|
|
 |
|
|
| « Back |
| |
 September 2, 2007 - DANVILLE, VA – The Danville Braves announced today that longtime Atlanta Braves minor league coach Mel Roberts passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 1st in Danville. Roberts had been a coach with the Danville Braves from 2005 through this year, as the team had just finished the 2007 season the night before.
“The entire Braves community is saddened by the loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Mel’s family at this time”, stated Danville Braves General Manager David Cross. “Mel had a long career in baseball and touched a lot of people on and off the field. He will be missed by many.”
Roberts had been with the Braves organization for 11 seasons. Roberts spent seven years combined (2001-2004 and 1996-1998) as the coach of the Braves' AA affiliate in Greenville, SC. From 1999-2000 Roberts coached the Richmond Braves.
Prior to joining the Atlanta Braves organization, Roberts served as first base coach for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1992-1995. He managed the Spartanburg Phillies from 1988 to 1991 where he won the South Atlantic League Championship in 1988 and was also named as an All-Star manager. Roberts began his coaching career in 1969 with the Phillies organization as a player-coach with Raleigh-Durham . He later worked as a roving outfield instructor (1984 and 1986) prior to managing at Bend (OR) in 1987. It was at Bend that he was involved in the first ever regular season game in organized baseball that two African-American managers faced each other.
Roberts, a former outfielder, played nine years of professional baseball from 1961-1970, signing first with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1961. He was out of professional baseball in 1965, playing semi-pro ball for Jenkintown. He signed with the Phillies organization in September of 1965 and played through 1970. After graduating from Abington High School in Abington, PA., Roberts, 64, attended Temple University and Spartanburg Tech.
Roberts is survived by his wife, Lucille in Spartanburg, SC, two sons, Jimmy and Juan, and two daughters, Jacqueline and Linda. No funeral arrangements are available at this time.
|
|
| |
| Search Archives |
 |
|
|
|
|
