Eddie Robinson (baseball)

Infobox MLB retired
bgcolor1=silver
bgcolor2=black
textcolor1=black
textcolor2=white
name=Eddie Robinson


position=First Baseman
bats=Left
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1920|12|15
debutdate=September 9
debutyear=by|1942
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
finaldate=September 15
finalyear=by|1957
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.268
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=172
stat3label=RBI
stat3value=723
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (by|1942, by|1946-by|1948, by|1957)
*Washington Senators (by|1949–by|1950)
*Chicago White Sox (by|1950–by|1952)
*Philadelphia Athletics (by|1953)
*New York Yankees (by|1954–by|1956)
*Kansas City Athletics (by|1956)
*Detroit Tigers (by|1957)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|1957)
highlights=
*All star 1949-1953

William Edward Robinson (born December 15, 1920 in Paris, Texas) is a retired American first baseman, scout. coach and front office executive in Major League Baseball. During a 13-year playing career (1942; 1946-57), Robinson played for seven of the eight American League teams then in existence.

Career

A lefthanded batter who threw righthanded, Robinson helped his first team, the Cleveland Indians, win the 1948 world championship. He was then traded during that offseason; at his next two stops, with the Washington Senators (1949-50) and the Chicago White Sox (1950-52), he enjoyed his most productive seasons. Overall, he appeared in 1,315 games and batted .268 with 172 home runs.

Upon retirement, he became a coach for the Baltimore Orioles and then moved into their player development department. A protege of Orioles manager Paul Richards, he followed Richards to the Houston Astros, then worked as the farm system director of the Kansas City Athletics during the tempestuous ownership of Charlie Finley in the mid-1960s. In by|1968 he rejoined Richards in the front office of the Atlanta Braves. He succeeded Richards as general manager of the Braves during the 1972 season, serving through early 1976 in that post.

Robinson then returned to the American League as a member of the Texas Rangers front office. In 1977, Robinson was named co-general manager (with Dan O'Brien) of the Rangers, and he became sole GM from 1978-82. Although the Rangers posted winning seasons in 1977, 1978 and 1981, a disastrous 1982 campaign cost Robinson his GM job.

He continued his career in the game as a scout and player development consultant, however. In a bit of irony, Robinson's last job in the game was as a scout for the Boston Red Sox - the only team of the "original eight" AL clubs that he did not play for.

Best season

*by|1951: .282 BA, 29 HR, 117 RBI

Highlights

*Four-time All-Star (1949, 1951-53)

ee also

* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* Chicago White Sox all-time roster

External links

* [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=robined01 Baseball Almanac]
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/R/Robinson_Eddie.stm Baseball Library]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/robined01.shtml Baseball Reference]