Bruce Robinson (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Philip Robinson is a former Major League Baseball
catcher
. He played parts of three seasons from until .
A first-round pick by the Oakland Athletics
in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
, Robinson's career was derailed by an automobile accident while playing for the New York Yankees
in . He never returned to the majors, though he continued to play in the minor leagues through the mid-80s. During that time, Robinson was a player-coach for the Modesto A's in , where he worked with future stars Mark McGwire
and José Canseco
.
Robinson is the brother of former major league outfielder Dave Robinson
. His son, Scott, currently plays for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
.
Bats LEFT / Throws Right
The brother of Dave Robinson and the father of minor leaguer and minor league player/coach Scott Robinson, Bruce Robinson, a first-round pick out of Stanford University in June 1975 (21st choice overall), got most of his major league at-bats with the 1978 Oakland Athletics. The #1 and #2 catchers on the team were Jim Essian, who hit .223, and Jeff Newman, who hit .239. Robinson, for his part, hit .250 after a mid August call-up when Newman became injured.
Robinson's lasting legacy on the game will be his invention of the "Robby Pad" in 1979. The "Robby Pad", a hinged flap on the right/throwing shoulder of a catcher's chest protector, began seeing widespread use in the early 1980s and can be viewed on most every catcher's chest protector from the major leagues to youth leagues. One of the original two "Robby Pads" is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Robinson retained the original prototype and it is framed in his home in Idaho.
Robinson, along with former New York Yankee pitching star, Dave Righetti, were involved in a car accident in 1980 in which Robinson's right shoulder sustained a career impacting injury, necessitating shoulder reconstruction in May 1981. A drunken driver rear ended Robinson and Righetti in Robinson's car that was stopped in a left hand turn lane as the players were nearing their residence. Robinson could not take advantage of being handed the left handed platoon side of a starting role with the Yankees in 1981 due to the shoulder injury. Robinson missed the 1981 and 1982 seasons on the disable list and never made it back to the major leagues. He did lead the Oakland A's in batting average during spring training of 1984 but was sent to AAA Tacoma before agreeing to accept a player / hitting coach position with Oakland's class A Modesto in the California League. Robinson's primary role was to work with two young hitters, Mark McGwire (fresh from the 1984 Olympic team) and Jose Canseco who was underperforming. McGwire and Canseco went on to prolific and controversial careers in the "steroid age" of baseball in the 1980s and 1990s.
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...
catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
. He played parts of three seasons from until .
A first-round pick by 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....
in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft
1975 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1975 Major League Baseball draft..Many baseball draft experts consider the 1975 draft to be the weakest in MLB history.- External links :*- References :...
, Robinson's career was derailed by an automobile accident while playing 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...
in . He never returned to the majors, though he continued to play in the minor leagues through the mid-80s. During that time, Robinson was a player-coach for the Modesto A's in , where he worked with future stars Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
and José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
.
Robinson is the brother of former major league outfielder Dave Robinson
Dave Robinson (baseball)
David Tanner Robinson is a retired American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he played 22 games of Major League Baseball with the – San Diego Padres. He was a switch hitter who threw left-handed, stood tall and weighed...
. His son, Scott, currently plays for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers are a minor league baseball team of the Midwest League, and the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, and are named for timber rattlesnakes. The team plays its home games at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium...
.
External links
Height 6' 2" / Weight 194 lbs as listed on 1979 and 1981 Topps Rookie cards.Bats LEFT / Throws Right
The brother of Dave Robinson and the father of minor leaguer and minor league player/coach Scott Robinson, Bruce Robinson, a first-round pick out of Stanford University in June 1975 (21st choice overall), got most of his major league at-bats with the 1978 Oakland Athletics. The #1 and #2 catchers on the team were Jim Essian, who hit .223, and Jeff Newman, who hit .239. Robinson, for his part, hit .250 after a mid August call-up when Newman became injured.
Robinson's lasting legacy on the game will be his invention of the "Robby Pad" in 1979. The "Robby Pad", a hinged flap on the right/throwing shoulder of a catcher's chest protector, began seeing widespread use in the early 1980s and can be viewed on most every catcher's chest protector from the major leagues to youth leagues. One of the original two "Robby Pads" is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Robinson retained the original prototype and it is framed in his home in Idaho.
Robinson, along with former New York Yankee pitching star, Dave Righetti, were involved in a car accident in 1980 in which Robinson's right shoulder sustained a career impacting injury, necessitating shoulder reconstruction in May 1981. A drunken driver rear ended Robinson and Righetti in Robinson's car that was stopped in a left hand turn lane as the players were nearing their residence. Robinson could not take advantage of being handed the left handed platoon side of a starting role with the Yankees in 1981 due to the shoulder injury. Robinson missed the 1981 and 1982 seasons on the disable list and never made it back to the major leagues. He did lead the Oakland A's in batting average during spring training of 1984 but was sent to AAA Tacoma before agreeing to accept a player / hitting coach position with Oakland's class A Modesto in the California League. Robinson's primary role was to work with two young hitters, Mark McGwire (fresh from the 1984 Olympic team) and Jose Canseco who was underperforming. McGwire and Canseco went on to prolific and controversial careers in the "steroid age" of baseball in the 1980s and 1990s.