Eddie Robinson (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eddie Robinson |
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Robinson with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1953
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: December 15, 1920 Paris, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: October 4, 2021 (aged 100) Bastrop, Texas, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 9, 1942, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 15, 1957, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .268 | ||
| Home runs | 172 | ||
| Runs batted in | 723 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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William Edward "Eddie" Robinson (born December 15, 1920 – died October 4, 2021) was an American baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was also a scout, coach, and a leader in baseball team offices.
Eddie Robinson played for 13 years, from 1942 to 1957. During his career, he played for seven of the eight teams in the American League. He even wrote a book about his life in baseball called Lucky Me: My Sixty-five Years in Baseball.
Robinson was a very special player. He was the last living person to have played in the 1943 "Navy World Series." He was also the last player alive from the Cleveland Indians team that won the World Series in 1948. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living player from a World Series-winning team. He was also the oldest living player whose baseball career was paused because he served in World War II.
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Early Life in Baseball
Eddie Robinson was born and grew up in Paris, Texas. He was the only child of William Edward and Hazel Robinson. His father was an electrician. When Eddie was 12, his parents divorced. He later went to Paris Junior College.
Playing Career Highlights
Eddie Robinson was a left-handed batter and threw with his right hand. He played in the minor leagues for four seasons. Then, in 1942, he was called up to play for the Cleveland Indians.
After the 1942 season, he joined the U.S. Navy and served for three years during World War II. He got a leg injury while serving, but he recovered well enough to have a great career in baseball.
His biggest team moment was helping the Cleveland Indians win the 1948 World Series. He was 27 years old then. Even after being traded, he continued to play very well. He had his best seasons with the Washington Senators (1949–50) and the Chicago White Sox (1950–52). In 1951, he started working with Paul Richards, who became his manager.
Overall, Eddie played in 1,315 games. He had a batting average of .268, hit 172 home runs, and had 723 runs batted in. He was also a great defensive player at first base, with a .990 fielding percentage.
Eddie was chosen as an All-Star four times. He was the starting first baseman for the American League in the 1949 and 1952 All-Star games. In the 1949 game, he hit a single that brought in Joe DiMaggio for a run. In the 1952 game, he singled to score Minnie Miñoso.
On April 25, 1951, he hit a home run so far that it went out of the old Comiskey Park stadium. This was a rare and powerful hit!
In 1955, while playing for the New York Yankees, Eddie hit 16 home runs even though he only had 36 hits all season. He also had more runs batted in (42) than hits.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Eddie Robinson became a coach for the Baltimore Orioles. He then worked in their player development department, helping young players improve. He followed his friend Paul Richards to the Houston Astros.
Later, he became the director of the farm system for the Kansas City Athletics in the mid-1960s. In 1968, he joined Richards again in the office of the Atlanta Braves. He became the general manager (GM) of the Braves in 1972 and stayed in that role until 1976. A general manager is in charge of the team's players and overall strategy.
Robinson then worked for the Texas Rangers. He was a co-general manager in 1977 and then the sole GM from 1978 to 1982. Even though the Rangers had some good seasons, a tough 1982 season led to him leaving the GM job.
He continued to work in baseball as a scout and consultant. His last job was as a scout for the Boston Red Sox. This was interesting because the Red Sox were the only team of the original eight American League clubs he hadn't played for!
Eddie Robinson was the last living player from the 1948 Cleveland Indians World Series championship team. He even attended Game 6 of the 2016 World Series in Cleveland, where the Indians played.
Personal Life
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Eddie Robinson served three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his basic training, he married Elayne Elder in February 1943. They had two children, but sadly, one of them passed away when they were young. They divorced in 1951.
In 1955, he married Bette Farlow. They raised three sons: Marc, Drew, and Paul. For many years, they lived in Fort Worth, Texas. They also grew and sold pecans from a farm near Austin, Texas.
On December 15, 2020, Eddie Robinson turned 100 years old! He was working on a podcast called "The Golden Age of Baseball." He hoped to use it to raise money for the Alzheimer's Foundation.
Death
Eddie Robinson passed away on October 4, 2021, at his ranch in Bastrop, Texas. He was 100 years old.
