[dougscats]

Uncle Robbie he was called, the beloved manager of the beloved bums,
later in his career called the Daffiness Boys.

They named the team after him--the Robins--for awhile.

He was Brooklyn's answer to McGraw of the Giants,
who'd both been teammates in the 1890's on the legendary Baltimore team.
Hitherto good friends, Robinson and McGraw had had a falling out when Robinson was coaching for him, and I'm sure this added to the rivalry between the teams.

Uncle Robbie's underdogs won the NL pennant in 1916 and 1920, and I think they made a serious run again in 1924. So he was no joke as a manager, but he was comical;
Rotund, with a good sense of humor, I think one writer called him Falstaffian, and I'll go with that.

I believe it was Casey Stengel who orchestrated the following in spring training one year:
Someone was in the news about catching a baseball dropped from an airplane at 500'.
Uncle Robbie, former h-o-f catcher, said that he could do that, and soon enough a bet was made and a contest set up.
There was a real possibility of Uncle Robbie getting hurt in this stunt.
Casey Stengel got the airplane pilot to substitute a ripe grapefruit for the baseball.
The "ball" came down from 500', fluttering all the way, as you may imagine. But the old catcher managed to get under it.
When it hit his glove, of course it splattered all over Uncle Robbie's head.
I'm dead! I'm dead!" he screamed
While the team, the Press and the fans in attendance all rolled with laughter.

Thanks to Jobu for that incredible RPPC of the 1920 Brooklyn Robins, featuring Uncle Robbie's dog with the pipe in his mouth!
I don't remember ever seeing that before, and I think his dog captures who Uncle Robbie was.