Aaron Robinson

Aaron Andrew Robinson

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 205 lb.

• Debut May 6, 1943
• Final Game September 28, 1951
• Born June 23, 1915 in Lancaster, SC USA
• Died March 9, 1966 in Lancaster, SC USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Aaron Robinson was recalled from the Newark Bears upon his entry into the Coast Guard in June 1943. He was discharged in July 1945. Robinson was an All-Star catcher in 1947 and played in the 1947 World Series which the New York Yankees won. However, Robinson became expendable because the team had a 22-year-old catcher named Yogi Berra waiting in the wings.

Robinson played eight seasons in the big leagues, never appearing at any other position than catcher. While he got into one game in 1943, he was 30 before he played his second major league game in 1945, and 31 before he became the regular catcher for the Yankees. He had an excellent season in 1946, hitting .297 with a .506 slugging percentage, 94 points over his career average. As a comparison, Joe DiMaggio, who was also 31 that year, slugged .511, 68 points below his mark.

In 1949, as the starting catcher with the Detroit Tigers, Robinson hit 13 home runs, good for second on the team, even though he had only 331 at-bats that year.

He managed the Fayetteville Highlanders for parts of the 1954 and 1955 seasons, the Winston-Salem Twins for the final part of the 1955 season, and the Shelby Colonels for the first part of the 1961 season.

Robinson, who was born in Lancaster, SC, died at the age of 50 in the same place in 1966. It was less than a year after his fellow catcher Yogi Berra played his last major league game.

Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (1947)
• Won a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1947

Related Sites

• Aaron Robinson at the SABR Bio Project