Eddie Robinson, MLB’s oldest former player and ex-Texas Rangers GM, dead at 100
Eddie Robinson, the oldest former major league player at age 100, died Monday, according to the family.
The four-time A.L. All-Star was a member of the Cleveland Indians’ 1948 World Series champions and spent nearly 70 years in the game, including 13 as a player.
He served as general manager for the Atlanta Braves (1972-76) and Texas Rangers (1976-82).
Robinson was born in Paris, Texas, in 1920 and a longtime resident of East Fort Worth near Woodhaven Country Club. He published his autobiography, “Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball” in 2011.
“The Texas Rangers are incredibly saddened with the passing of the legendary Eddie Robinson,” the Rangers said in a release. “In his later years, Mr. Robinson was a regular and welcome visitor at Rangers home games, and his unique ability to analyze and discuss the game, past and present, was truly amazing.”
Robinson is survived by his wife Bette, 90, and sons Robby, Marc, Drew, and Paul.
“For Eddie Robinson, it was truly a life well lived,” the Rangers said.
Robinson batted .268 with 172 homers and 723 RBI in 1,315 games as a first baseman with the Indians (1942; 46-48; 57), Washington (1949-50), Chicago White Sox (1950-52), Philadelphia A’s (1953), New York Yankees (1954-56), Detroit (1957), and Baltimore (1957).
He played with seven of the eight American League clubs at the time. The only club he never played for was the Boston Red Sox.
Services for Mr. Robinson are pending at this time.
When he turned 100 on Dec. 15, 2020, Robinson talked with reporters about his longevity and life in the game.
“It means that I’ve had a wonderful family support, I have a lovely wife that takes good care of me, and I feel very lucky,” he said. “And I feel very lucky to have had baseball. Baseball is something that if you’re really into it, you’ve got to go from year to year with it and you can look back and pinpoint great things that have happened to you each year.”
Robinson was something of a Forrest Gump figure in the game.
He was a member of the Indians’ last World Series winner in 1948 and a teammate of Larry Doby, the first Black player in the American League.
He played in the game when Babe Ruth made his final appearance in uniform months before he died at Yankee Stadium. Robinson can be seen in images of the moment when Ruth said goodbye to Yankees fans. Robinson handed Ruth the bat to use as a crutch during the ceremony.
Robinson was the Braves’ GM when Hank Aaron broke Ruth’s all-time home run record on April 8, 1974. When the Indians were in the World Series again in 2016, Robinson and his wife were invited to a game.
Robinson attended the Rangers game at Globe Life Field on June 22.
Robinson was hired as the Rangers GM in 1976 and helped acquire third baseman Buddy Bell and first baseman Al Oliver.
This story was originally published October 5, 2021 at 1:06 PM.
