Seattle – Rookie outfielder Trayvon Robinson hasn’t looked quite ready for the big leagues since being acquired from the Los Angles Dodgers in July in a three-way deal with the Boston Red Sox, but he’s quickly becoming one of the most popular Seattle Mariners.
In Anaheim, Calif., he took a home run away with a marvelous running catch to end an inning, but his cap flew off and into the stands.
Robinson promptly asked a fan for the hat, got it and traded him the baseball.
On Saturday at Safeco Field, he crashed into the stands to catch a high pop foul, knocking down a woman in the process.
“I was looking at the ball and all I knew was I’d made contact with somebody,” Robinson said. “I think my glove hit her in the stomach.”
Robinson jumped back onto the field – it was the second out of the inning – threw the ball to the infield and then turned to ask if the fan was all right. She said she was.
Trotting out to his position the next inning, Robinson took her a baseball.
“You can’t just knock somebody down and act like it didn’t happen,” Robinson said.
In 35 games with the Mariners, Robinson is batting .236 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in 110 at-bats.
Robinson’s struck out 45 times.
His style, aggressiveness in the outfield and his affection for the fans seems to have been returned.
Robinson often gets ovations for taking his position between innings.
IRON MEN, SORT OF
The Mariners have only five players who have played as many as 100 games with them this season, and one of those is Adam Kennedy, who made the team out of spring training as a reserve infielder.
Trades, call-ups and injuries have left their mark on this team. After Sunday’s game, here are the Mariners who have played the most games:
Ichiro Suzuki (151), Brandon Ryan (123), Miguel Olivo (122), Justin Smoak (114) and Kennedy (109).
SHORT HOPS
Reliever Shawn Kelley, back from Tommy John surgery to rebuild his right elbow, is hitting 93 mph on the radar gun and worked a scoreless inning Sunday for the Mariners. Since being activated this month, Kelley has appeared in six games, pitched 7 shutout innings and held opposing hitters to a .181 batting average. … Felix Hernandez has thrown 230 innings this season, making him the third pitcher since 2006 to work as many as three seasons with 230 or more innings. The others: CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay. Good company. … Wily Mo Pena, brought in with hopes he’d add a little power to the Mariners’ offense, had two singles Sunday. In 16 games, he’s batted .236 with three doubles and two home runs.
ON TAP
Seattle plays a 1:05 p.m. (PDT) game today in Cleveland, a makeup game that will be televised on Root Sports. Probable starting pitchers: Charlie Furbush (3-9, 4.86 ERA) vs. David Huff (2-5, 3.40).
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstriubne.com/mariners
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