My Life in Baseball

by Robin Roberts, C. Paul Rogers III, Stan Musial (Foreword)

Hall of Famer Robin Roberts was baseball's most dominant pitcher from 1950 to 1955. He was the ace of the Whiz Kids rotation that led the Phillies to the NL pennant in 1950. In 1966 Roberts introduced Marvin Miller to the players' union, a major chapter in baseball history.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin Evan(his parents called him Evan) Roberts was my childhood idol. After reading this autobiography, he remains even more so. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was about nine at Shibe Park, and he spoke to me(and patted me in the stomach): it thrilled me for a life time. Then when he was sixty three, I met him at an autograph event in the late 80's. I retold the story of meeting him and he was just as elegantly kind as he was on that earlier day. He writes honestly, plainly, humbly, but not contrived. His baseball career was remarkable and in a sense represents the continuum of baseball. His coach Ray Fischer, during summers in his college days, was a professional pitcher who had won a game against Big Ed Walsh of the Chicago White Sox in 1910. And Robin Roberts followed suit when he became the only pitcher to have pitched against the Boston Braves, the Milwaukee Braves, and the Atlanta Braves. Think of all the players and eras that encompasses! There are so many names that bring chills to my heart that he competed with and against-far too many to name like Putsy Caballero, Willie "Puddin Head" Jones, Bill "Swish" Nicholson, Curt Simmons, Richie Ashburn, Steve Ridzik, Lew Burdette and so many more. But what comes through is, not the fact that he pitched 305 complete games, that he pitched 28 consecutive complete games, started five All-Star games, or won twenty or more games six consecutive years, but rather his fiercely competitive nature and his genuine love and commitment to the game. He did it all with "an easy and fast"motion and a drop and drive delivery. He won 286 games with essentially one pitch, a fastball that he controlled with precision. He loved the game so much, he never wanted to give up. Even in 1967 with a chip in his elbow he still believed he could get batters out, but Cy Perkins his confidence building guru was dead and Robie faced the reality of life after baseball. I was surprised to have my memory refreshed by how well he threw after his release from the Phillies when he hooked on with the Orioles and became "the old man" to roomie Jim Palmer. And I never realized he had been a pitcher/coach with Leo Durocher on the 66 Cubs team. Robin's selection first as Phillies team player rep and then NL player rep led him to become a major force in the ascension of Marvin Miller as Executive Director of the Players Association.(Something for which his old patron Bob Carpenter never forgave him). I found it fascinating if not a bit naive that Robin believed that the commissioner, owners, and players could work for what was best in the interests of baseball and the fans rather than to resort to litigation and strikes. He expresses his profound disappointment in Marvin Miller for evolving from a facilitator to a man with an agenda that was inimical at times to the interests of the game itself. But that was the nature of Robin Roberts and his love for the game. I could spend hours writing but no one would read further. I'll simply say that I will never forget Robin Roberts and if you want to read a story that spans 1948 through the union years, filled with anecdotes and descriptions of important games and its players, make sure you put this on your to read list.

[Chuck Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My Life in Baseball" by Robin Roberts (with C. Paul Rogers) is an excellent reflection by Roberts on his life in baseball. Actually, the copy I have is titled "Throwing Hard and Easy: reflections on a Life in Baseball", which is the same book but with an additional forward and introduction made for the reprinting after Mr. Roberts death.
Robin Roberts was a great pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1950's. By the time I began following baseball in the 1960's, his great years were behind him but he was still an effective pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. What makes this book a little different from many other autobiographies is the way he weaves stories about himself and other players into his accounts, so it more like a chat with a friend than a history lesson. Robin Roberts reveals himself to be an interesting man. He loved to compete and win, he wouldn't let his four boys beat him growing up in sports and when they started to overtake him at basketball, for example, he stopped playing that with them. He loved his coach Cy Perkins, an old former catcher who never offered advise but gave him confidence and total support. Other than Perkins, Roberts had almost nothing to do with any of his other coaches or managers. When the Phillies let Perkins go because he was too old, Roberts offered to pay Perkins salary if they would keep him as a coach. They didn't, and Roberts was never quite as good afterward. Roberts was a bit aloof but had close friends with the Phillies, especially fellow hurler Curt Simmons (they were neighbors for many years and co-owned a golf course that one of Robert's sons manages now) and outfielder Richie Ashburn. Before he married, Roberts lived during the season in a Philadelphia boardinghouse run by Ashburn's parents. They lived in Nebraska, but during the baseball season they moved to Philadelphia and rented a house so they could see Richie play. When age and arm problems eroded his performance, Roberts refused to give it up, going back to the minors to prove himself. At the time I felt it was sad, but the book explained his reasons why. After his playing career Roberts hoped to work for the Phillies, but the owner was mad at him for getting the player's union to hire Marvin Miller and never offered him a position. Roberts himself came to regret many of Miller's actions. Roberts did well after baseball, including becoming a college coach, and had a wonderful home life with his wife Mary.
I am sure Mr. Rogers helped a lot with the book, I have read other books by him and he is a good author. I enjoyed the book a lot, it was a fun and interesting read. I highly recommend it to all baseball fans.

[Peter Sprigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I was a Phillies fan as a kid, although not until just after the Roberts era in Philadelphia. There were times when he gave a little too much detail about his and other players' stats. However, there were also some funny and fascinating personal anecdotes. You definitely get a sense of how different baseball was in the 50s--with pitchers pitching complete games, even long extra-inning ones, for example. One of the things I thought was most interesting was that after his major league career, Roberts was not able to get a managing or coaching job in the majors. He attributes it to the fact that he was involved in the early days of the Players' Association (union), and was instrumental in hiring Marvin Miller as their first full-time executive director. The owners hated Miller, and never forgave Roberts. (Roberts says that Miller promised that he would never have ballplayers go out on strike--a promise which he broke.) I wouldn't call it a riveting book, but if you are a Phillies fan old enough to remember the 1950s (especially the pennant-winning 1950 "Whiz Kids"), then it might be worth a read.

[Kenneth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Roberts is a throwback and this book is a visit to the way it was in baseball, pre Marvin Miller and pre-Jim Bouton. Interestingly, at the end of his career, Roberts was a team mate of Bouton’s , and Roberts is the man who got Marvin Miller hired by the Players Association! There is a whole lot of name dropping in this book and many, many cool anecdotes. Roberts has an incredible memory can recall almost every start he made in baseball. He was a very hard worker, a true competitor, and not a complainer. He doesn’t point fingers but years later can better recognize and accept his mistakes. He is a true gentleman. I loved reading his account. Play Ball!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

via NYPL - engaging and detailed autobiography. Roberts has an amazing memory for details, tells wonderful stories about fellow players, and discusses his role in bringing Marvin Miller into the Player's Association and all the good (and bad) that Robin believes came along with Marvin.

[Douglas Graney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad. The descriptions of games run into each other. Really enjoyed his post playing career chapters. And he's answer to great trivia question- Who is only pitcher to beat Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves and Atlanta Braves?