William Edward “Eddie” Robinson (December 15, 1920-) spent more than 65 years in professional baseball as a player, coach, scout, general manager and executive. Born in Paris – Texas, Robinson helped the family make ends meet working in freight yard while in high school as he also tried to fit in his baseball practice and play schedule. He broke in professionally with the Valdosta Trojans of the Georgia-Florida Class D League and worked his way through the minors until the Cleveland Indians purchased his contract in 1942. Eddie played eight games in Cleveland in 1942 and then spent three years in the United States Navy during World War II. He returned to Cleveland in 1946 where he again only appeared in eight games. In 1947, he was the Indians regular first baseman. In 1948, the Indians, boasting future Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau and Joe Gordon in the field and Bobs Lemon and Feller on the mound, won 97 games and edged out the Boston Red Sox by one game to win the American League pennant. Robinson hit .300 during the World Series, second among regulars to Larry Doby’s .318, and Cleveland won their first title since 1920 as they beat the Boston Braves in six games. But, Eddie was sent to the Washington Senators after the season and that would be his only MLB title as a player, though he did reach the World Series with the New York Yankees in 1955. He was named to the American League All-Star team in 1949 with the Senators, his first of four trips to the Mid-Sumer Classic. Unfortunately for Robinson, he would not stay put in one city for too long over his 13-year career. Eddie played for the Indians (1942, 1946-1948, 1957), the Senators (1949-1950), the Chicago White Sox (1950-1952), the Philadelphia/Kanas City Athletics (1953/1956), the New York Yankees (1954-1956), The Detroit Tigers (1957) and the Baltimore Orioles (1957). Robinson’s greatest success came as a member of the White Sox when he posted a .296 batting average, with 468 hits, 71 home runs and 294 RBI in 425 games. Eddie Robinson finished his playing career with 1,146 hits including 172 home runs, 546 runs and 723 RBI as well as a .268 BA. He also posted a .990 fielding percentage. At the end of his playing days, Robinson worked for another 50 years as a Major League scout, farm system director, coach and even GM until he retired in 2004. Over the course of his 65-year career in baseball, Eddie Robinson collected a paycheck from 16 different baseball clubs and aside from his 1948 World Series title with the Indians, he won three more titles with the Minnesota Twins (1987, 1991) and the Cincinnati Reds (1990).
