Yank Robinson
Encyclopedia
William H. "Yank" Robinson (September 19, 1859 - August 25, 1894) was a Major League Baseball
player who played ten years in the Major Leagues from - .
, Yank played for six Major League teams: Detroit Wolverines
(1882), Baltimore Monumentals
, St. Louis Browns
(-), Pittsburgh Burghers
, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891), and Washington Senators
(1892).
Yank had a career batting average
of .241, but a much higher career on base percentage
of .375. He led his league in bases on balls three times: in 1884 (37), 1888 (116), and 1889 (118). He finished 2nd in his league 2 other times in 1887 (92) and 1890 (101). Aside from drawing walks, Yank was also willing to allow himself to be hit by a pitch to get on base. He was among the league leaders in times hit by pitch
in 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1890.
Yank played 698 games
as a second baseman
but was a versatile player who played games at every position, including 143 games at third base
, 66 games at shortstop
(66), 56 games in the outfield
, and 14 games as a pitcher
. He even led his league in games finished
by a pitcher in 1884 with 8.
On May 26, 1891, Yank reportedly set a record he would have preferred to avoid. On that day, he reportedly had 7 fielding chances at 2nd base for Cincinnati and made 7 errors.
He died in 1894 at age of 34 in St. Louis, Missouri
of Phthisis Pulmonalis (better known as Tuberculosis
), and was buried at the Calvary Cemetery
in St. Louis.
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...
player who played ten years in the Major Leagues from - .
Career
Born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Yank played for six Major League teams: Detroit Wolverines
Detroit Wolverines
The Detroit Wolverines were a 19th century baseball team that played in the National League from 1881 to 1888 in the city of Detroit, Michigan. In total, they won 426 games and lost 437, taking their lone pennant in 1887. The team was disbanded following the 1888 season.-Franchise...
(1882), Baltimore Monumentals
Baltimore Monumentals
The Baltimore Monumentals were an American baseball team in the short-lived Union Association. In their lone season of 1884, they finished fourth in the UA with a 58-47 record.-History:The team was managed by William Henderson...
, St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(-), Pittsburgh Burghers
Pittsburgh Burghers
The Pittsburgh Burghers were a baseball team in the Players' League, a short-lived Major League that existed only for the 1890 season. The team included a number of players who had jumped from the National League's Pittsburgh Alleghenys , including Hall of Famers Pud Galvin, Ned Hanlon, and Jake...
, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers (1891), and Washington Senators
Washington Senators (1891-1899)
The Washington Senators were a 19th century baseball team. The team was also known as the Washington Statesmen and the Washington Nationals. The team played at Boundary Field....
(1892).
Yank had a career batting average
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 :...
of .241, but a much higher career on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
of .375. He led his league in bases on balls three times: in 1884 (37), 1888 (116), and 1889 (118). He finished 2nd in his league 2 other times in 1887 (92) and 1890 (101). Aside from drawing walks, Yank was also willing to allow himself to be hit by a pitch to get on base. He was among the league leaders in times hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1890.
Yank played 698 games
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,...
as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
but was a versatile player who played games at every position, including 143 games at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
, 66 games at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
(66), 56 games in the outfield
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, and 14 games as a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He even led his league in games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
by a pitcher in 1884 with 8.
On May 26, 1891, Yank reportedly set a record he would have preferred to avoid. On that day, he reportedly had 7 fielding chances at 2nd base for Cincinnati and made 7 errors.
He died in 1894 at age of 34 in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
of Phthisis Pulmonalis (better known as Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
), and was buried at the Calvary Cemetery
Bellefontaine and Calvary Cemeteries
Bellefontaine Cemetery and the Roman Catholic Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri are adjacent burial grounds, which have numerous historic and extravagant tombstones and mausoleums. They are the necropolis for a number of prominent local and state politicians, as well as soldiers of the...
in St. Louis.