David Robertson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
David Alan Robertson is a Major League baseball
pitcher
for the New York Yankees
.
, and played his first three years at Central-Tuscaloosa High Schoo
l. He was a 2-year starter for the Falcons at shortstop
and pitcher
. He helped lead his team to back-to-back area titles, as well as back-to-back 6A State Playoff appearances. After his junior year, Central High School was split into three smaller high schools, and Robertson attended Paul W. Bryant High School. He led the Stampede to an area title and the Class 5A State Playoffs in the school's first year of existence.
at the University of Alabama
. As a freshman in , Robertson appeared in a team-high 32 games with 3 starts
. He compiled a 7-5 record with 8 saves and a 2.92 ERA
. He led the Southeastern Conference
by limiting hitters to a .183 batting average
. He was named Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-America by Baseball America
.
In his sophomore season, Robertson helped lead the Crimson Tide to their 25th SEC Championship. He appeared in 29 games, compiling a 4-4 record with a 3.02 ERA. He led the SEC with 10 saves. Due to Robertson being 21 at the time of the 2006 draft, he was a draft eligible sophomore and was drafted in the 17th round by the New York Yankees. He played summer league in Cape Cod and was named MVP of the Cape Cod League Playoffs. On his way back to Tuscaloosa
to begin the fall semester, the Yankees offered him a contract, and he signed in August of .
in the 17th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
.
In 2007, pitching for three minor league teams, he was 8-3 with 4 saves and a 0.96 ERA in innings, allowing 45 hits while striking out 114 batters. In 2008, pitching for two minor league teams, he was 4-0 with 3 saves and a 1.68 ERA in innings, allowing 28 hits while striking out 77.
On June 28, , the Yankees called him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On August 28, 2008, the Yankees optioned him back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees with an earned run average of 6.31. He was recalled back to the majors on September 13.
After starting the 2009 regular season in Triple-A, Robertson was recalled to the majors on April 16, 2009, to replace Xavier Nady
, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list
. The next day he was optioned back to Triple-A to open a roster spot for Juan Miranda
. On May 25, 2009, he was again recalled to the majors to replace reliever Brian Bruney
. Robertson finished the season with a 3.30 ERA and 13.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in innings.
In the 2009 playoffs, Robertson entered two games in high-pressure situations with multiple runners on base, once in the ALDS and once in the ALCS, and managing to escape the inning without letting any runs score. Robertson received the win in both games.
Robertson finished the 2010 season with a 3.82 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings in innings.
The Yankees entered the 2011 season with the additions of Pedro Feliciano
and Rafael Soriano
. Robertson lost out to Joba Chamberlain
to be the 7th inning pitcher who manager Joe Girardi
wanted to bridge to Soriano and closer
Mariano Rivera
. Injuries to Feliciano, Soriano and Chamberlain put Robertson in the 8th inning setup role
, where he achieved 55 strikeouts half way through the season. Robertson was named to the 2011 American League All Star
roster replacing David Price
for his first All Star appearance. He finished the season with 100 strikeouts, becoming the first Yankee reliever since Rivera (in 1996) to record 100 strikeouts in a single season. Robertson finished his breakout season with an AL leading 1.08 ERA, 13.5 K/9 ratio (2nd in the AL), and an MLB leading ERA+ of 410. He also received exactly one (1) point in the voting for both the AL Cy Young Award (the only non-starter or non-closer with a vote) and AL MVP (the only reliever with a vote).
, formerly played for the Oakland Athletics
and the Arizona Diamondbacks
.
Robertson married Erin Cronin in January 2009. The couple started a charitable foundation called "High Socks for Hope" to help the victims of Robertson's hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama
deal with the tornado strikes in 2011
. Robertson agreed to donate $100 for every strikeout he recorded in the season. For his work, Robertson was nominated for the 2011 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
.
High school career
Robertson was born in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and played his first three years at Central-Tuscaloosa High Schoo
Central High School (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Central High School is a high school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, enrolling grades 9-12. The school enrolls approximately 700 students, and is one of three traditional high schools in the Tuscaloosa City School District along with Paul W. Bryant High School and Northridge High School...
l. He was a 2-year starter for the Falcons at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He helped lead his team to back-to-back area titles, as well as back-to-back 6A State Playoff appearances. After his junior year, Central High School was split into three smaller high schools, and Robertson attended Paul W. Bryant High School. He led the Stampede to an area title and the Class 5A State Playoffs in the school's first year of existence.
