Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinsonis an American former Major League Baseballoutfielder and manager. He played for five teams from 1956 to 1976, and became the only player to win league MVP honors in both the National and American Leagues. He won the Triple Crown, was a member of two teams that won the World Series, and amassed the fourth-most career home runs at the time of his retirement. Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth31 August 1935
CityBeaumont, TX
CountryUnited States of America
When a guy is maybe on the lower end of the pain threshold, we have a tendency to maybe be a little critical of him and say what he should do and what he should be able to do. All I know is an individual knows himself and he knows what he is able to handle as far as pain is concerned.
We don't seem to be able to handle pitchers we don't know. First-time guys, we seem to struggle with them. We're just not swinging the bats very well right now.
We don't seem to be able to handle any pitchers we don't know well. He mixed up his pitches pretty good. He moved it around. Still, we weren't very selective or very patient at the plate against him.
Catching the ball? That's not a fundamental. It's what you do when you wake up and put a glove on your hand and you say I am going to play baseball.
If they can get through their normal-type games, going deep into the game, we'll be able to handle the weekend with the people we have right here.
What am I going to say to him? How to handle himself? Swing a bat, be successful and drive some runs in tonight. That's how I want him to handle himself. Other than that, I don't feel I have to go in and talk to him about how to handle himself on a baseball field.
We are down to two players. They are both left-handed and I just didn't want to burn one of the players just in case we had to make some moves later in the game -- pinch-run, double-switch, whatever. I didn't want to tie my hands there with two outs.
We'll go through the whole staff again tomorrow. I'm not thinking long term, right now. I'm thinking about trying to win that one tomorrow. It's going to be a handful in itself.
I'm very proud of Brian the way he has progressed over the years, especially since he's been the everyday catcher. He's improved in his offensive part of the game, he's improved in his defensive part of the game and he's improved in his overall play -- pitch-calling. There's no reason why, and I expect him to continue to make that type of progress and continue to improve overall. Not just in his offense. I still think Brian has room to improve defensively and calling of games and handling the pitching staff in situations.
How did I handle it? If he hit me, I went to first base. If he didn't, I got up and was more determined that he wasn't going to get me out. And if I went to first base, there was a bull's-eye on the shortstop, there was a bull's-eye on the second baseman.
I'm looking forward to when it counts to see how this team reacts. I think we'll handle it very well.
We have to do whatever it takes right now, ... That's our rallying cry: whatever it takes. We have to put it together now. We can't win one, lose one, win one, lose two.
We had the ballgames. They were our ballgames to win, and we didn't finish them off.
We had the ballgames, ... They were our ballgames to win, and we didn't finish them off.