Earl Robinson

Earl John Robinson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
• School University of California
• High School Berkeley High School
• Debut September 10, 1958
• Final Game September 15, 1964
• Born November 3, 1936 in New Orleans, LA USA
• Died July 4, 2014 in Fountain Valley, CA USA

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Biographical Information

Earl Robinson played four seasons in the major leagues, mostly for the Baltimore Orioles, but after his playing career he switched sports to have a long career as a basketball coach.

Robinson originally came up to the majors as a third baseman with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1958, in their first year in Los Angeles. He had been at the University of California from 1956 to 1958 and was signed by the Dodgers that same year. A predecessor of his from the University of California, Jackie Jensen, had a good season in the majors in 1958, hitting 35 home runs and winning the MVP award, and that perhaps pointed up the fortunes of a Cal star.

Robinson attended Berkeley High School and was a three-sport athlete (baseball, football, and basketball).

At Cal, Earl was an outfielder and then a shortstop. The 1957 team won the national championship. He also played basketball at Cal, serving as team captain, and then from 1963 to 1965 served as assistant basketball coach there. Source: Cal website.

He also spent part of 1958 with the Montreal Royals.

Robinson's best year in the majors was in 1961 with the Orioles, when he fought Whitey Herzog for playing time in right field. Herzog had 549 innings in right field while Robinson had 509 innings there. Herzog had a higher batting average, while Robinson had one of the highest slugging percentages on the team. The team won 95 games. Herzog later became a successful manager, as did another regular outfielder on the team, Dick Williams.

Robinson had an injured elbow in 1962, and played part of the season with the Rochester Red Wings with the injury. Source: 1962 Rochester.

After his baseball days, he became a basketball coach at a couple of community colleges in California. One of the more cerebral players of his time, he earned his doctorate in education at Berkeley.

Related Sites

• Earl Robinson at the SABR Bio Project