College career
Robertson played college baseballCollege baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. As a freshman in , Robertson appeared in a team-high 32 games with 3 starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. He compiled a 7-5 record with 8 saves and a 2.92 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. He led the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
by limiting hitters to a .183 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He was named Freshman All-SEC and Freshman All-America by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
.
In his sophomore season, Robertson helped lead the Crimson Tide to their 25th SEC Championship. He appeared in 29 games, compiling a 4-4 record with a 3.02 ERA. He led the SEC with 10 saves. Due to Robertson being 21 at the time of the 2006 draft, he was a draft eligible sophomore and was drafted in the 17th round by the New York Yankees. He played summer league in Cape Cod and was named MVP of the Cape Cod League Playoffs. On his way back to Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
to begin the fall semester, the Yankees offered him a contract, and he signed in August of .
Professional career
Robertson was drafted by the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 17th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
.
In 2007, pitching for three minor league teams, he was 8-3 with 4 saves and a 0.96 ERA in innings, allowing 45 hits while striking out 114 batters. In 2008, pitching for two minor league teams, he was 4-0 with 3 saves and a 1.68 ERA in innings, allowing 28 hits while striking out 77.
On June 28, , the Yankees called him up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. On August 28, 2008, the Yankees optioned him back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees with an earned run average of 6.31. He was recalled back to the majors on September 13.
After starting the 2009 regular season in Triple-A, Robertson was recalled to the majors on April 16, 2009, to replace Xavier Nady
Xavier Nady
Xavier Clifford Nady VI is a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman, who is a free agent.-Amateur career:The St. Louis Cardinals originally drafted Nady in the 4th round of the 1997 Major League Baseball Draft after he was named Northern California Player of the Year in his senior...
, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. The next day he was optioned back to Triple-A to open a roster spot for Juan Miranda
Juan Miranda
Juan Miguel Miranda is a Cuban Major League Baseball first baseman.-Cuba:The 5-foot-11 Miranda batted .303 with 27 homers for Pinar Del Rio in Cuba's Serie Nacional from to . Miranda was on the Cuban national team.He defected to the Dominican Republic in early 2004, on his seventh attempt...
. On May 25, 2009, he was again recalled to the majors to replace reliever Brian Bruney
Brian Bruney
Brian Anthony Bruney is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, and Chicago White Sox....
. Robertson finished the season with a 3.30 ERA and 13.0 strikeouts per 9 innings in innings.
In the 2009 playoffs, Robertson entered two games in high-pressure situations with multiple runners on base, once in the ALDS and once in the ALCS, and managing to escape the inning without letting any runs score. Robertson received the win in both games.
Robertson finished the 2010 season with a 3.82 ERA and 10.4 strikeouts per 9 innings in innings.
The Yankees entered the 2011 season with the additions of Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Feliciano
Pedro Juan Feliciano Molina is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early career:...
and Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano
Rafael Soriano is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the New York Yankees. He bats and throws right-handed...
. Robertson lost out to Joba Chamberlain
Joba Chamberlain
Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Early life:Chamberlain was born and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chamberlain's parents, Harlan Chamberlain and Jackie Standley, were never married and split up when Joba was 18 months old...
to be the 7th inning pitcher who manager Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
wanted to bridge to Soriano and closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera
Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...
. Injuries to Feliciano, Soriano and Chamberlain put Robertson in the 8th inning setup role
Setup pitcher
In baseball, a setup pitcher is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the 7th and/or 8th innings, with the closer pitching the 9th....
, where he achieved 55 strikeouts half way through the season. Robertson was named to the 2011 American League All Star
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
roster replacing David Price
David Price
-Military:*David Price , East India Company officer and orientalist*David Price , British Rear Admiral at the Siege of Petropavlovsk- Politics :...
for his first All Star appearance. He finished the season with 100 strikeouts, becoming the first Yankee reliever since Rivera (in 1996) to record 100 strikeouts in a single season. Robertson finished his breakout season with an AL leading 1.08 ERA, 13.5 K/9 ratio (2nd in the AL), and an MLB leading ERA+ of 410. He also received exactly one (1) point in the voting for both the AL Cy Young Award (the only non-starter or non-closer with a vote) and AL MVP (the only reliever with a vote).
Personal life
His brother, ConnorConnor Robertson
James Connor Robertson is a currently inactive right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher...
, formerly played for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
and the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.
Robertson married Erin Cronin in January 2009. The couple started a charitable foundation called "High Socks for Hope" to help the victims of Robertson's hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
deal with the tornado strikes in 2011
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
An extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
. Robertson agreed to donate $100 for every strikeout he recorded in the season. For his work, Robertson was nominated for the 2011 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award.