Robin Roberts Passes...

From the wire services today...

"Phillies icon Robin Roberts, who was a key member of the 1950 Whiz Kids, died this morning at his Temple Terrace, Fla., home from natural causes, the Phillies said. Roberts was 83. He spent 14 years with the Phillies (1948-61) posting a 234-199 record, before stints with Baltimore, Houston and Chicago, compiling a 286-245 record with a 3.41 ERA for his 19-year career. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
"Dad didn’t miss a Phillies game on television, including last night. He really loved this team and was so thrilled that he was included in the World Series festivities the last two years," said his son, Jim.
Funeral arrangements are pending. The Phillies will hold a moment of silence to honor Roberts before today's game against St. Louis. Roberts’ No. 36 jersey will hang in the Phillies dugout beginning today and will remain throughout the season, both at Citizens Bank Park and on the road. Beginning with tomorrow night’s game, players will wear #36 on the right sleeve of their jerseys throughout the remainder of the season. The Phillies 1950 pennant also will be hung at half-mast. Roberts started three games on the final five days of the 1950 season and was the winning pitcher in a victory over the Dodgers that gave the Phillies their first pennant in 35 years. Roberts won 20 games that season, becoming the team’s first 20-game winner since Grovery Cleveland Alexander in 1917. Roberts was born in Springfield, Ill., and attended Michigan State University to play basketball, not baseball. He was a two-time captain of the hoops team but his professional future was in baseball. He made his big-league debut on June 18, 1948."

HE WILL BE MISSED.