Bip Roberts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leon Joseph Roberts (born October 27, 1963, Berkeley, California} was an American baseball player.

He was a speedy second baseman, largely associated with the San Diego Padres. Although he never led the league in any individual category, he was known as a solid all around player. Originally taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1st round of the Draft as a supplemental pick in 1982, After stealing a combined 90 bases in his two previous minor league seasons, Bip was taken by the San Diego Padres in the Rule 5 Draft in December of 1985, thus being required to stay on Padres Major League roster for the entirety of the 1986 Season.

Bips rookie season was somewhat of a disappointment, as he was only successful in 14 out of 26 steal attempts, but he was an excellent pinch hitter, but that alone did not save him a spot on the Padre's Major League roster and he would spend the next two seasons in the minors, where he would hit .306 in 1987 and .353 in 1988 with 10 triples in 98 games in 1987. His stolen base totals were also once again stellar, being 39 and 45 respectively, which caused San Deigo to call him up at the end of 1988, where he played in 5 games, seeing time at Third and Second Base, as well as Pinch hitting.

It was 1989-1990 in which Bip had breakout seasons, hitting .301 in 1989 with 21 steals and 81 runs in just 329 at bats,\. Bip showed incredible versatility playing all outfield positions, Shortstop, Second, and Third. In 1990, Roberts ranked in the top 10 in the NL in Doubles (36), Steals (46), and Runs (104).

Unfortunately in 1991 the injury bug bit Roberts again and was limited to 117 games, but still managed to hit .281 with 26 stolen bases. A shocking move was made in December of 1991, as hometown favorites were traded, when the Cincinnati Reds sent pitcher Randy Myers in exchange for Roberts, whom had hit two home runs in a game against the Reds in a single game in 1991.

In 1992 Bip was selected as a National League All-Star, going 2-for-2 with 2 RBI's. Bip was also named the Cincinnati Reds team MVP, and was 8th in voting for the NL MVP. stealing 44 bases, and hitting .323. He also tied an NL record in 1992 with ten consecutive base hits. It was after this season that Bip gained immense popularity and was dubbed to be the Reds new double play combo of the future along with close friend Barry Larkin. Unfortunately the Reds faced an injury riddled 1993 season as Bip was one of several players to go down, and after the 1993 season he re-signed with the San Diego Padres and went back to the team that brought him to the big leagues.

In 1994 Bip also boasted an MLB best 24-game hitting streak while returning to the San Diego Padres. The strike shortened season compromised his very promising season as he was hitting .320 with over 20 steals yet again. He was also second in the NL in singles, and was known for breaking up Pedro Martinez's extra inning perfect game in the 10th inning with a double.

While Roberts wouldnt play more than a half a season in 1995, he stole his usual 20 bases, only being caught twice, while batting .304. In December, Bip was dealt to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for first Baseman Wally Joyner.

Bip had trouble adapting to the American League, not hitting as well as he did in the NL, and losing a little speed. He was sent to the Cleveland Indians in mid 1997 as tehy needed a sparkplug at the top of their lineup for the playoff race. Roberts went under some scrutiny while sitting out Game 7 of the World Series due to a serious case of the flu.

He would go on to play for the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics as well, before retiring after the 1998 season.

Height: 5-7
Weight: 165 lb.
Throws: Right
Bats: Both

Some information in this article or section is not attributed to sources and may not be reliable.
Please check for inaccuracies, and modify and cite sources as needed.

The nickname "Bip" was derived from Leon's propensity to mis-pronounce some words as a young child. This turned into a slight speech impediment as an adolescent, as, when asking his mother for a second helping of food, he would continue to ask for "a little bip more". The name stuck. Currently, Bip is back in the San Francisco Bay Area and can occasionally be seen alongside KTVU sportscaster Mark Ibanez following Giants games as a part of the station's wrap-up show.

Bip was also known for his 1995 commercial with teammate and close friend, Tony Gwynn. In the bit, Bip told fans that collecting baseball cards was profitable, and had a guidebook for card prices, mentioning that his own rookie card was worth $600 and that years from now, who knows? $1000? $2000?. Teammate Tony Gwynn interrupted, "Hey man, you're looking at Robin Roberts. Says here your card's worth four cents!", which Bip was shocked to find was true. As a member of the Hall of Fame who began his career in the 1940s, Robin Roberts' rookie card could command such a high price; as a utility player with an injury-riddled and -shortened career (though he was named to the All-Star Game in 1992), Bip Roberts' rookie card, as Bip mentioned at the end of the commercial, "Yo, T[ony]! Four cents, if it's in excellent condition, but ten cents, if it's totally mint!"