Rafael Orlando Robles Natera (October 20 1947 – August 13 1998) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic. He was signed by the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1967 season, and later drafted by the San Diego Padres from the Giants as the 51st pick in the 1968 expansion draft. He played for the Padres from 1969 to 1970, and again in 1972. Robles was the first player to come to bat in San Diego Padres history. On April 8, 1969, he led off the bottom of the 1st against right-hander Don Wilson of the Houston Astros. He reached base on an error by Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, then stole second base, but did not score. He was at best an average fielding shortstop (.958) and a below-average hitter (.188) during his brief major league career. (47 games played) Rafael Robles died in New York, New York at the age of 50.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Retrosheet
