Born in Panama City, he threw and batted left-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 172 pounds (78 kg).

Roberts started out in class C ball with the Porterville Comets of the Southwest International League in 1952.

After a strong 1955 season in Class AA ball playing first base opposite Brooks Robinson at third for the San Antonio Missions in the Texas League, Roberts was demoted back to Class A ball in 1957 when another Texas league team refused to play against any team with black players.

[citation needed] He had played ten seasons in the minors before finally getting a shot at the majors with the Houston Colt .45s expansion team in 1962.

Between stints with the Oklahoma City 89ers, he collected just 178 at bats with Houston, playing mostly first base, but also some outfield.