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 “Eddie Robinson and the 1948 World Series” Photo Gallery
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RIP

Eddie Robinson Passes Away:

The Last Surviving Member of the 1948 World Series Champion Cleveland Indians 

The baseball world was saddened to learn this week of the passing of baseball lifer Edie Robinson, aged 100, at his home in Bastrop, Texas. Eddie had been involved with the game for 65 years as a player, coach, scout, and front office executive.

As you can imagine, when you live to be 100, you are probably going to hold some records for longevity. Such was the case for centenarian Eddie Robinson.

Longevity Records

Prior to his death, Eddie Robinson held the following longevity distinctions:

• The oldest living former major league player. He gained that title on November 21, 2019 upon the passing of Val Heim.
• The last surviving member of the 1943 “Navy World Series.”
• The oldest living person to play in the World Series with the Cleveland Indians.
• The oldest living player to play on a winning World Series team.
• The oldest living member of the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics, and Washington Senators
• The last living major league player who played at League Park in Cleveland, which the Indians abandoned after the 1946 season.
• The last living player from the 1942 season,
• The oldest living player whose major league career was interrupted by World War II service.

My Tribute To Eddie Robinson At The 2016 World Series

Back in 2016, during the World Series between the Cubs and the Indians, I used the occasion to say a few words about Eddie Robinson, at the time he was 95 and the tenth oldest living former ballplayer. Now, at the time of Eddie’s passing, I

thought it would be a nice tribute to him to repost excerpts from my essay, written on November 5, 2016:

I’m sure many of you watching Game Six of the World Series heard Joe Buck mention that Eddie Robinson, the last surviving member of the 1948 World Series Champion Cleveland Indians, was in attendance. Being a baseball history guy, that wonderful news immediately caught my attention. Eddie and his wife Bette had flown up from their Texas home to attend the game as guests of the Indians.

I think we were all very pleasantly surprised to see Eddie looking so bright and sharp at age 95. Born on December 15, 1920, Eddie currently occupies the tenth spot on the list of “Oldest Living Former Major Leaguers.” Hall-of-Famer Bobby Doerr, who turned 98 earlier this year, currently heads the list.

As your friendly Baseball History Comes Alive editor, I’d be very neglectful of my responsibilities if I failed to take notice of this wonderful occasion. So with that in mind, here’s a little information about the interesting career of Eddie Robinson.

Eddie Robinson’s Career

Eddie made his debut on September 9, 1942 with the Indians as a left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing first-baseman. Over his 13-year career, he was on the roster of seven of the original eight American League teams: Indians (1942, 1946-’48, 1957), Senators (1949-’50), White Sox (1950-’52), Philadelphia Athletics (1953), Yankees (1954-’56), Kansas City Athletics (1956), Tigers (1957), Indians (1957), and Orioles (1957). He missed the 1943-‘45 seasons due to service in the Navy during World War II.

In 1315 major league games, Eddie hit .268, with 172 home runs, 723 RBI, with a very respectable .353 on-base percentage. His most productive years were from 1949-’52 with the Senators and White Sox. In 1951 became the first White Sox player to drive a home run over the roof of the old Comiskey Park. His best individual season was probably 1952 with the White Sox when he hit .296, with 22 home runs, 104 RBIs, and .382 on-base percentage.

Eddie was a four-time All-Star, including the starting first baseman in the 1949 and 1952 Mid-Summer Classics. He was a member of the 1948 World Series champion Cleveland Indians and the 1955 pennant-winning Yankees. In ten World Series games, he hit .348. A highlight of his career was driving in the decisive run in the Indians’ clinching victory over the Boston Braves in Game Six of the 1948 Fall Classic.

Eddie’s Career Post-Retirement

After he retired as a player, Eddie became a protegee of Paul Richards and stayed in the game as a scout, coach, and front office executive, compiling an amazing 65 years in baseball. This included tenures as the GM of the Braves and Rangers. His last position was as a scout for the Red Sox in the 1980s, the only team of the “original eight” American League clubs that he didn’t play for.

Eddie Robinson is the author of an autobiography, published in 2011, titled “Lucky Me: My Sixty-five Years in Baseball.”

Eddie’s Role in Babe Ruth Day, June 13, 1948

Eddie Robinson played a role in the ceremony held on June 13, 1948 at Yankee Stadium to retire Babe Ruth’s number. When Babe Ruth, dying of cancer, was about to take the field for the ceremony, he first walked over to Cleveland’s dugout where Eddie was seated:

‘He looked like he needed help physically, and I took a bat belonging to Bob Feller out of the bat rack and gave it to him. He carried it up to home plate, and he used it as a kind of a crutch. When he came back, I got the bat and had him sign it.” (Excerpt from the New  York Times)

Gary Livacari 

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Information: Excerpts edited from Eddie Robinson Wikipedia page; Stats from Baseball-Reference.com