Dave Roberts, 1944-2009

[Guest Edgy DC]

Eight teams, ending with the Mets.

Former MLB pitcher Dave Roberts dies of cancer

01/09/2009

Associated Press

David Arthur Roberts, a left-handed pitcher who played for eight Major League teams including the 1979 World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates, has died of lung cancer. He was 64.

Roberts' wife Carol and stepdaughter Kristy Rogan say he died at his home in Short Gap early Friday morning.

They say he developed lung cancer from asbestos exposure as a young man. During the off seasons, he worked as a boilermaker and was regularly exposed to the cancer-causing material.

Roberts had a 12-year career in Major League Baseball, beginning in 1969 with the San Diego Padres and ending in 1981 with the New York Mets.

In between, he played with the Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners.

[Benjamin Grimm]

In what state would one find "Short Gap?"

[Guest Edgy DC]

I believe that would be West Virginia.

[metirish]

R.I.P.

How times have changed , it's not that long ago that Roberts would have been working as a boilermaker during the off -season.


Roberts had a decent career.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roberda05.shtml

[Guest Edgy DC]

Funny how the UMDB is the last place in the world that uses the pre-two-letter-USPS-standardized abbreviations for states. It's sort of irksome on the one hand but it's stubborn anachronistic quality has to be respected, and it may be one of the top ten odd things about the UMDB --- number one being, of course, the blue hat standard.

Dave wore 15 in between Grote and Foster, and wore a full beard when seemingly 85% of the Mets pitchers were wearing full beards. Like Mike Marshall, he was a good journeyman pitcher who helped define the seventies before cashing his final check as a Met in the eighties. Unlike Marshall, he had nothing left by the time he reached Flushing.

[batmagadanleadoff]

="metirish":1seai211]Roberts had a decent career. http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/roberda05.shtml[/quote:1seai211] He was one of baseball's best pitchers in 1971. His 14-17 W-L record that season was largely the result of pitching for one of the most dreadful teams in modern history.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 09 2009 09:55 AM

="Edgy DC":3k1my762]Funny how the UMDB is the last place in the world that uses the pre-two-letter-USPS-standardized abbreviations for states. It's sort of irksome on the one hand but it's stubborn anachronistic quality has to be respected, and it may be one of the top ten odd things about the UMDB --- number one being, of course, the blue hat standard. [/quote:3k1my762] I'd love to see the rest of that Top Ten list! I'd also like to see a style guide to those old-fashioned state abbreviations. I had to guess at what they should have been, and I'm sure I got a few of them wrong. Last time I looked (which was years ago) I couldn't find any such thing online. EDIT: Found it! On the website of my alma mater: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/STABBREV.html John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 10:56 AM I'm an AP Style man. Frayed Knot Jan 09 2009 11:00 AM I have no memories of this Dave Roberts. The early '80s are perhaps my least baseball-knowledgeable era - both for the sport as a whole and the Mets. Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:01 AM Pretty cool that he was a David Arthur also. There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 11:03 AM Wore No. 15. Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:07 AM Dude, I'm way ahead of you with the 15 thing. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 11:12 AM Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began. seawolf17 Jan 09 2009 11:15 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2sfd2kv5]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:2sfd2kv5] You should start a Web site with all that info. Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:30 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3j5pvsuf]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:3j5pvsuf] That's what I'm looking for. G-Fafif Jan 09 2009 02:59 PM I spent an evening with Dave Roberts once[/url:3kn3tq44]. Mendoza Line Jan 09 2009 03:46 PM ]There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third? Dave Schneck? on edit - David Lee Schneck is not the answer. Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:07 PM From a card show signing in Pittsburgh, 2005. http://www.jpaulsports.com/images/photos/robert_large.jpg Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:11 PM The third guy was another pretty good pitcher: David Arthur McNally. Edgy DC Jan 10 2009 09:27 PM Well done, Hunter.

