BASEBALL

Robinson behind controls of Spikes' turnaround season

Guy Cipriano

The first man on the field before the State College Spikes played wasn't a 21-year-old eager to dazzle new bosses by ripping batting- practice pitches over fences.

View larger

Gary Robinson took his cuts first, swinging a bat in the air, pacing on the grass, waiting for his team to begin its pregame work.

After tossing a round of batting practice, Robinson would wander through the infield. He went to first base and chatted with Aaron Baker and Justin Byler. He slipped to second and worked with Ty Sum-merlin. He moved to short and helped Brock Holt and Andy Vasquez. He ended at third, where converted outfielder Pat Irvine waited.

These men, their routines and this season consumed Robinson, a major reason the Spikes rebounded from a horrific 2008 to finish 38-38.

At 56 years old and a decade removed from the uniform-wearing phase of the game, Robinson started this season as a managing enigma. Seventy-six games later, he ingrained many of his ways into young professionals.

“The mentality is to go out there and be tough,” said Jason Erickson, a first-year pitcher from the University of Washington. “You have to be a bulldog, and I learned that from him.”

Sometimes the antsy manager used throwback tactics to harden players.

On the second day of preseason minicamp, players were ordered to trade cleats for tennis shoes. They were running bleachers.

On the night of the final home game, players participated in

postgame pomp. They were then ordered back to the diamond for late-night fielding practice.

In between, Robinson talked to his team more than any manager in the Spikes’ four-year history. They met after wins, losses, even rain delays.

Part of it was the former college coach in Robinson. Part of it was the serious task before him.

The Pittsburgh Pirates entrusted Robinson with the careers of 47 players

between ages 19 and 24. The organization wants instructors to create an evolving template of how players must act before, during and after games. The personal expectations heaped on players, not wins and losses, pushed Robinson.

“Managing a baseball team is as simple as keeping players motivated and you have to use any means available to do that,” he said. “I think if you set expectations then the players need to be held accountable for those expectations.

“I don’t know where professional baseball has gone with teaching the team concept in the minor leagues. What we do in the minor leagues needs to create championships in Pittsburgh and we need to start that selfless, take care of your teammate style down here. If it takes running stairs after a game, that’s what we do. If it takes extra groundballs after a game, it’s not punishment. That’s part of the workload.”

Robinson considers managing a professional team tougher than running a college one because it’s a 24-7 business. The Spikes played 76 games in 80 days, a grueling schedule considering players drafted from colleges started in February and organizational holdovers opened spring training in March.

Minds wander. Slumps happen. The Spikes lost seven straight in July, but they never sunk any further.

The team responded to the postgame workout by winning four of their final seven games. The season ended with a 17-hit, no-error, 14-4 victory at Mahoning Valley, a team vying for the New York- Penn League title.

“A guy like Gary brings out the best in you because you’re going to be challenged,” said pitching coach Mike Steele, another man responsible for the Spikes’ turnaround. “That’s big especially for these kids because they are being taught how to be professionals and it isn’t going to be easy. He does a great job of defining that.”

Robinson fit snugly into his uniform and appeared comfortable in his role the moment he landed here. Before the season, he told Pirates director of player development Kyle Stark he’s in no hurry to jump from one position to the next.

Nobody has managed the Spikes twice. Neither Robinson nor Stark fully divulged what next season holds. But another summer filled with early arrivals and late departures would benefit the Spikes.

“If I had the opportunity to come back to State College, I would take it in a New York minute,” Robinson said. “It’s about the best place in professional baseball to work as far as I am concerned.”

Robinson’s passion is infectious.

It’s impact showed on the field this summer.

Guy Cipriano can be reached at 231-4643.