![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/David.jpg\")
<\/a>By way of introduction to this post, I was born in 1947 \u2013 which means my formative years, as a baseball fan, were the 1950\u2019s. I went to my first minor-league game in 1951, my first major-league game in 1953 (when the Braves moved to my home town of Milwaukee) and my first World Series game in 1957.\u00a0 I played my first Little League game in 1955.<\/p>\nIt wasn\u2019t a bad time to start a life of fandom. There were players who debuted early in the decade and made their mark quickly \u2013 like Whitey Ford<\/strong> (MLB debut in 1950); Willie Mays<\/strong> (1951); Mickey Mantle<\/strong> and Eddie Mathews<\/strong> (1952); Ernie Banks<\/strong> (1953); Hank Aaron<\/strong> and Harmon Killebrew<\/strong> (1954); and Roberto Clemente<\/strong> (1955).\u00a0 There also were more established stars like Stan Musial,<\/strong> Warren Spahn<\/strong>, Ted Williams<\/strong>, Duke Snider<\/strong> and Ralph Kiner.<\/strong>\u00a0 (Not to mention the underrated Richie Ashburn<\/strong>.\u00a0 Oh, I guess I did mention him.<\/em> ) And, for a kid whose last name ended in \u201cski,\u201d the likes of Ted Kluszewski<\/strong> and Bill Mazeroski.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ralph Kiner won the NL home run crown as a rookie in 1946 and went on to lead the league in homers for each of the next six seasons.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I would like to dedicate this post to one of the hardball heroes<\/em> of my youth \u2013 Robin Roberts<\/strong>, who was clearly one of the \u00a0(if not the<\/em>) Kings of the Hill in the 1950\u2019s.<\/p>\n Multi-Sport Athlete<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Robin Roberts not only starred on the Michigan State University baseball team (tossing six shutouts in 1946), he was also a basketball standout was captain and leading scorer for the Michigan State basketball squad.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Photo: Bowman, Public domain via WikiCommons<\/p><\/div>\n While attending Michigan State, Roberts also pitched for the Twin City Trojans (Montpelier, Vermont) in the summer semi-pro Northern League. His performance at MSU and in the Northern League (he was 18-3 for the semi-pro squad in 1947) led to a contract with the Philllies\u2019 organization and \u2013 after putting up a 9-1 record in 11 games for the \u00a0B-Level \u00a0Wilmington Blue Rocks \u2013 Roberts made his MLB debut, as a 21-year-old, on June 18, 1948.\u00a0 In that game, he went eight strong innings (five hits and two earned runs) in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates. Over the 1948-49 seasons, he went 22-24, 3.50 (with 20 complete games in 51 starts).\u00a0 Then, in 1950, it all fell into place, as Roberts put up a 20-11, 3.02 season, with 21 complete games in 39 starts and a league-leading five shutouts. It would start a string of six straight seasons of 20 or more wins – during which he would lead the league in wins four times, starts six times, complete games four times, innings pitched five times and strikeouts twice.<\/p>\n A Working Man\u2019s Game<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n From 1950 through 1955, Robin Roberts recorded six consecutive seasons of more than 300 innings pitched.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n How good was Robin Roberts in the 1950\u2019s?\u00a0 In the ten seasons from 1950 through 1959, Roberts:<\/p>\n In 1952, Robing\\ Roberts went 28-7, with a 2.59 earned run average. In 37 starts he threw 30 complete games and threw less than eight innings in just four contests.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Pitch Count.\u00a0 We don\u2019t Need NO Stinkin\u2019 Pitch Count<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n On September 6, 1952, Robin Roberts threw a 17-inning complete game in a 7-6 win over the Boston Braves in Philadelphia (holding the Braves scoreless over the final nine frames). How did all that work affect his arm?\u00a0 Five days later, he threw a complete game in a 3-2 win over the Cardinals. \u00a0In fact, in the 22 days after that 17-inning outing, Roberts threw five complete-games (all wins); giving up 12 earned runs over the 54 innings (2.40 earned run average).<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Hall of Famer Roberts pitched 19 seasons in the major leagues (1948-66 \u2026 Phillies, Orioles, Astros, Cubs), going 286-245, 3.41. He threw 305 complete games in 609 starts. (50.8%). Over his career he averaged 7.5 innings per start.<\/p>\n Side note:\u00a0 An argument can be made that the heavy workload in the first half of the 1950s eventually took a toll on Robert\u2019s right arm. But you can also look at the fact that from 1956-66, he still pitched to a 3.78 earned run average. How the Game Has Changed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The AL and NL 2012 Cy Young Award Winners (Robbie Ray and Corbin Burnes) made a combined 60 starts, with zero complete games.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now to close, here\u2019s a look at some of the category leaders from the years during which I formed my attachment to the National pastime.<\/p>\n Primary Resources: Baseball-Reference.com; The Baseball Maniac\u2019s Almanac<\/em>, Edited by Bert Randolph Sugar, with Ken Samuelson (Skyhorse Publishing); Spartan Legend Robin Roberts Passes Away<\/em>, May 6, 2010, MSUSpartans.com.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a>\n
\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n
Baseball Roundtable … blogging baseball since 2012.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/a>Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.\u00a0 To see the full list, click\u00a0here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nI tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT<\/h3>\n