Dave Roberts (pitcher)
Encyclopedia
David Arthur Roberts was an American left-handed pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for eight teams from 1969 to 1981. He was second in the National League
(NL) with a 2.10 earned run average
(ERA) in for the San Diego Padres
, after which he was traded to the Houston Astros
, where he spent the four most productive years of his career. Over his major league career he won
103 games.
Born in Gallipolis, Ohio
, Roberts changed organizations 11 times in his pro baseball career. "The way I look at it," he said, "either I'm a bum or everybody wants me."
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, ranking fourth in career games
(445; behind only Scott Schoeneweis
, Ken Holtzman
, and John Grabow
), fourth in wins (103) and strikeout
s (957) behind Sandy Koufax
, Holtzman, and Steve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).
because they reportedly wanted to have a player of Jewish faith in the organization to attract the Jewish fan base.
He played as a farmhand for the Phillies, Kansas City A's
and Pittsburgh Pirates
(who claimed him on waivers in April 1964), before being taken by San Diego with the 39th pick in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
.
In the minor leagues from 1963–69, he was 65–32 with a 3.00 ERA. Roberts was 1968 Pitcher of the Year for the International League
Columbus Jets
, after going 18–5.
per 9 innings
(2.13) in 1970. He went 14–17 for the last-place 1971 Padres, finishing second to the New York Mets
' Tom Seaver
with a 2.10 ERA. He was sixth in the voting for the NL Cy Young Award
, seventh in walks per 9 innings (2.04), ninth in innings pitched (269.7), tenth in complete game
s (14), and 24th in the voting for the NL MVP Award
. He held batters to a .191 batting average
when runners were in scoring position.
In December 1971 he was traded by the Padres to the Houston Astros
for Mark Schaeffer
, Bill Greif
, and Derrel Thomas
. His being traded by the Padres was just prior to the Padres signing another Dave Roberts (see below), who joined the club in 1972. If this trade had not occurred, the Padres roster would have featured two unrelated players named "Dave Roberts", making this among the few occasions where a team's roster featured two unrelated players with the same name.
s (second in the NL). He was sixth in the NL in wins and sacrifice hit
s (12), seventh in games started (36), eighth in complete games (12), and tenth in ERA (2.85) and walks per 9 innings (2.24).
In December 1975 he was traded by the Astros with Jim Crawford
and Milt May
to the Detroit Tigers
for Mark Lemongello, Gene Pentz, Terry Humphrey, and Leon Roberts
.
(AL) in shutouts (4), seventh in games started (36) and ninth in complete games (18), he had surgery to correct an arthritic knee.
In July 1977 he was purchased by the Chicago Cubs
.
s.
In February 1979 he signed as free agent with the San Francisco Giants
.
to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Al Holland
, Fred Breining
, and Ed Whitson
. Combined, in 1979 he had a 2.90 ERA.
in April. He pitched the rest of the season in Seattle, going 2–3.
Following that season, he became a free agent
, and in January 1981 he was signed by the Mets. He pitched just seven games for the Mets, going 0–3 with a 9.39 ERA, before being released in May. In June he was signed as a free agent by the Giants, but never pitched for them in the majors.
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, ranking fourth in career games
(445; behind only Scott Schoeneweis
, Ken Holtzman
, and John Grabow
), fourth in wins (103) and strikeout
s (957) behind Sandy Koufax
, Holtzman, and Steve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).
s.
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for eight teams from 1969 to 1981. He was second in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL) with a 2.10 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(ERA) in for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, after which he was traded to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, where he spent the four most productive years of his career. Over his major league career he won
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
103 games.
Born in Gallipolis, Ohio
Gallipolis, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,180 people, 1,847 households, and 1,004 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,156.2 people per square mile . There were 2,056 housing units at an average density of 568.7 per square mile...
, Roberts changed organizations 11 times in his pro baseball career. "The way I look at it," he said, "either I'm a bum or everybody wants me."
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, ranking fourth in career games
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
(445; behind only Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
, Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
, and John Grabow
John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" , is a Major League Baseball left-handed reliever....
), fourth in wins (103) and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (957) behind Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Holtzman, and Steve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).
Minor league career
Roberts was approached by 14 teams after graduating from high school before being signed in June 1963 as an undrafted amateur free agent by the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
because they reportedly wanted to have a player of Jewish faith in the organization to attract the Jewish fan base.
He played as a farmhand for the Phillies, Kansas City A's
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(who claimed him on waivers in April 1964), before being taken by San Diego with the 39th pick in the 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
The 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft was conducted to stock up the rosters of four expansion teams in Major League Baseball which would begin play in the 1969 season....
.
In the minor leagues from 1963–69, he was 65–32 with a 3.00 ERA. Roberts was 1968 Pitcher of the Year for the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Columbus Jets
Columbus Jets
The Columbus Jets were a Minor League baseball team that played in Columbus, Ohio from 1955 to 1970. The team moved from Ottawa, Canada where they were known as the Ottawa Athletics. The Jets were a member of the International League. From 1955-56 they were the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City...
