Part Three with Trayvon Robinson: Forgiveness and Gratitude
- jgperro
- Jun 30
- 5 min read
Trayvon Robinson admits that as a younger player, there were instances where he might not have conducted himself maturely. Being suddenly brought up to the Major Leagues by the Seattle Mariners and then swiftly relegated to the bench was a challenging experience that required time to overcome. Now, 37 years old and the hitting coach of the Lancaster Stormers, Robinson is only appreciative of the game and everyone that guided him through it.
By 2019, Trayvon Robinson was seven years removed from his last big league at-bat. Now 31 years old with a worsening personal financial situation, The time had come to try something unconventional. He essentially invited himself to Pittsburgh Pirates' spring training.
"I just want an opportunity to get to spring training That's all I want, I didn't really care. Like, you know, I had nothing to lose. I'm already losing my wife and I'm probably losing the house that I wanted to call home. I lost a lot of stuff from that. I just wanted an opportunity," said Robinson.
He got that opportunity, demonstrated his abilities, and earned a spot in AAA on the Indianapolis Indians' bench. That spot on the bench turned into more frequent at-bats, which turned into a selection to the AAA All-Star Game. "I just took advantage of it and I ran with it. And I ended up becoming an All-Star that year. And that was a funny thing too. Because the thing is I knew the situation I was getting into. I knew that I was going be a guy that was coming off the bench."
"That was, out of my 19 year career, 2019 was my favorite year because it showed perseverance, determination," says Robinson.
The Chicago White Sox noticed his performance and signed him to a contract for the 2020 season.
I played against [White Sox' director of player development] Chris Getz with the Royals. We had a little short conversation. He was like, 'Man, after seeing you what you did in Indianapolis against us and seeing you how you handle your business, without a doubt you are going to go to Chicago in 2020."
Then COVID-19 happened.
The minor league season was cancelled, Major League roster management was modified, and Trayvon found himself, again, on the outside. Robinson says, "2020 would have put me back in a position to where I was back on track. I probably, yeah, I would have made it back to the big leagues. But, we're gonna have to release you because of COVID. And I was like, I get it. I get it. I thank the White Sox for taking the chance on me, a 32 year old dude that,.... I can't thank them enough."
Trayvon Robinson returned to the Lancaster Stormers (then the Barnstormers) for the 2021 season. He led the team to the 2022 and 2023 league championship.
"2021, I came back here [Lancaster,] and I was just still just kind of going through some stuff, you know, not having a place to stay, really staying with my friends and stuff like that. I officially got divorced in 2020. I lost, I lost my house. I lost my living situation. You want to be on your own. You've been on your own for so long. You know what saying? You want to be in the spot to where you can have peace," reflects Trayvon.
"2022, I'm like half retired.," he remembers. 'I was doing a lot of stuff, like Door Dash and UberEats. But I knew that I was one foot in one foot out of what I wanted to do, the game was really calling me," says Robinson. One day, he stopped by a local batting cage, just to see what he could do. "I literally picked up a bat, hit a couple rifles, and I was like 'I'm going back to play baseball.' So I sat out I sat out for like three months."
He was named player/coach for the Stormers for the 2024 season. For the 2025 season, the word "player" would be removed from his job title.
"I'm thankful, [very thankful for being able to play 19 years.] Very thankful to people I crossed. Thankful for the people who coached me. Thankful for the people who were my teammates. Very thankful for clubhouse managers, umpires, grounds crew, everybody, man. Everybody who, wherever I shared a office with. You just never know who you'll meet. Never know who we'll reconnect. It's definitely a game I will give my life to. And I thank it. I thank it. I'm thankful for what it has done to me. It made me available, got me out of some shitty situations, gave me peace, gave me some shitty situations [laughs.] Yeah, I can't say I'm thankful enough. I just ask for forgiveness for everybody that took me the wrong way and misunderstood me. It's all love. It's all love."
That gratitude and thankfulness works both ways. Or perhaps it rolls down hill. I talked to a few members of Trayvon's Stormers. THEY are appreciative of HIM.
Slater Schield: "Trayvon is awesome. He keeps hitting simple, and that’s what makes him great. No over complication of things. But what really sets him apart is how much he truly cares. He’s willing to pour everything he has into you, and he builds real relationships with you as a person first, not just as a player. He keeps everything fun and competitive. That kind of coaching sticks with you."
Joseph Carpenter: "Trayvon has been a great mentor of the game for me and brings a plethora of knowledge to the table. His knowledge comes with strategy as he can relate to us hitters. He is always willing to do anything he can so we get our work in pre game. He has been a great mentor to me and my career."
Daniel Amaral: "A great quote that he said was, 'As a player, I hated when the hitting coach didn’t love being in the cage with the guys. I will always be in there and if you ever want to take extra swings or need anything I am happy to do it.' He has kept his word and has the ability to be the same guy everyday."
In addition to his duties as a professional hitting coach, Trayvon is also a part of the S.M.I.L.E. Zone with former MLB pitcher Jay Jackson.
This episode is available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you find your podcasts.
Subscribe to Trayvon Robinson and Jay Jackson's podcast, The Brushback Podcast
Catch Up with JP's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catchupwithjp/
Purchase Jay Jackson's book Nine Innings to Living Your Best Life here: https://amzn.to/4jLeXBX
Purchase Jim Rushford's book, The Pizza Guy Delivers here: https://amzn.to/43fW31a
Purchase Jim Campanis Jr.'s book, Born into Baseball here: https://amzn.to/3FuLWfJ
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