[Benjamin Grimm]

="Edgy DC":3k1my762]Funny how the UMDB is the last place in the world that uses the pre-two-letter-USPS-standardized abbreviations for states. It's sort of irksome on the one hand but it's stubborn anachronistic quality has to be respected, and it may be one of the top ten odd things about the UMDB --- number one being, of course, the blue hat standard. [/quote:3k1my762] I'd love to see the rest of that Top Ten list! I'd also like to see a style guide to those old-fashioned state abbreviations. I had to guess at what they should have been, and I'm sure I got a few of them wrong. Last time I looked (which was years ago) I couldn't find any such thing online. EDIT: Found it! On the website of my alma mater: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/copyXediting/STABBREV.html

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 10:56 AM

I'm an AP Style man.

Frayed Knot Jan 09 2009 11:00 AM

I have no memories of this Dave Roberts. The early '80s are perhaps my least baseball-knowledgeable era - both for the sport as a whole and the Mets.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:01 AM

Pretty cool that he was a David Arthur also. There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 11:03 AM

Wore No. 15.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:07 AM

Dude, I'm way ahead of you with the 15 thing.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 09 2009 11:12 AM

Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.

seawolf17 Jan 09 2009 11:15 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2sfd2kv5]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:2sfd2kv5] You should start a Web site with all that info. Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:30 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3j5pvsuf]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:3j5pvsuf] That's what I'm looking for. G-Fafif Jan 09 2009 02:59 PM I spent an evening with Dave Roberts once[/url:3kn3tq44]. Mendoza Line Jan 09 2009 03:46 PM ]There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third? Dave Schneck? on edit - David Lee Schneck is not the answer. Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:07 PM From a card show signing in Pittsburgh, 2005. http://www.jpaulsports.com/images/photos/robert_large.jpg Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:11 PM The third guy was another pretty good pitcher: David Arthur McNally. Edgy DC Jan 10 2009 09:27 PM Well done, Hunter.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'm an AP Style man.

[Frayed Knot]

I have no memories of this Dave Roberts.

The early '80s are perhaps my least baseball-knowledgeable era - both for the sport as a whole and the Mets.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pretty cool that he was a David Arthur also.

There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Wore No. 15.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Dude, I'm way ahead of you with the 15 thing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.

[seawolf17]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":2sfd2kv5]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:2sfd2kv5] You should start a Web site with all that info.

Edgy DC Jan 09 2009 11:30 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3j5pvsuf]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:3j5pvsuf] That's what I'm looking for. G-Fafif Jan 09 2009 02:59 PM I spent an evening with Dave Roberts once[/url:3kn3tq44]. Mendoza Line Jan 09 2009 03:46 PM ]There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third? Dave Schneck? on edit - David Lee Schneck is not the answer. Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:07 PM From a card show signing in Pittsburgh, 2005. http://www.jpaulsports.com/images/photos/robert_large.jpg Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:11 PM The third guy was another pretty good pitcher: David Arthur McNally. Edgy DC Jan 10 2009 09:27 PM Well done, Hunter.

[Guest Edgy DC]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":3j5pvsuf]Yeah but what you didn't know was that he wore 34 all through spring training that year, and switched only when the season began.[/quote:3j5pvsuf] That's what I'm looking for.

G-Fafif Jan 09 2009 02:59 PM

I spent an evening with Dave Roberts once[/url:3kn3tq44].

Mendoza Line Jan 09 2009 03:46 PM

]There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third? Dave Schneck? on edit - David Lee Schneck is not the answer.

Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:07 PM

From a card show signing in Pittsburgh, 2005. http://www.jpaulsports.com/images/photos/robert_large.jpg

Met Hunter Jan 09 2009 04:11 PM

The third guy was another pretty good pitcher: David Arthur McNally.

Edgy DC Jan 10 2009 09:27 PM

Well done, Hunter.

[G-Fafif]

I spent an evening with Dave Roberts once[/url:3kn3tq44].

[Guest Mendoza Line]

]There were three David Arthurs in Major League history and all three played at the same time between 1971 and 1975. Who was the third?

Dave Schneck?

on edit - David Lee Schneck is not the answer.

[Met Hunter]

From a card show signing in Pittsburgh, 2005.

http://www.jpaulsports.com/images/photos/robert_large.jpg

[Met Hunter]

The third guy was another pretty good pitcher: David Arthur McNally.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well done, Hunter.