Curt Roberts : In the Country of Baseball Firsts.

We all know the story of Jackie Robinson.

    We’ve learned about Jackie’s story from books. From archival footage. From movies. From baseball cards. Jackie Robinson was the one. The one who broke the color barrier on April 15, 1947 and unshackled baseball from a 63-year period in which no player of color (knowingly at least) held a spot on a major league team. Jackie is a legend. A trailblazer. The high-voice hero who turned his cheek (at least for a while), and did his talking on the diamond. A hall of famer. A true American legend for all races.

We know Jackie Robinson’s story. And if you don’t, may God have mercy on your soul.

            Jackie’s story is one of integration. One, that once initiated, took Major League Baseball another 12-years to complete when infielder Pumpsie Green made his debut for the Boston Red Sox on July 21, 1959.

    But there were other players who broke the color line for teams along the way. In fact, four other black players made their debut in Jack Robinson’s inaugural season. You probably know Larry Doby and Monte Irvin.

But what about Willard Brown, who made his debut for the St. Louis Browns on July 19, 1947?

Or Dan Bankhead, who joined Jackie on the Dodgers on August 26, 1947?

Anyone remember Hank Thompson? Thompson also made his debut for the St. Louis Brown in 1947, but is better known as a New York Giant, part of the first all-black outfield, along with Monte Irvin and the immortal Willie Mays.

Surely, you’ve heard of a a guy named Minnie Minoso?

But did you know he was the first player of color to ever wear a White Sox uniform?

Some kid named Ernie Banks?

Not only is Mr. Cub a legend in Chicago for his 512 home runs and immpecable play at short stop (and first base) for eighteen seasons, but he was the first black man to put on a Cubs uniform.

What about Bob Trice? The first black Philadelphia Athletic.

Or Tom Alston? The first black man to play for the St. Louis Cardinals.

How many of my fellow Pirates fans out there know the name Curt Roberts?

Yeah…I didn’t either. Like I said, we all know the story of Jackie Robinson. But a lot of us, even fans like me, who have, for better or worse, been watch the Pittsburgh Pirates for over forty years; I never bothered to seek out and find out who broke the color barrier for my hometown team. I never knew Curt Roberts story. Maybe it’s white privilege that I didn’t even have to know. Or ignorance. Maybe I wasn’t a curious enough baseball fan when I was a kid. I like to think that I was. I sure looked at box scores a lot back then and could pretty much tell you what any Pirate was batting during any week.

            It’s time to make up for lost time.

     Curtis (Curt) Benjamin Roberts was born in 1929 in Pineland, Texas, but for most of his life he was a California kid, growing up in the fine city of Oakland. In a bit of trivia that I found in numerous sources online, Curt Roberts attended McClymonds High School, the same school attended by Frank Robinson, Vida Pinson, Curt Flood, and basketball legend Bill Russell. Upon graduating high school, Curt began his professional baseball career as an infielder with the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs. Robert’s teammates at the time included Satchel Paige and the forever awesome Buck O’Neil, as well as New York Yankees own color-barrier breaking Elston Howard.

    After the Major Leagues had integrated and black ballplayers were joining Major League teams (or their minor league affiliates), Curt Roberts, in 1951, signed with the Boston Braves and began with their Minor affiliate Denver Bears. In 1952, the Bears became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and for a $10,000 sum, Curt Roberts became a Pirate as well. After two years in the minor leagues, and pressure from Pittsburgh’s Black community to have the Pirates integrate, Curt Roberts was brought up in 1954 to be the starting second baseman. At the time, the Pirates General Manager was Branch Rickey, the very man who integrated Major League Baseball by bringing Jackie Robinson to the Big Leagues in 1947. Mr. Rickey was also responsible for “pirating” away Roberto Clemente from the Dodger’s minor league system…but that’s a tale for another time.

    Roberts made his official debut for the Pirates on April 13, 1954 (mark that date Buccos fans) in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Forbes Field. Because of his experiences bringing Jackie Robinson to the major leagues, Branch Rickey met with Curt before the game and explained that to succeed he would need to maintain a “very even temper,” as racism and verbal abuse from spectators was a common occurrence. This was the same thing that Rickey told Robinson back in 1947. And while we like to think that sort of abuse was common and of an era, some twenty-five years after Curt Roberts made his debut for the Pirates, All-Star right fielder, Dave ‘The Cobra” Parker, was met with racial slurs and home town fans throwing “nuts and bolts and bullets and batteries” at him…all for playing his heart out and earning the first million-dollar contract in Pittsburgh Pirates history.

    Of note, Curt Roberts tripled in his first at bat against Robin Roberts.    

    Although he was the first Black player to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Curt Roberts playing career was brief. He played just three seasons, 1954-1956. Roberts was the starting second baseman his first season, but found his playing time decrease over the next two years. Roberts was out of Major League Baseball after the 1956 season, but he didn’t retire. Roberts continued to play for several Minor League teams for the remainder of the decade and into the next one. He finally retired from baseball in 1963. During his three-year pro stint Curt Roberts, in 171 total games, had a career .223 batting average, with 128 hits, 1 home run and 40 RBI.

    After his baseball career ended, Curt Roberts worked as a security guard for the University of California, Berkeley. Roberts was married and had six-children. Sadly, this is not a happy story for Curt Roberts. Tragically he died on November 14, 1969, at only age 40. Roberts was the victim of a drunk driving accident, hit by a car while changing a tire on the side of the road.

            But history is still history. Brief career and tragic end, Curt Roberts was still a trailblazer in Major League baseball and for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It should be noted that Curt Roberts helped a young Roberto Clemente in his transition from the Minor Leagues to the Major Leagues, helping Clemente to learn to deal with and handle the racial abuse that he was certain to receive. In 1997, when Major League Baseball held it’s first Jackie Robinson Day, the Pittsburgh Pirates did honor Curt Roberts as a part of their tribute.

            For us Pirates fans, he is the first among many legends:

And the Future:

 Thanks for reading. Happy Collecting.

You can learn more about Curt Roberts HERE, HERE, and HERE

Curt Roberts stats can be found HERE

***A bit of self-promotion*** for you poetry lovers....I have a new book of poems out on Kung Fu Treachery Press. It's called Eating a Cheeseburger During the End Times.  Copies to buy can be found HERE and HERE.  I'd really love the support.

Thank you!

NEXT FRIDAY: Because I'm working on a new novel (think old men, old grudges, wiffle ball and baseball cards), time is limited and off the essence. So, I'm heading back into the PC to take a look at a player I loved growing up, the first player that I ever rooted for because I got to see him play, and not because he was an already declared legend in the City of Pittsburgh. He's the one...the only...secondbaseman Johnny Ray!

....promise I'll be less Pittsburgh-centric in some future posts.