Uncle Robbie

by Jack Kavanagh, Norman L. Macht

Hall of Fame member Wilbert Robinson began his career as a catcher. As a Baltimore Oriole in the 1890s the hard-nosed but congenial receiver joined John McGraw, Wee Willie Keeler, and other greats on the roughest team of the game’s toughest era. He went on to make a reputation with McGraw’s New York Giants as a great developer of pitchers. Subsequently he took over the Brooklyn Dodgers, quickly turning them into pennant winners and gradually becoming the borough’s beloved Uncle Robbie.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems as though the Baseball Hall of Fame is on a mission to make sure that baseball legends of the
past get their due for posterity with a lot of biographies written over the last decade. One of them is
Wilbert Robinson who before Jackie Robinson was THE Robinson identified with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Known to one and all as Uncle Robbie, he was a rotund gentleman who back in his playing days was the catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the first catcher who stood behind the plate. Up to
then they stood some 10 to 20 feet away. He was a superb handler of pitchers as catcher and later as
manager.

Robinson also on 6/10/1892 in a game with the St.Louis Browns, Uncle Robbie made history by being
the only one of two men ever to go 7 for 7 in a regulation 9 inning major league game. The second
was Rennie Stennett of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975.

Robinson could be tough and be as a much a scrapper as the rest of the old Orioles if needed. But
generally he was a roly poly placid sort. Good friend of John McGraw, they were business partners
as well as teammates in a few different enterprises. McGraw hired Robinson as a coach for the
Giants.

They fell out and Robinson quit to go manage the Brooklyn Dodgers. He brought them National
League pennants in 1916 and 1920 and a near miss in 1924. Sad though for the rest of his tenure
with the Dodgers the team descended into a slapstick outfit.

When Charles Ebbetts ran the Dodgers Robbie had his firm support. But when Ebbetts died in 1925
Robbie spent the rest of his tenure in a quarrel with surviving partner Steve McKeever. The team
suffered because of it.

Uncle Robbie as his name and portly demeanor implies was a jolly soul much loved in Brooklyn. He
was also the butt of a great practical joke when instead of a baseball the former catcher caught a
grapefruit thrown from a plane by aviatrix Ruth Laws which exploded against his chest protector.
Twas thought that Casey Stengel was responsible, but the real story is in the book.

Uncle Robbie, one colorful character.

[Chuck Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Uncle Robbie" is a biography of Wilbert Robinson, a baseball player at the end of the 19th Century and the manager of the Brooklyn Robins (better known today as Dodgers) team. Robinson is best remembered today as a rather fat, easy-going manager of some rather bumbling teams in the 1920's. The book shows the readers he was a lot more than that. The book is well researched and gives some amazing details into his early playing days. It looks into his days with the rough and tumble Baltimore Orioles in the 1890's, his great friendship with John McGraw and later a falling out that lasted for decades. The book also provides information not only about Robbie but also about the players under him, including Casey Stengel, Dazzy Vance, Burleigh Grimes, Jack Fournier, Zack Wheat and Jake Daubert. The book also answered some questions I had about lesser-known players. One example is Johnny Frederick, a star player for a few seasons then reduced to a bench role in his prime years. I discovered he had serious leg injuries. Another was hurler Johnny Morrison, a solid pitcher who suddenly left the majors. I assumed he had an injury, but discovered he had a serious drinking problem and went on a bender and never returned to the team. The book shows he was an excellent handler of pitchers, being a former catcher, and helped a number of aging hurlers regain their form and winning ways. He led the Robins (named after him) to two World Series in 1916 and 1920 and had his teams in a number of other successful seasons during his long tenure as manager. Robinson also was a success in business, becoming a wealthy man. We get to see his family life, a wife that could debate his baseball decisions and a son that died young. I believe "Uncle Robbie" is a very good book and a great read for all baseball fans of the game's early years.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting biography of Wilbert Robinson and the early years of baseball. Well written and easy read.

[Rodger Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

SABR-produced.