(born February 17, 1951) A native son of Oregon, and a graduate of Corvallis High School, Dave Roberts made a spectacular leap into professional sports as baseball’s No.1 draft choice in 1972 – the only time an Oregonian has ever earned that honor.
Drafted by the San Diego Padres, Roberts went on to play 11 years in the major leagues with career statistics of 49 HRs, 208 RBI’s and a .239 batting average.
He first gained national attention at the University of Oregon when as a sophomore, he hit .384 against PAC-8 pitchers and was selected as the All-Conference shortstop. 1972 was a thrilling year for Roberts as he was named NCAA All-American and NCAA Player of the Year, led the nation in home runs as well as being the first Oregon player since 1958 to top the coveted .400 mark.
Roberts was only the sixth player to go straight to the majors after being drafted without first playing in the minor leagues.
Dave made several position adjustments with Padres third base to second, back to third and then catcher after a stint in the minor leagues. His versatility showed as he later added outfield duties and late in his career with the Rangers, played 7 different positions during the 1979 season.
Roberts major league career included stops in Houston, Toronto and Philadelphia. His best season statistically was 1973 with San Diego; 127 games played, a .283 batting average and 21 home runs.
In 1980, Daves late career standout season was with the Rangers; .238 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs.
Following retirement in 1983 , Roberts went on to coaching and scouting duties, including managing the Eugene Emeralds in the Northwest League.