Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball

by Eddie Robinson

Eddie Robinson’s career spans the pre-integration era before and during World War II, integration, the organization of the players union, expansion, use of artificial turf, free agency, labor stoppages, and even the steroid era. Today Eddie is working to secure pension benefits for former players not covered by the major league labor agreement. During his six and a half decades in America’s pastime, Eddie has known, played with or against, or worked for Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Tris Speaker, Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Bill Veeck, Clark Griffith, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Casey Stengel, Whitey Ford, Brooks Robinson, Paul Richards, Charley Finley, Hank Aaron, Ted Turner, and George Steinbrenner. “Eddie Robinson was a fine ballplayer. He had a remarkably long, fascinating, and colorful career as a baseball scout and front-office man for many big-league teams. I know of no work that gives as much insight into the front-office machinations in baseball organizations. His autobiography will interest people inside baseball who remember Eddie and many others who enjoy reading about the experiences of men who’ve been in the game.”—Charles C. Alexander, author of Ty Cobb
“Eddie Robinson was general manager when I was asked to manage the Orioles 1960 Winter Instructional League team. He took me under his wing and showed me just by being himself how a major leaguer should act. When I later became the Orioles manager, all the things I learned from him were invaluable to my future successes.”—Earl Weaver, Hall of Fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles
“Of those sixty-five years in baseball, I’ve known Eddie for fifty-five of them—as a dear friend, a business partner, and as a terrific baseball player. Major league baseball needs more people like Eddie.”—Brooks C. Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 11, 2011

Reviews

[Joe Swearingen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of a life in baseball. Eddie Robinson is part of a breakfast club I started going to since I have retired. I love baseball and he figured that out early. We talked baseball and I learned he played in MLB and that he wrote this book. It took a while to find a copy as it is not in print. It truly is a Lucky Me story. My luck is enhanced by knowing Eddie and being exposed to this book and him and his story.

[Kenneth Flusche]

Best Baseball Book I've read in a while. I even knew most of the players

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book after listening to Eddie Robinson on some podcasts, he has just turned 100. An incredible life in baseball and so many stories told in this book. The book reads as you might hear someone tell stories with many tangents along the way. As a baseball fan I enjoyed his many stories and him retelling about his amazing career over his 65 years in the sport.

[Chuck Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very interesting book. Many baseball fans don't know who Eddie Robinson is, but he has had a very long career in baseball. A player in the majors in the 40's and 50's, for a period he was one of the finest first baseman in the American League. He served in World War Two, but spent his years in service playing ball in camps. An All-Star as a Senator, White Sox and Philadelphia A, in the World Series with the Indians and Yankees, he covered the ups and downs in a very readable manner. As his playing career wound down he moved into scouting, front office positions and General Manager jobs with the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers. He was successful but never able to build a championship team as the G.M., but has many interesting stories to tell. Mr. Robinson is still alive, in his mid 90's, and still attending ball games. (I watched a spring training Ranger game where they showed him in the stands, the announcer Tom Grieve mentioned his book.) I enjoyed the book, a fun and interesting read.

[Frank Taranto · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intersting buch of little stories that made up Eddie Robinson's 65 years in baseball.

[Russell R · Rating 4 out of 5]

good baseball book