, after going 18–5.
Padres
After debuting with the Padres in 1969, Roberts was sixth in the NL in walksBase on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
per 9 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
(2.13) in 1970. He went 14–17 for the last-place 1971 Padres, finishing second to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
' Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver
George Thomas "Tom" Seaver , nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets...
with a 2.10 ERA. He was sixth in the voting for the NL Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, seventh in walks per 9 innings (2.04), ninth in innings pitched (269.7), tenth in complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s (14), and 24th in the voting for the NL MVP Award
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
. He held batters to a .191 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
when runners were in scoring position.
In December 1971 he was traded by the Padres to the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
for Mark Schaeffer
Mark Schaeffer
Mark Philip Schaeffer is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Schaeffer played for the San Diego Padres in . He batted and threw left-handed.-External links:*...
, Bill Greif
Bill Greif
William Briley Greif is a retired professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1971–76, for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals.- Astros :...
, and Derrel Thomas
Derrel Thomas
Derrel Osborn Thomas is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball primarily as a second baseman, center fielder, and shortstop from 1971-85...
. His being traded by the Padres was just prior to the Padres signing another Dave Roberts (see below), who joined the club in 1972. If this trade had not occurred, the Padres roster would have featured two unrelated players named "Dave Roberts", making this among the few occasions where a team's roster featured two unrelated players with the same name.
Astros
In 1972 he was 12–7 for the Astros. In 1973, he recorded a career-best 17–11 record, setting a club record with a career-high 6 shutoutShutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s (second in the NL). He was sixth in the NL in wins and sacrifice hit
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
s (12), seventh in games started (36), eighth in complete games (12), and tenth in ERA (2.85) and walks per 9 innings (2.24).
In December 1975 he was traded by the Astros with Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford (baseball)
James Frederick Crawford is a former professional baseball pitcher. Crawford pitched in all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball between 1973 and 1978. He appeared in 181 games, all but 14 in relief....
and Milt May
Milt May
Milton Scott May is a former professional baseball player and coach who played in the Major Leagues from to for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and San Francisco Giants. May was a catcher who hit for a fairly high batting average during the era in which...
to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
for Mark Lemongello, Gene Pentz, Terry Humphrey, and Leon Roberts
Leon Roberts
Leon Kauffman Roberts is a former major league outfielder who played for the Detroit Tigers , Houston Astros , Seattle Mariners , Texas Rangers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Kansas City Royals...
.
Tigers
After a 16–17 season with the 1976 Tigers, in which he was fifth in the American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) in shutouts (4), seventh in games started (36) and ninth in complete games (18), he had surgery to correct an arthritic knee.
In July 1977 he was purchased by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Cubs
In 1978 he batted .327 for the Cubs, with a .500 slugging percentage, in 52 at batAt bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s.
In February 1979 he signed as free agent with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
.
1979: Giants and Pirates
In June 1979 he was traded by the Giants with Len Randle and Bill MadlockBill Madlock
Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player. From 1973 to 1987, Madlock was a right-handed hitter who won several National League batting titles. His record of four batting titles as a third baseman would be eclipsed in 1988 by Wade Boggs. Since 1970, only Tony Gwynn has...
to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Al Holland
Al Holland
Alfred Willis Holland is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who mostly pitched in the Major Leagues from to ....
, Fred Breining
Fred Breining
Fred Breining , was a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants and the Montreal Expos from 1981-1985. His career was cut short when pitching to Ray Knight. He fielded a bunt and threw it to first, only to blow out his shoulder. He never played another inning as a Major Leaguer...
, and Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best remembered for his short and turbulent stint with the New York Yankees in the mid 1980s. He batted and threw right-handed.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
. Combined, in 1979 he had a 2.90 ERA.
Remaining career
After pitching just two games for the Pirates in 1980, he was purchased by the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in April. He pitched the rest of the season in Seattle, going 2–3.
Following that season, he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, and in January 1981 he was signed by the Mets. He pitched just seven games for the Mets, going 0–3 with a 9.39 ERA, before being released in May. In June he was signed as a free agent by the Giants, but never pitched for them in the majors.
He was one of the best Jewish pitchers all-time in major league history through 2010, ranking fourth in career games
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
(445; behind only Scott Schoeneweis
Scott Schoeneweis
Scott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
, Ken Holtzman
Ken Holtzman
Kenneth Dale Holtzman is a left-handed former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics...
, and John Grabow
John Grabow
John William Grabow, nicknamed "Grabes" , is a Major League Baseball left-handed reliever....
), fourth in wins (103) and strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s (957) behind Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Holtzman, and Steve Stone, and seventh in ERA (3.78).
Hitting
A good hitter for a pitcher, Roberts had a career batting average of .194 with 7 home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s.