John Henry Robinson (1887–1965)

Arkansas native John H. Robinson was an outstanding minor league baseball pitcher in the early part of the twentieth century. Following a brief time with three major league teams, he emerged as one of the best pitchers to play for the Little Rock Travelers (later Arkansas Travelers). He spent nearly twenty-two seasons in professional baseball and was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1962. During his playing career, he often just walked away from baseball for a time if he did not want to play for his assigned team, sometimes feigning illness or just refusing to report.

John Henry Robinson (sometimes referred to as Roberson), with the nicknames Hank or Rube, was born in Floyd (White County) on August 16, 1887, to Joseph Allen Robinson and Isabelle Stroud Robinson. He was one of three children.

Robinson received his basic education in the local schools. He grew up playing baseball for area teams. In 1908, he joined his first professional team, the Argenta Shamrocks of the Arkansas State League. Unhappy with the Shamrocks, he left to pitch for the Newport Pearl Diggers.

From 1908 to 1911, Robinson played for several teams including ones in North Little Rock (Pulaski County), Newport (Jackson County), and Jonesboro (Craighead County), as well as Fort Worth, Texas, and Caruthersville, Missouri. During this time, he won over sixty games. After winning twenty-eight games in 1911, he signed with the major league Pittsburgh Pirates in the fall.

After three successful seasons with the Pirates, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. Robinson spent two unhappy seasons with the Cardinals as a relief pitcher. In 1916, he was assigned to play in the minor leagues in California. Feeling that the assignment was too far from home, Robinson refused to go and was instead able to negotiate an assignment to the Little Rock Travelers. After winning eleven games for the Travelers, he was recalled by the Cardinals but once again refused to go even though he was offered a $300 a month contract.

World War I shut down the Travelers halfway through the 1918 season, leading Robinson to return to the major leagues, accepting a contract to play for the New York Yankees. After pitching in eleven games, he abruptly left the team and returned to his home in Floyd. With the end of World War I in 1919, he returned to the Travelers. Even though he reported to the team late, this time claiming to have the measles, he won twenty-three games for the second-place Travelers.

Robinson married Dorothy Latture in 1919; they had a son, Fred.

In 1920, the Travelers won the Southern Association championship, with Robinson winning twenty-six games. After several years of success with the Travelers, he was traded to the minor league Atlanta Crackers in 1928. Robinson pitched sparingly for the Crackers, and after playing a single season, he retired from baseball. Though records documenting his career are incomplete, he is believed to have won a total of between 297 and 330 games in the minor and major leagues.

After finishing his playing career, Robinson returned to Arkansas, making his home in North Little Rock. He was employed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad, where he coached the company’s semi-pro baseball team to two championships, one a national championship in 1930. After only a couple of years with Missouri Pacific, he accepted a position with the Arkansas Highway Commission. He remained there until his retirement in 1959.

Robinson died on July 3, 1965, and is buried in the Edgewood Cemetery in North Little Rock.

For additional information:
“Hank Robinson.” Baseball Reference. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=robins003joh (accessed July 3, 2024).

Reisling, Robert. “John Henry “Rube” Roberson.” 501 Life, June 2024, pp. 74–77.

“Rube Robinson.” Arkansas Baseball Encyclopedia. https://arkbaseball.com/tiki-index.php?page=Rube+Robinson (accessed July 3, 2024).

“Rube Robinson, Ex-Traveler Star, Is Dead at Age of 75.” Arkansas Gazette, July 4, 1965, p. 3B.

Mike Polston
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas