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Eddie Robinson, former White Sox power-hitting first baseman, passed away today at the age of 100.
He was the oldest living player.
Robinson played for the Sox from 1950-52, hitting 71 home runs in that time. He held the White Sox record with 29 set, in the 1951 season, also driving in 117 runs. In 1952, Robinson followed up by driving in 104 runs.
The 1951 season was the start of the Sox “Golden Age,” the first of 17 straight winning seasons.
For a power hitter, Robinson also hit for a very high average. In his three years with the Sox, Robinson recorded averages of .314, .282 and .296 — and rarely struck out.
He was a two-time All-Star with the White Sox, being named to both the 1951 and 1952 squads. He started at first base in the 1952 contest, and went 1-for-2 in the five-inning, rain-shortened game in Philadelphia.
The White Sox got Robinson in a six-player deal with the Washington Senators on May 31, 1950, and sent him to the Philadelphia A’s in January 1953 as part of a five-player trade. The key man the White Sox got back in return was two-time AL batting champ Ferris Fain.
Robinson also became the first Sox player to ever hit a ball over the roof at the original Comiskey Park, when he did it on April 25, 1951 against St. Louis Browns hurler Al Widmar in a game the Sox won, 8-6.
Robinson also played for Cleveland, the Senators, Athletics, Yankees, Tigers and Orioles.
After he retired, Robinson was a front office executive and scout for a number of big league clubs.