Curt Roberts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Curt Roberts |
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| Second baseman | |||
| Born: August 16, 1929 Pineland, Texas |
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| Died: November 14, 1969 (aged 40) Oakland, California |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NgL: 1947, for the Kansas City Monarchs | |||
| MLB: April 13, 1954, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 8, 1956, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .223 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 40 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Curtis Benjamin Roberts (born August 16, 1929 – died November 14, 1969) was an American baseball player. He played as a second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1954 to 1956.
Roberts was the first black player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He joined the team after playing two seasons in their minor league system. He started as the main second baseman in his first year. However, his playing time soon decreased, and he left the Major Leagues after three seasons. He then played for other teams in the minor leagues before ending his professional baseball career in 1963.
Curt Roberts was born in Pineland, Texas, but grew up in Oakland, California. He was known as a skilled defensive player. Sadly, Roberts died in a car accident. His former teammates only found out about his death 20 years later. Even though Roberts' career was short, he helped open the door for other black players to join the Pirates. One of the most famous was future Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.
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Early Baseball Career
Roberts was born in Texas but grew up in Oakland, California. He went to McClymonds High School in West Oakland. Many other famous athletes, like Frank Robinson and Bill Russell, also went to this school.
At 17, Roberts began his professional baseball journey. He joined the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro leagues. He played four seasons (1947–1950) with the Monarchs. His teammates included baseball legends like Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil.
In 1951, the Boston Braves signed Roberts. A scout named Andy Cohen saw him play in the Mexican League. Roberts was sent to the Braves' minor league team, the Denver Bears. In 1952, the Bears became part of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Roberts then joined the Pirates for $10,000.
Roberts started as a shortstop in the Negro leagues. But with the Bears, he became a second baseman. He quickly became known as an excellent fielder. In 1953, he had the best fielding percentage among all minor league second basemen. He played two seasons with the Bears, hitting 15 home runs and having a .285 batting average.
Major League Debut
Before the 1954 Pittsburgh Pirates season, the black community in Pittsburgh wanted the team to integrate its roster. Other teams, like the Brooklyn Dodgers, had already done this. People even protested and boycotted Pirates home games to push for change.
The Pirates' general manager at the time was Branch Rickey. He was the same person who signed Jackie Robinson, the first black Major League Baseball player, seven years earlier. After two years in the Pirates' minor league system, Roberts made his MLB debut on April 13, 1954. This made him the first black player in Pirates history.
Before the game, Rickey gave Roberts a speech. He told Roberts that he needed to stay calm and have a "very even temper." This was because racial abuse from fans was common back then. Rickey chose Roberts because of his skills and calm personality.
In his first time at bat, Roberts hit a triple. He also hit a double in the same game. On June 11, he hit his only career home run against the St. Louis Cardinals. Roberts finished the 1954 season as the main second baseman. He batted .232 with one home run and 36 runs batted in (RBI) in 134 games.
Later Major League Career
The 1955 Pittsburgh Pirates season started with Roberts in a slump. He had only two hits in his first 18 times at bat. On April 17, his wild throw led to a run for the Brooklyn Dodgers. This play was a key factor in the Pirates' 3-2 loss.
Some thought that the racial pressure was affecting Roberts. Jackie Robinson even wrote him a letter to offer encouragement. However, Roberts was soon sent down to the minor leagues. He spent the rest of 1955 with the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League. While there, Roberts set a league record. He played 40 games at second base without making an error. He also got a concussion after being hit by a pitch.
Roberts competed for the second base job before the 1956 Pittsburgh Pirates season. He played 31 games early in the year, mostly as a backup. He hit .177 with four runs batted in. He eventually lost his starting job to future Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski. On May 1, Roberts hit a game-winning double in the ninth inning. Two days later, he made his last career RBI.
After the Major Leagues
Roberts was traded to the Kansas City Athletics in June 1956. He never played a game for them. They sent him to the Columbus Jets in the International League. Pittsburgh's main black newspaper, the Pittsburgh Courier, said Roberts never had a fair chance in the Majors. But the Pirates' general manager, Joe L. Brown, said Roberts was a "marginal Major Leaguer" because his hitting was weak.
On August 27, Roberts made history for the Columbus Jets. He hit four home runs in one game! This was only the fifth time a player had done this in International League history.
Before the 1957 season, Roberts was traded to the New York Yankees. He played for their minor league team in Denver. Roberts received votes for the American Association's Most Valuable Player award that year. However, he never returned to the Major Leagues. He became a journeyman in the minor leagues. He even played baseball in Nicaragua for a time.
In 1959, Roberts played for the Montreal Royals. He led the league in fielding percentage with .987 and was named the Royals' Most Valuable Player. He was also chosen for the International League All-Star game. In 1961, Roberts broke his leg after colliding with a teammate. This injury practically ended his career. He played two more seasons in the minors, but his skills were not the same. Roberts retired from baseball after the 1963 season.
Life After Baseball
Curt Roberts was married and had six children. After his baseball career, he worked as a security guard for the University of California, Berkeley.
A newspaper article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called Roberts a "forgotten pioneer." Before this article, most of Roberts' old teammates did not know he had died nearly 20 years earlier.
Playing Style
Baseball experts thought Roberts was an excellent fielder. By 1960, he was considered one of the best second basemen in the minor leagues because he was a "slick fielder." Former teammate Nellie King said Roberts was amazing at handling ground balls. King believed Roberts had a short Major League career because the Pirates "didn't give him enough time" to improve his skills.
Roberts struggled with hitting well enough to stay in the Major Leagues. He had trouble hitting the "big-league curve." In his three seasons with the Pirates, Roberts had a career .223 batting average. He hit one home run and had 40 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .299. At second base, he had a fielding percentage of .969.
Legacy
Even with his short Major League career, Roberts helped pave the way for other black players to join the Pirates. The most famous was future Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. Roberts became friends with Clemente. He taught Clemente how to deal with racial abuse and the huge pressure he had faced. This helped Clemente adjust to the Pirates. At that time, only Clemente, Roberts, and third baseman Gene Baker were black players on the team.
Journalist Tom Singer said Roberts' legacy came from his career not being a huge success. Singer explained that because Roberts was not a "superstar," it showed that black players did not have to be perfect to play in the Major Leagues. This made the integration process more "humanized" and easier for other black players.
In 1997, 28 years after his death, the Pittsburgh Pirates honored Roberts. This was part of the Jackie Robinson Day celebrations. Roberts was honored again in 2006 for the opening of the Pirates' Negro League exhibit at PNC Park. His family attended the ceremony. In 2007, a park in his hometown of Pineland, Texas, was named in his honor.
See also
