William Edward Robinson (born December 15, 1920) is an American Major League Baseball first baseman, scout, coach and front office executive of the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s who, during a 13-year playing career (1942; 1946-57), was on the roster of seven of the eight American League teams then in existence.

[edit] Career

Born in the Northeastern Texas town of Paris, Eddie Robinson, a left-handed batter who threw right-handed, enjoyed his most prominent team moment when, at the age of 27, he contributed to his first team, the Cleveland Indians, winning the 1948 World Series. Although traded during that offseason, he was still at the top of his game and, at the next two teams, Washington Senators (1949–50) and Chicago White Sox (1950–52), experienced the most productive seasons of his time in MLB. Overall, he appeared in 1,315 games and batted .268 with 172 home runs.

Upon retirement, he became a coach for the Baltimore Orioles and then moved into their player development department. A protege of Orioles manager Paul Richards, he followed Richards to the Houston Astros, then worked as the farm system director of the Kansas City Athletics during the tempestuous ownership of Charlie Finley in the mid-1960s. In 1968 he rejoined Richards in the front office of the Atlanta Braves. He succeeded Richards as general manager of the Braves during the 1972 season, serving through early 1976 in that post.

Robinson then returned to the American League as a member of the Texas Rangers front office. In 1977, Robinson was named co-general manager (with Dan O'Brien) of the Rangers, and became sole GM from 1978-82. Although the Rangers posted winning seasons in 1977, 1978 and 1981, a disastrous 1982 campaign cost Robinson his GM job.

Continuing in baseball as a scout and player development consultant, he found his last position, as a scout for the Boston Red Sox, with the sole team, of the "original eight" American League clubs, for which he did not play.

[edit] Best season

• 1951: .282 BA, 29 HR, 117 RBI

[edit] Highlights

• Four-time All-Star (1949, 1951-53)

[edit] See also

• Top 500 home run hitters of all time

[edit] References

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
• Baseball Almanac
• Baseball Library