Bobbie Robinson/Pitch Black Negro League site

		Note: Bobbie passed away on May 17, 2002. He was 98 years old. I was fortunate to have spent 10 days with Bobbie in 1992, and he was one of the nicest men I've every met. He was truly a gentleman! God Bless Bobbie's family, and as for Bobbie himself, I'm positive he's doing fine and we'll meet again someday! Bobbie Robinson* "I had a fella who used to manage the Detroit Tigers, Donnie Bush, and he told me more than once that if I was a white boy I would have been his third baseman. "The third basemen they had back in 1929, Shubert, he played in the Major Leagues for quite a while, but l know he couldn't touch me playing third base. Oh no. I used to think about him every day. You know after Bush told me I'd be his third baseman if I was a white boy, I said, 'Gee whiz, I could wrap him up.'" --Bobbie Robinson Click here to go to the Negro Leaguer of the Month archives to read about past honorees. ©Copyright 2000-2001, Kyle McNary, McNary Publishing kyle@pitchblackbaseball.com		Negro Leaguer of the Month May, 2000 William "Bobbie" Robinson position: 3b career: 1925-1942 Teams: Indianapolis ABCs, Birmingham Black Barons, Detroit Stars, St. Louis Stars HT: 5'-11"; WT: 170 lbs batted and threw right Born: 1903 in Whistler, Alabama Bobbie Robinson was one of a handful of exceptional fielding third basemen to play in the Negro Leagues. According to ex-players, Robinson ranks with Judy Johnson and Ray Dandridge when it came to playing the hot corner. He played a very shallow third base –usually on the grass – which made it difficult for teams to use bunting as a weapon. Robinson grew up outside of Mobile, Alabama and starting playing sandlot ball with fellow Alabamans Double Duty Radcliffe and Satchel Paige when he was still a kid. His first black Major-League team was the Indianapolis ABCs in 1925 where Oscar Charleston was still in the prime of his great career. He later played with the Detroit Stars and St. Louis Stars and often batted in the number two spot in the batting order. As a hitter, Robinson had little power but was a good line-drive hitter with excellent bat control. He had good foot-speed but didn't steal a lot of bases because he usually set the table for sluggers such as Charleston, Turkey Stearnes and Huck Rile. In 1930, while playing with the St. Louis Stars, Robinson turned a triple play, which he lists as his greatest thrill. Several members of the Major-Leagues' New York Giants were in the stands that day and congratulated him after the game. That same year Robinson played for the Detroit Stars versus St. Louis in a series of games to crown the Negro National League champions. Robinson suffered a terrible beaning at the hands of a Ted Trent fastball and he spent most of the series in the hospital. He did receive a loser's share of the play-off money – about $2 he remembers. Robinson was voted by the fans to start in the 1938 East-West All-Star game but Alec Radcliffe, a perennial All-Star, took his place for reasons that are unknown. Robinson, himself, doesn't remember why he didn't play. After his playing career was over, Robinson was one of Chicago's finest bricklayers for 50 years.