From journeyman to hero, Robinson receives first career curtain call

In 2007, Jake Peavy was the National League Cy Young Award winner. That same year, the Kansas City Royals drafted Clint Robinson in the 25th round. Since then, Peavy has won two World Series titles, including most recently last season with the San Francisco Giants. Meanwhile, Robinson was becoming a minor league lifer, having played 921 games on the farm in the Royals, Blue Jays and Dodgers organizations.

In the seventh inning tonight, with the Nationals battling offensive demons from last October's postseason, Robinson drilled a fastball from Peavy over the out of town scoreboard in right-center field for a two-run homer. The blast gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"I kind of let it get deep and I kind of had to muscle through it a little bit, like had to really drive through it," said Robinson about Peavy's fastball. "Lucky enough, I got it on the barrel, so it had some carry on it. It was nice and simple, nothing special."

The sellout crowd of 41,693 at Nationals Park erupted as Robinson's rounded first with his fist pumping high in the air. He was greeted at home plate by a stinging double-handed high-five from Bryce Harper, who had drawn his third walk of the game just before Robinson's at-bat. By the time Robinson finally reached the dugout, it was time to come back out, this time for the first curtain call of his big league career.

"Oh man, that was about as big a shot of adrenaline as you could ask for," Robinson said. "I was a little bit late with it. I think they'd already gotten two pitches into the next batter before I got out there. I was kind of trying to calm myself down because I was all messed up inside, but it was great."

Robinson was considered a longshot when the Nationals offered him a minor league contract as a non-roster invitee to spring training. The 30-year-old had only four major league at-bats with the Royals in 2012 and nine last year with the Dodgers. Beyond that, Robinson had only played first base in his career, leaving him at a disadvantage while fighting for a spot with more seasoned and versatile players like Mike Carp.

But as Robinson's bat heated up in March, Williams began playing him in the outfield. At 6'5" 225 lbs., Robinson admitted that his college coach at Troy University laughed when he found out his former star was chasing balls down in the gaps.

Robinson ended up among the Nats' leaders with 29 total bases in the spring, including two home runs, a triple and five doubles. He hit .320 (16-for-50) with eight RBIs and earned the Nationals' final position player roster spot for opening day.

"I didn't really expect to get as much playing time and the opportunity I've gotten just because we have so many guys here that are very established, talented players," Robinson said. "There's a lot of talent on this team. But I always expect a lot out of myself. I have confidence in my game, and hopefully I keep getting thrown out there and hopefully I keep rewarding them."

Robinson's swing is unusually compact for a player of his size. It's something that attracted Williams to him as a left-handed pinch-hitter off the bench.

"That's an example of why he's had so much success because there's not a lot of moving parts," Williams said. "It's simple and he's a big guy, so he's got strength and power so he can put that simple swing on a baseball and have it do what it did tonight. That also provides good on-base percentage and high average because it is simple and it is quick to the baseball."

Injuries to Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Harper has led to increased playing time for Robinson. He's bounced around from left field to right field to first base while even pitching an inning to preserve the bullpen in a blowout loss to the Diamondbacks in May.

"Perseverance isn't it? A long time in the minor leagues with success and success at every level," Williams said. "He's finally getting an opportunity in the big leagues and, because of injury, to play on a regular basis and showing us what he can do. He's been very productive for us."

Robinson won the Texas League Triple Crown in 2010 playing for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, a Royals affiliate. He was a career .302 hitter in his eight seasons in the minors. After his enormous homer tonight, Robinson was asked if he was surprised that it took him so long for a major league team to give him a shot.

"No, because I know why it didn't happen a few years ago," Robinson said. "There's only 750 jobs in the major leagues, and thousands of guys trying to get one of them. So it's just about being in the right place at the right time. That's why you hear about guys that play for years and years and everybody always asks why. Well, it's because eventually, that opportunity's going to come, hopefully. Mine came this year, and I'm trying to make the best of it."