Bob Robertson
Encyclopedia
Robert Eugene Robertson (born October 2, 1946 in Mt. Savage, Maryland)http://www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org/In%20the%20news/bob%20robertson.htm is a former first baseman
in Major League Baseball
. Robertson, who batted and threw right-handed, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
(1967–1976), Seattle Mariners
(1978) and Toronto Blue Jays
(1979). He missed the entire 1968 season due to a kidney obstruction.http://www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org/In%20the%20news/bob%20robertson.htm
Touted as “another Ralph Kiner
” after leading the minor leagues in home run
s three times, Robertson broke into the Pirates’ regular lineup in playing alongside future Hall-of-Famers Roberto Clemente
and Willie Stargell
. He batted
.287 with 27 home runs and 82 runs batted in
(all career highs) on a team that won the National League East
Division, the Pirates' first trip to the post-season since winning the 1960 World Series
. However, they were defeated in the National League Championship Series
by the Cincinnati Reds
.
In Robertson hit .271 with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs. That year, the Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants
in the NLCS
, and the Baltimore Orioles
4 games to 3 to win the World Series
. In the NLCS he hit four home runs (a record later tied by Steve Garvey
in 1978
and Jeffrey Leonard
in 1987
), three of them in the Pirates’ Game Two victory, which was played the day after Robertson's 25th birthday. He also added a double, setting the record for most total bases in a post-season game, as well as tying the record of 4 long hits a post-season game. Robertson would hit two more home runs in the World Series; one of those came in Game Three of Baltimore starter Mike Cuellar
with Clemente on second and Stargell on first. Third-base coach Frank Oceak
had given Robertson the bunt sign in this at-bat, but Robertson, who had no sacrifice bunts on the season and only one the year before, missed it. Television replays would show that Clemente had appeared to call time-out just before that pitch; however, Cuellar was already in his windup at the time. Steve Blass
, the winning pitcher in that Game Three, was sitting next to manager Danny Murtaugh
in the Pirate dugout. The pitcher offered to pay the fine if Murtaugh imposed one on Robertson for missing the bunt sign. Murtaugh didn't. http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/pigreat2.html#robertson
In the years following the World Series title, however Robertson slumped, hitting only .193 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in , .239 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in and .229 with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs in . After having surgery done on both knees in 1974 he was reduced to only a part-time player.
In his career, Robertson batted .242 with 115 home runs and 368 RBI in 829 games played
. Known for his massive power, he hit the first home run ever hit into the left-field upper deck of Three Rivers Stadium
—one of only 13 upper-deck home runs in the stadium's history. http://www.mindspring.com/~gearhard/stadiums.html#upperdeck His shot came off San Diego Padre
pitcher Steve Arlin
on July 16, 1971. Pirate announcer Bob Prince
called Robertson "The Mount Savage Strongboy"http://www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org/In%20the%20news/bob%20robertson.htm and once said of him, "Robertson could hit a ball out of any park—including Yellowstone
." http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/pigreat2.html#robertson
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. Robertson, who batted and threw right-handed, played for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1967–1976), Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(1978) and Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
(1979). He missed the entire 1968 season due to a kidney obstruction.http://www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org/In%20the%20news/bob%20robertson.htm
Touted as “another Ralph Kiner
Ralph Kiner
Ralph McPherran Kiner is an American former Major League Baseball player and has been an announcer for the New York Mets since the team's inception. Though injuries forced his retirement from active play after 10 seasons, Kiner's tremendous slugging outpaced nearly all of his National League...
” after leading the minor leagues in home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s three times, Robertson broke into the Pirates’ regular lineup in playing alongside future Hall-of-Famers Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
and Willie Stargell
Willie Stargell
Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
. He batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.287 with 27 home runs and 82 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
(all career highs) on a team that won the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
Division, the Pirates' first trip to the post-season since winning the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
. However, they were defeated in the National League Championship Series
1970 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 3, 1970 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaCincinnati boasted dual heroes in subduing the Pirates in the opening game. Gary Nolan, an 18-game winner during the regular season, pitched nine shutout innings to edge Dock Ellis...
by the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
In Robertson hit .271 with 26 home runs and 72 RBIs. That year, the Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the NLCS
1971 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 2, 1971 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaWith aces Gaylord Perry and Steve Blass taking the mound for their respective teams, Game 1 looked to be a pitchers duel. It sort of was for four innings; the Pirates struck for two in the top of the third when Dave...
, and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
4 games to 3 to win the World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
. In the NLCS he hit four home runs (a record later tied by Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
in 1978
1978 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 4, 1978 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaBecause of having to start an NL East-clinching game a few days earlier, Phillies ace Steve Carlton wasn't available for the start of the series, leaving the task to Larry Christenson...
and Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey Leonard
Jeffrey N. Leonard is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball with a 14-year career from to...
in 1987
1987 National League Championship Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 6, 1987 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Giants struck first on an RBI groundout by Candy Maldonado, but the Cardinals tied it in the third on Vince Coleman's RBI single...
), three of them in the Pirates’ Game Two victory, which was played the day after Robertson's 25th birthday. He also added a double, setting the record for most total bases in a post-season game, as well as tying the record of 4 long hits a post-season game. Robertson would hit two more home runs in the World Series; one of those came in Game Three of Baltimore starter Mike Cuellar
Mike Cuellar
Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana [KWAY-ar] was a Cuban left-handed starting pitcher who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Baltimore Orioles and California Angels...
with Clemente on second and Stargell on first. Third-base coach Frank Oceak
Frank Oceak
Frank John Oceak was an American infielder and manager in minor league baseball and a coach in Major League Baseball for 11 seasons between and...
had given Robertson the bunt sign in this at-bat, but Robertson, who had no sacrifice bunts on the season and only one the year before, missed it. Television replays would show that Clemente had appeared to call time-out just before that pitch; however, Cuellar was already in his windup at the time. Steve Blass
Steve Blass
Stephen Robert "Steve" Blass is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher and a current broadcast announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.-Playing career:Blass was born in Canaan, Connecticut...
, the winning pitcher in that Game Three, was sitting next to manager Danny Murtaugh
Danny Murtaugh
Daniel Edward Murtaugh was an American second baseman, manager, front-office executive and coach in Major League Baseball best known for his 29-year association with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a player and manager...
in the Pirate dugout. The pitcher offered to pay the fine if Murtaugh imposed one on Robertson for missing the bunt sign. Murtaugh didn't. http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/pigreat2.html#robertson
In the years following the World Series title, however Robertson slumped, hitting only .193 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI in , .239 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in and .229 with 16 home runs and 48 RBIs in . After having surgery done on both knees in 1974 he was reduced to only a part-time player.
In his career, Robertson batted .242 with 115 home runs and 368 RBI in 829 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. Known for his massive power, he hit the first home run ever hit into the left-field upper deck of Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
—one of only 13 upper-deck home runs in the stadium's history. http://www.mindspring.com/~gearhard/stadiums.html#upperdeck His shot came off San Diego Padre
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
pitcher Steve Arlin
Steve Arlin
Steven Ralph Arlin is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. In six major league seasons, Arlin pitched for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians .-College Star:...
on July 16, 1971. Pirate announcer Bob Prince
Bob Prince
Robert Ferris Prince was an American radio and television sportscaster and commentator best known for his 28-year stint as the voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball club, with whom he earned the nickname “The Gunner” and became a cultural icon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Prince was...
called Robertson "The Mount Savage Strongboy"http://www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org/In%20the%20news/bob%20robertson.htm and once said of him, "Robertson could hit a ball out of any park—including Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
." http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/pigreat2.html#robertson