in a 1975 ''Newsweek'' article titled "Strike Out Little League". In 2013, the
Bob Feller Act of Valor Award The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, created in 2013, is a set of awards originally presented annually to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a current Major League Baseball player, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer. In 2015, ...
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.


Death

He died of
natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distin ...
on May 6, 2010, at his home in Temple Terrace, Florida. For the remainder of their 2010 season, the Philadelphia Phillies wore a commemorative #36 patch on their uniforms and hung a Robin Roberts jersey in their dugout during home and away games.


Career statistics

*Seven-time All-Star (1950–1956) *Five-time top 10 in
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
voting (1950, 1952–1955) *Six-time 20+ game winner (1950–1955) *Four-time win champion (1952–1955) *Twice led the league in strikeouts (1953–54) *Led league in shutouts (1950) *Six-time league leader in games started (1950–1955) *Five-time league leader in complete games (1952–1956) *Five-time leaguer leader in innings pitched (1951–1955) *Pitched 300+ innings six times (1950–1955) *Ranks 28th on the all-time wins leaderboard *Second-most
home runs allowed In baseball statistics, home runs allowed (HRA) signifies the total number of home runs a pitcher allowed. The Major League Baseball record for the most home runs allowed by any pitcher belongs to Jamie Moyer (522 in his career). He gave up home ru ...
by a pitcher, with 505 *Holds five Philadelphia Phillies team records as of 2010: most
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s pitched, most games pitched, most innings pitched, most hits allowed, and most losses


Career as author

Roberts wrote two books about his baseball experiences: ''The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant'' (1996, ),The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant
from the Temple University Press website
and ''My Life in Baseball'' (2003, ), both with C. Paul Rogers, III, a law professor at
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , p ...
.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders :''This list is for pitchers. For career strikeouts by batters, see List of Major League Baseball career strikeouts by batters leaders The following list is of the top 100 pitchers in career strikeouts in Major League Baseball. In baseball, a stri ...
*
List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders This is a list of Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers with 200 or more career wins. In the sport of baseball, a win is a statistic credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead. A starting pitc ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders In baseball, earned run average (ERA) is a statistic used to evaluate pitchers, calculated as the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. A pitcher is assessed an earned run for each run scored by a baserunner who reach ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders In baseball, the strikeout is a statistic used to evaluate pitchers. A pitcher earns a strikeout when he puts out the batter he is facing by throwing a ball through the strike zone, "defined as that area over homeplate ''(sic)'' the upper limi ...
*
List of Major League Baseball annual wins leaders Major League Baseball recognizes the player or players in each league with the most wins each season. In baseball, wins are a statistic used to evaluate pitchers. Credit for a win is given by the official scorer to the pitcher whose team takes a ...
*
List of Major League Baseball pitchers who have thrown an immaculate inning In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum possible number of pitche ...
* List of Sporting News Player of the Year * List of Sporting News Pitcher of the Year


References


Further reading

* * *


External links


Robin Roberts
at SABR (Baseball BioProject)
Robin Roberts
at Baseball Almanac
Robin Roberts
at Baseball Biography
Robin Roberts
at The Baseball Page *
History: Tributes: Robin Roberts / 1926–2010
MLB.com. {{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Robin 1926 births 2010 deaths American people of Welsh descent Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Illinois Chicago Cubs players Houston Astros coaches Houston Astros players Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Michigan State Spartans baseball players Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees National League All-Stars National League strikeout champions National League wins champions People from Temple Terrace, Florida Philadelphia Phillies announcers Philadelphia Phillies players Reading Phillies players South Florida Bulls baseball coaches Sportspeople from Springfield, Illinois United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Wilmington Blue Rocks (1940–1952) players American men's basketball players