SPRINGDALE — Derrick Robinson sees no reason to deny his reputation.
Robinson, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals’ dynamic center fielder and switchhitting leadoff hitter, understands how his speed first got him noticed and then carried him through the Kansas City Royals’ minor league system the past four years.
Now Robinson is showing he is not one-dimensional. His case was not quite as convincing until this year, but Robinson’s numbers in his first season at the Class AA level indicate a breakthrough.
Robinson’s .302 batting average entering Saturday dwarfs his 2006-2009 career mark of .243 and his career-best .248 in 2007. Behind the spike is a .367 on-base percentage, boosted by an increased walk rate, a decreased strikeout rate and an overall improvement in plate discipline and pitch selection.
“I started off pretty well, and that helped my confidence a lot,” said Robinson, 22. “I’ve just maintained the same approach throughout the whole year so far. It’s still working out. I’ve just been a little more patient. I’m not trying to chase as many badpitches and taking the walks as they’re giving them to me.”
Robinson’s primary tool, though, has been present from the start.
The most glaring evidence of Robinson’s astonishing speed is his base-stealing prowess. He has 173 stolenbases over the past three seasons, including a Texas League-best 42 this year with the Naturals.
What doesn’t appear in the box score is Robinson’s impressive range on defense.
The Naturals recently had three of the fastest players in the Royals organizationroaming the spacious outfield at Arvest Ballpark together for about a week with Robinson, Paulo Orlando and Jarrod Dyson, who was promoted to Class AAA Omaha on Friday. Orlando and Dyson have spent time at center field, allowing the versatile Robinson a chance to work in left on occasion.
“I don’t know if there’s a faster outfield in the big leagues,” Naturals Manager Brian Poldberg said. “They did a great job. [Robinson] wasn’t quite as confident in left field because he hadn’tplayed there much, but out in center field he’s confident. Defensively, he’s pretty much major-league ready at this point.”
Now that Robinson is just two short steps away from the majors, his decision to pass on a promising football career four years ago seems like a wise one.
Robinson, who earned a college scholarship offer to play cornerback at Florida, was poised to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Ricky Nattiel, and cousin, Mike Nattiel. Ricky “The Rocket” Nattiel spent six seasons as a wide receiver with the Denver Broncos (1987-1992), and Mike Nattiel played linebacker for two years with the Minnesota Vikings (2003-2004).
When the Royals took Robinson in the fourth round of the 2006 draft, their offer was too enticing for him to pass up.
“I was just ready to get started with my professional career,” Robinson said. “The Royals gave me an awesome opportunity, so I jumped all over it.”
Naturals hitting coach Terry Bradshaw said Robinson has been able to apply his football skills on the baseball diamond.
“The mental toughness of being on the football field candefinitely help you,” Bradshaw said. “It’s the ability to forget about one at-bat and move on to the next at-bat. He’s that guy who can walk in the ballpark, and you don’t know if he’s 10 for 20 or 0 for 20. His demeanor never changes.
“This game is a tough game, and you can let the failure in this game just destroy you.”
Robinson had the bloodlines and talent he needed all along. The balanced production and maturation of his game followed this year, leaving just one impediment to a major-league call-up - opportunity.
The Royals have a crowded picture in the outfield with Alex Gordon, Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik holding down spots at the majorleague level. Former Naturals Dyson, David Lough and Jordan Parraz are waiting in the wings at Omaha.
Robinson isn’t looking too far ahead, though. His approach seems to be serving him just fine for now.
“From the first day that I came into baseball, the first thing I learned was that you can’t wear your emotions on your sleeve,” Robinson said. “When you get caught up in the moment, you get down on yourself and that’s when you go into a slump.”Derrick Robinson at a glance TEAM Northwest Arkansas Naturals POSITION Center field HEIGHT 5-11 WEIGHT 170 pounds AGE 22 (Born Sept. 28, 1987) NOTEWORTHY Batting .302 with 1 home run, 39 RBI and a Texas League-leading 42 stolen bases in 55 attempts entering Saturday. ... Listed by Baseball America as the best athlete, best defensive outfielder and No. 22 overall prospect in the Kansas City Royals farm system. ... Turned down a college football scholarship offer from Florida when he signed as a fourth-round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2006. ... Uncle, Ricky Nattiel, and cousin, Mike Nattiel, both played in the NFL. Ricky was a wide receiver with the Denver Broncos from 1987-1992, and Mike was a linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings from 2003-2004.
Sports, Pages 32 on 07/25/2010