. Free passes were extremely rare when the gentlemanly hurler from Springfield, Illinois, was delivering to the dish. On the contrary, the gentlemanly mounds man attacked the strike zone with such consistency with his sparkling four-seam fastball and biting slider out of a delivery with no wasted motion that he became a model for generations of pitchers.From 1948 to 1966, Robin Roberts went 286-245 for largely inferior teams (besides the pennant-winning 1950 “Whiz Kids” Philadelphia Phillies), but his superior ability and class always gave fans a reason to cheer.Today, those cheers have turned into pleas for the days of yore – the great Robin Roberts can no longer take the hill.
Robin Roberts’ demise came as a surprise
USA Today reports that the Philadelphia Phillies have released a statement to the media, announcing that Robin Roberts died of natural causes at his home in Temple Terrace, FL.No indications of ill health had made it to the media, although Roberts was 83 years old.He is survived by four sons, a brother, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson.Robin Roberts is the second high-profile member of the Philadelphia Phillies family to have died within the past year, as broadcaster Harry Kalas died at the beginning of the 2009 season.
Robin Roberts led the Phillies from 1948 to 1961
Robin Roberts played within the Majors for 19 years (14 in Phil.) and always kept the strike zone under control.Roberts’ control was a double-edged sword in that it kept hitters from being able to wait out a walk, but it also made him prone to serving up home runs.In fact, the 505 homers he surrendered over the course of his career are a lot more than any pitcher in Major League history.But Roberts was still one of the best right-handers within the National League during his tenure with Philadelphia.Robin Roberts’ place alongside Philadelphia Phillies greats Grover Cleveland Alexander and Steve Carlton is a lot more than secure.Setting aside the glory of the pennant-winning 1950 season, Roberts’ best statistical year was 1952, when he led the National League with 28 victories.
Roberts loved the Phillies rain or shine
According to son Jim Roberts, Robin Roberts never missed a game on TV.The old Whiz Kid took special enjoyment from the Phillies’ recent success (two World Series appearances over the past two seasons).Giddy exclamations like “Did you see Jimmy (Rollins) make that play?” or “I wish I had Brad (Lidge’s) slider!” characterized just how much of the wide-eyed child Robin Roberts never lost.But the thing is, that wide-eyed young man within the twilight of his years sported quite a slide-piece himself.
Resources for the article
USA Today
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/05/hall-of-famer-robin-roberts-dead-at-83/1
Robin Roberts
http://daily.phanaticmag.com/2010/05/phillies-hall-of-famer-robin-roberts.html
