Throwing Hard Easy: Reflections on a Life in Baseball

by Robin Roberts, C. Paul Rogers, Stan Musial (Foreword by), James Roberts (Foreword by)

Overview

With a seemingly effortless motion, pinpoint control, a blazing, dancing fastball, and an unequaled competitive spirit, Robin Roberts enjoyed one of the most celebrated careers in baseball history. He made his Major League debut in the summer of 1948 and became one of the most notable sports figures of the fifties. His many accomplishments on the mound helped to make him one of the more distinguished residents of Cooperstown, and he will always be remembered as the most dominant National League pitcher of his time.

In addition, Roberts was as impressive a storyteller as he was an athlete, and his experiences and encounters leading up to, throughout, and following his incredible nineteen-year career made for an extraordinary life. Throwing Hard Easy is Roberts’s own account, recalling his childhood, his playing days, and life after baseball. This edition features new photographs and a new foreword by his son, James Roberts, as well as a new introduction by his coauthor and lifelong fan, C. Paul Rogers III.

 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803248670
Publisher:	Nebraska Paperback
Publication date:	03/01/2014
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Robin Roberts (1926–2010) was a Major League pitcher who spent most of his career with the Phillies and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. He is the coauthor of The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant (with C. Paul Rogers III). C. Paul Rogers III is the coauthor of several books, including Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball (with Eddie Robinson).

Table of Contents

Foreword James Roberts v

Introduction C. Paul Rogers ix

Foreword Stan Musial xix

Acknowledgments xxiii

Introduction xxv

Chapter 1 Getting Started 1

Chapter 2 Leaving Home 11

Chapter 3 In the Pros 27

Chapter 4 '49 47

Chapter 5 The Whiz Kids Take the Pennant 65

Chapter 6 Aftermath 89

Chapter 7 A Different Game 97

Chapter 8 The Off-Seasons: Barnstorming and Working for a Living 117

Chapter 9 Innings, Innings, and More Innings 129

Chapter 10 The Downhill Slide 149

Chapter 11 With the Yankees Oh So Briefly 177

Chapter 12 New Beginnings 181

Chapter 13 Can We Go Home Now? 205

Chapter 14 The Players' Association 215

Chapter 15 Life After Baseball 231

Epilogue 259

Robin Roberts' Career Statistics 265

Index 267

Editorial Reviews

“Robin Roberts is one of the greatest competitors that I have ever had an opportunity to watch play in any sport. I greatly appreciate him sharing his experiences with fans like me.”—Bob Knight

Bob Knight

"Only a handful of pitchers in baseball history have won 20 games six years in a row. You can't do that without possessing a great arm, some smarts, and terrific athleticism. I can't attest to Robin's arm because back when it was strong, I was too young to judge it. But I do have the privilege of knowing him now, 40 years after his last pitch. His intellect is rare--he's as bright and curious as a 20-year-old rookie and as wise as Solomon. As for his athletic ability, I played golf with him a few years ago in Arizona; he shot a legitimate 79 at the age of 73. Enough said."—Dale Petroskey, former executive vice president of marketing for the Texas Rangers and former executive of the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Dale Petroskey

“Robin Roberts has written one of the best baseball books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a ton of them. . . . Roberts is the best storyteller in sports. This book is packed with all of Robin’s best stories. You are going to love it. You'll read this in one sitting.”—Pat Williams, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic
 

Pat Williams

"C. Paul Rogers' effort has produced a solid and admirable record of the career and life of an enduringly good man who earned the respect of both his colleagues and fans through his honesty, loyalty, tireless work ethic, professionalism, personal integrity and simple decency."—Robert Ciaffa, AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature

AETHLON: The Journal of Sport Literature - Robert Ciaffa