Friday, April 22, 2011

#52 Ed Roebuck

#52 Ed Roebuck
I couldn't tell from pictures of his other cards if Ed Roebuck actually had red hair, but it looks like it on this one. I hereby dub him "The Ginger Fog".

Fun facts about Ed Roebuck:

-A native of East Millsboro, PA, Ed was a teenager when he signed with the Dodgers in 1949.

-He made Brooklyn's Opening Day roster in 1955 after totaling 45 wins in three seasons at AAA Montreal. As a 23-year-old rookie he appeared in 47 games with mixed results, going 5-6 with a 4.71 ERA and leading the club with 12 saves.

-Roebuck pitched in back-to-back World Series in 1955 and 1956, totaling 6.1 innings with a single run allowed on a pair of hits. He struck out five and did not surrender a walk.

-1957 was a fine year for the righty: he went 8-2 with 8 saves and a 2.71 ERA and allowed 70 hits in 96.1 innings.

-Won both ends of a July 31, 1957 doubleheader against the Cubs, totaling three scoreless innings of relief. He was also the last Brooklyn Dodger pitcher to win a game, earning the decision in the team's penultimate game of the season.

-Rebounded from a shoulder injury that robbed him of his 1959 season. Healthy again in 1960, Ed went 8-3 with 8 saves and a 2.78 ERA in 58 games out of the Los Angeles bullpen.

-Was traded to the Senators and then the Phillies in consecutive seasons. In 1964, he went 5-3 with 12 saves and a 2.21 ERA in 60 relief appearances for the Phils.

-His major league career ended when the Phillies released him in the summer of 1966, but he pitched with the minor league club in San Diego for another year and a half. In parts of 11 big league seasons he was 52-31 with 62 saves and a 3.35 ERA.

-Roebuck had a reputation as a powerful and skillful fungo hitter, often clearing the fences at various National League ballparks.
-Ed served as a scout for several major league teams, including the Dodgers, Phillies, Braves, Reds, Pirates, and Red Sox; he retired in 2004.
#52 Ed Roebuck (back)

2 comments:

  1. Cards with "Brooklyn" listed always seemed cool when I was a kid, and still do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Doug - Agreed. It's also interesting in hindsight to see San Diego, Atlanta, etc. listed as minor league cities.

    ReplyDelete