Saturday, January 14, 2012

Wilbert (Uncle Robbie) Robinson Rocks !

 a few days ago i joked about switching out the ATBATT gals in the header above and giving you all a pic of robbie robinson.  i figured most of you non-Dodgers fans, and one or two of you who ARE Dodgers fans wouldn't have any idea of who robinson was.  so it inspired me to actually write a post about him; one of the colorful managers from the early days of the grand old game.   besides that, i have an excuse to show more great old-time baseball photos.  


speaking of old photos, check out the one in the header, with robbie managing in the 1916 world series.  i chose that photo because he's styling with that dapper sweater.  then i noticed something else...look behind him and you'll see more of those sweaters hanging in the dugout.  apparently those are team sweaters. no brooklyn 'B's - i wonder if somebody's mom made em.   obviously jinxed sweaters as we lost that series.  no wonder we never saw them again.

robinson kicked some decent butt in his playing days.  in 1892 he set 2 records in one game, getting 7 hits in 7 at bats and knocked in 11 runs.  that hits record still stands and the RBI record held for 32 years.





(have a look behind robbie in the stands and check out the dude rockin' the lincoln stovepipe hat...)

 robbie once caught a triple header - a fricken triple header !  then he got up and caught a double header the next day !  he was the first catcher to play directly behind the batter for the whole at bat, as previously catchers didnt play close until there were 2 strikes in the count.  bloody pansies.



dont even cross these boys in the pub

Robinson was the Brooklyn skipper from 1914 to 1931, compiling a 1,399-1,398 record (scoreboard !) and leading the Dodgers to thier first two pennants in 1916 and 1920. 

every Dodgers manager should have a mean ass facial scar

 Robbie was so actually so popular the team called him 'uncle robbie' and Brooklyn changed the team's name to the “Robins” for his 18 years as manager. 
robinson and tris speaker
 
  Robinson once bragged he could catch a baseball dropped from an airplane. casey stengel got the  airplane pilot to substitute the baseball for a grapefruit, dropping it from an altitude of 150 feet.   robbie caught it, and it exploded, knocking him to the ground and covering him in grapefruit juice. good times. 

1 comment:

  1. That's a real post, my friend. Though, I think all of yours are--all trade bait but often good commentary, too. I love the Robbie catching photo, the gear, the awkward pose, the freaking stovepipe hat. HA! Seems surreal to see that in the stands.

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