Pitcher Ed Roebuck died today, Thursday:
Roebuck made his major league debut for the Dodgers in 1955, when their lineup included Hall of Famers Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider. Roebuck worked out of the bullpen, pitching in more games than two relievers who would become much better known: Sandy Koufax and Tom Lasorda.
That Brooklyn team won the World Series. Roebuck and the rest of the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. He played for the Dodgers through 1963 and in the major leagues through 1966, twice coming back from shoulder injuries long before arthroscopic surgery had been invented.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Roebuck started just one game in his career, unusual in an era when bullpen specialists had not quite developed. He finished with an impressive 52-31 record, a .627 winning percentage, and a 3.35 ERA. Baseball Reference credits him with 62 saves in an era before closers were standard. His win total indicates he was used in close game late, when good pitching could hold the opponents in check until his team could score.
His best season was 1960, when he pitched 116 2/3 innings, all in relief, after returning from his shoulder injury, posting a 2.78 ERA.
Saw Ed Roebuck in an Old Timers game at Dodger Stadium. The previous pitcher, Stan Williams, was wild, and would have been walking everybody except that the catcher, Tom Haller, was saying, “Take another one, take another one.” Haller knew that fans didn’t come to see the Old Timers walk, they came to see them hit. Later, when Roebuck was pitching, he struck out the feeble Larry Burright. Haller said, “Take another one.” Roebuck took issue, and bellowed out, “Yer outa there!” Burright promptly slinked back to the dugout. Eddie was a competitor, even in Old Timers games.