MLB's Oldest Living Player- Eddie Robinson- Celebrating 100th Birthday - 12/15/2020

[Leon]

I received an email from my good, local friend John Esch (hi John) today. He reminded me of the MLB's oldest living players birthday this coming Tuesday, Mr. Eddie Robinson (hi Mr. Robinson). He asked if I could help spread the word a little? Having met Mr. Robinson several times, and after helping promote a show with him as a signer, it is my absolute pleasure to help. He is the most cordial 100 yrs. old person I know!! (and the only one too)

Here is the note from this morning-

"Eddie will be celebrating his 100th birthday on Tuesday, December 15. Still in excellent health with a mental acuity that we all might envy. There will be a drive by party for him tomorrow.
His "Lucky Me" memoirs that he wrote with Paul Rogers, is one of the best reads of 40's through 70's baseball around.
I'm not versed in starting threads or posting on threads on net 54, but if one got started, I'd be sure that Eddie gets to see it."

Here's to Mr. Robinson's 100th Birthday, and many more!!

Here is a way to get his book-

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/s?k=eddie+rob...ss_ts-a-p_4_14.





.

[GeoPoto]

Congratulations to Eddie! He played for Washington in 1949 and 1950. He played as expected, but his acquisition proved very costly as a prospect thrown in by Washington became Early Wynn.

https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1607720073

[Jay Wolt]

[Orioles1954]

Played for the minor league Baltimore Orioles in the mid-40s!

[Rich Klein]

I also had Eddie as a signer at one of my shows plus he was a speaker at our Synagogue one year.

He's great and when I saw him a couple of years ago at a SABR meeting he knew he knew me and we had a nice chat at that point.

Rich

[RCMcKenzie]

Happy Birthday.

The 57 Topps was one of my earliest cards. I've had it in my collection for over 45 years. The 52 black back is from last year when I started working on the set.

[jgannon]

Happy 100th Eddie Robinson!

I love his 1956 Topps card in particular and also have a few others. I am actually reading his autobiography right now, and the copy I picked up also had an inscription. I would post it, but I am not sure how to post pics here on Net54. (If anyone could give me a quick explanation I would really appreciate it!)

Btw, when Babe Ruth last appeared at Yankee Stadium on June 13, 1948, there is that famous picture of him in his uniform leaning on a bat, and it was Eddie Robinson who gave him that bat. Robinson was playing with the Indians at the time who were playing the Yankees that day, and Ruth wanted to get dressed at his old locker which was actually in the visiting team's clubhouse on the third base side of the field in that that used to be the Yankees' clubhouse during his playing days. (The Yankees started to use the clubhouse on the first base side of the field after he left the Yankees). Anyway, Robinson thought he might need a bat to help him walk and lean on, and thought to give it to him. When Ruth came back to the dugout, he asked him to sign it for him.

[prestigecollectibles]

1955 Eddie Robinson New York Yankees Japan Tour Card

[campyfan39]

Happy Birthday Eddie and I just ordered your book for my wife to give me for Christmas haha!
God Bless

[Leon]

My understanding is that while Mr. Robinson doesn't get out too much with the pandemic and all, he does like to receive cards in the mail, if anyone wants to send one. I understand he reads and enjoys them. His address has been made public elsewhere and here it is again. No visitors, only mail, please

Eddie Robinson
6104 Cholla Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76112-1105


.

[tedzan]

Thanks very much Leon for posting this thread.

As an avid Yankees fan in the 1950's, Eddie was one of my favorites. I saw him hit some long HR's deep into the Right-Field seats (or upper deck) of Yankee Stadium.


Here he is pictured in the centerfold of the 2nd issue of Sports Illustrated (Aug 23, 1954).






TED Z

T206 Reference
.

[clydepepper]

Here's to you, MR. Robinson, Joltin' Joe has left and gone away...


But YOU are still with us at age 100!!!

Congratulations & Happy, Happy Birthday!!

We are blessed to have a gentleman like yourself share his wisdom, his time and his great stories with us.

We Thank You!


1952 Topps- EDDIE ROBINSON.jpg1953 Bowman BnW 20- Eddie Robinson EX plus.jpg

1954 Bowman 193- Eddie Robinson EXMT.jpg1957 Topps 238- Eddie Robinson NM.jpg

2003 UD Yankees- Eddie Robinson Auto.jpg

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Leon

My understanding is that while Mr. Robinson doesn't get out too much with the pandemic and all, he does like to receive cards in the mail, if anyone wants to send one. I understand he reads and enjoys them. His address has been made public elsewhere and here it is again. No visitors, only mail, please

Eddie Robinson
6104 Cholla Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76112-1105


.

Leon- would you like to take up a collection and send him something?

I believe we have time to get that done.

[Vintagecatcher]

Happy 100th Birthday Mr. Robinson.

Continued health and happiness!

Patrick

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Leon

My understanding is that while Mr. Robinson doesn't get out too much with the pandemic and all, he does like to receive cards in the mail, if anyone wants to send one. I understand he reads and enjoys them. His address has been made public elsewhere and here it is again. No visitors, only mail, please

Eddie Robinson
6104 Cholla Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76112-1105


.

Thank you for this. What a great idea...

[Leon]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

Leon- would you like to take up a collection and send him something?

I believe we have time to get that done.

I think buying his book and/or sending him a card would probably be a good thing. That said, if folks want to do something else, I will be glad to help. I don't believe he is in any kind of financial difficulty as some of the other, older players have had to deal with.

.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Leon

I think buying his book and/or sending him a card would probably be a good thing. That said, if folks want to do something else, I will be glad to help. I don't believe he is in any kind of financial difficulty as some of the other, older players have had to deal with.

.

As far as I know, and I do correspond with Mr. Rogers with some frequency, Paul would mention if Eddie needed help. He does know some other retired players in the DFW area who could use financial assistance. Eddie, on the other hand, is just fine financially as far as we all know.

Rich

And yes buying his book is more than sufficient and it is a great read about pre-expansion baseball.

Also, to Eddie's question, he spent a lot of time and energy working to help those less fortunate players from his era. He's very proud, and rightly so, of that work for others.

[jgannon]

20201213_110152.jpg

If I had to pick a favorite card of Eddie's, I guess I would pick this one. It has a lot of sentimental value to me in that it was one of the first 1956's I ever had. I unfortunately don't have the card I had as a kid (along with a lot of others!!), but I got this one again recently.

1956 Topps

Again, Happy Birthday Eddie!!

[jgannon]

My 1951 Bowman card when Eddie was playing for Paul Richards and the White Sox. Richards was the manager, Eddie most admired.



20201213_125055.jpg

[roarfrom34]

Back in 2011, Hartland made a limited edition statue of Eddie and I believe they sold them through the Philadelphia A's Historical Society...Robinson came into the area for one of their events and I had him sign this statue and his book:

[roarfrom34]

Originally Posted by Orioles1954

Played for the minor league Baltimore Orioles in the mid-40s!

The last team he played for was the MLB Orioles in '57