Lucky Me

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Lucky Me

My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball

Eddie Robinson
with C. Paul Rogers III
 
Foreword by Tom Grieve
Introduction by Bobby Brown

300 pages
43 photographs

Paperback

October 2015

978-0-8032-7411-2

$19.95 Add to Cart
eBook (EPUB)
Ebook purchases delivered via Leaf e-Reader

October 2015

978-0-8032-8666-5

$19.95 Add to Cart

About the Book

Eddie Robinson’s career lasted sixty-five years and spanned the era before and during World War II, integration, the organization of the players union, expansion, use of artificial turf, free agency, labor stoppages, and even the steroid era. He was a Minor League player, a Major League player, a coach, a farm director, a general manager, a scout, and a consultant. During his six and a half decades in baseball, he knew, played with or against, or worked for or with many of baseball’s greats, including Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, George Steinbrenner, Casey Stengel, Bill Veeck, and Ted Williams.
 
The lively autobiography of Robinson, Lucky Me highlights a career that touched all aspects of the game from player to coach to front-office executive and scout. In it Robinson reveals for the first time that the 1948 Cleveland Indians stole the opposition’s signs with the use of a telescope in their drive to the pennant. This edition features a new afterword by C. Paul Rogers III.

Author Bio

Eddie Robinson, a four-time American League All-Star, played in two World Series, was general manager of the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers, and was involved in the formation of the players union. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas. C. Paul Rogers III is a professor of law and former dean of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and coauthor of several books, including Throwing Hard Easy: Reflections of a Life in Baseball (Nebraska, 2014), with Robin Roberts. Tom Grieve is a former Texas Rangers general manager and is currently a Rangers broadcaster. Bobby Brown is a former New York Yankees third baseman, a retired cardiologist, and a former president of the American League.

Praise

“A fun read, chock full of funny stories.”—New York Daily News

"Fans regardless of the team allegiance will enjoy this book."—Gregg's Baseball Bookcase

“Eddie Robinson was a fine ballplayer. He had a remarkably long, fascinating, and colorful career as a baseball scout and front-office man for many big league teams. I know of no book that gives as much insight into the front-office machinations in baseball organizations. [Eddie Robinson’s] autobiography will interest people inside baseball who remember Eddie, and many others will enjoy reading about the experiences of men who’ve been in the game.”—Charles C. Alexander, author of Ty Cobb
 

"Of those sixty-five years in baseball, I've known Eddie for fifty-five of them--as a dear friend, business partner, and as a terrific baseball player. Major league baseball needs more people like Eddie."—Brooks C. Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles

“Eddie Robinson was the most underrated and best clutch hitter I ever played against.”—Ted Williams, Hall of Fame outfielder for the Boston Red Sox


“What can you say about Eddie? Good baseball man and a pretty good left-handed hitter in his day. He was one of our first basemen in the ’50s and fit in real good.”—Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tom Grieve
Author's Preface
Introduction by Bobby Brown
 
Chapter 1 - Paris, Texas, Roots
Chapter 2 - Breaking into Pro Ball
Chapter 3 - Making Progress
Chapter 4 - A Taste of the Big Time and a World War II Detour
Chapter 5 - International League MVP
Chapter 6 - Big League Rookie
Chapter 7 - A Magical Year in Cleveland
Chapter 8 - An All-State Year in Washington
Chapter 9 - With the Pale Hose
Chapter 10 - A Year in Purgatory, er, Philadelphia
Chapter 11 - From the Outhouse to the Penthouse
Chapter 12 - Fun and Games with the Yankees
Chapter 13 - Playing Out the String
Chapter 14 - Coaching with Paul Richards and the Orioles
Chapter 15 - The Move to Houston and the Start of the Expansion Colt .45s
Chapter 16 - On to Kansas City and Charlie Finley
Chapter 17 - Back to the National League with the Atlanta Braves
Chapter 18 - Fun and Games with Ted Turner
Chapter 19 - Home to Texas
Chapter 20 - The Eddie Chiles Era
Chapter 21 - Working for George
Chapter 22 - Team Consultant--The Last Stage
 
Retrospective
Afterword
Acknowledgments
Index

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