Robin Roberts

Robin Evan Roberts (September 30, 1926 – May 6, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Born in Springfield, Illinois, the son of an immigrant Welsh coal miner, he attended Lanphier High School. He arrived in East Lansing, Michigan as part of an Army Air Corps training program, and after World War II returned to Michigan State College to play basketball rather than baseball. Roberts led the Spartans in field-goal percentage in 1946–1947, served as team captain during the 1946–1947 and 1949–1950 seasons, and earned three varsity letters in basketball, wearing number 17. After his second basketball season, he tried out for the Michigan State baseball team.

Roberts pitched primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1948 through 1961. He spent the latter part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1962 to 1965, the Houston Astros in 1965 and 1966, and the Chicago Cubs in 1966. After retiring from Major League Baseball, he coached the University of South Florida college baseball team for nine seasons, leading the program to six conference titles. Roberts was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.