Phillies: David Robertson feels good, eyes midseason return
A ‘frustrating’ 2019 season
Robertson is in the final year of his two-year, $23 million pact with the Phillies. He made just seven appearances last year, but never really felt the dominant player he was in Yankees pinstripes, where in parts of nine seasons he went 38-22 with a 2.75 ERA, 666-204 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.157 WHIP spanning 501 appearances, 144 games finished, 53 saves and 498 innings.
“I started out [2019] throwing the ball terrible; I couldn’t figure it out,” said Robertson, who posted a 5.40 ERA before being sidelined for the remainder of the season. “I didn’t think I was having as bad of an issue as I was, and then finally I just had a game in Miami where I threw well, but I kind of paid the price.”
Robertson said he pushed himself through some pains that he shouldn’t have: “Next thing you know, I’m staring down six weeks of sitting out this season. And then just taking a full break off and trying to rehab after that, only to find out that my elbow was just never going to heal. I was surgery-bound”
The 2011 American League All-Star said it was “very frustrating” to not be able to do anything to help the Phillies team that he was “dying” to be a part of.
“I felt like going to Philly, with all the moves that were made to put together such a good squad … I was one of them,” Robertson said. “Adding Bryce [and] J.T., I was dying to be a part of that team and be that anchor in the back of the bullpen.”
Reuniting with old friends
Robertson said that while 2019 was a very tough year for him, he hopes to rebound in 2020. Several members of this year’s Phillies team excite him. Among the top of that list is his former skipper. Robertson said he “could not have been more happy” when the Phillies hired Girardi this past offseason: “It’s really good to have Joe G in a Phillies uniform. Having him and Rob Thomson together again, I am very happy about that.”
Then, there is Didi Gregorius, one of his Yankees teammates from the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Robertson praised the shortstop for being an easy, good and friendly guy: “I love playing with Didi. … He gets along with everyone. He plays hard. He can swing the bat.”
“I got nothing bad to say about him. He’s a great teammate, and I’m glad he’s with us.”
Robertson is a fan of Harper and Realmuto
While Robertson has reconnected with Girardi, Thomson and Gregorius from his playing days in New York, he is also bullish on a few of his new teammates in Philadelphia — including outfielder Bryce Harper and catcher J.T. Realmuto.
“[Harper is] an intense competitor. He hates to lose, and I love that about him. He plays hard. He’s hustling everything out, sliding in hard, swinging hard. Everything he does, he does fast-paced for a purpose.”
Having only faced Harper a handful of times being entirely in the American League before 201, Robertson said he did not realize how intense a competitor he really is.
“He really wants to go out there and kick some butt on the field,” Robertson said. “I love that he’s on our team because I’m the same way. I love winning.”
“It helps to have a group of guys that really want to win, and he’s definitely one of those guys.”
For Phillies perennial All-Star-caliber catcher Realmuto, Robertson called him a “heck of a player” and said he has already had a lot of interaction with him, especially down in Clearwater.
“He’s everything they say,” Robertson said. “He can stick it behind the plate, he can swing it; he’s got an absolute cannon … he’ll take care of it if they try to take second on you.”
COVID Scare in Clearwater
When the news broke earlier this month about several Phillies players and staff members testing positive for COVID-19 in Clearwater, Florida, Robertson said he was among four total players who were using the training facility at the time for rehabilitation.
The right-hander credits the facility for greatly progressing his rehab and return to the mound: “I was allowed to rehab in Clearwater at the Phillies complex,” Robertson said. “I was going in five to six days a week, seeing a physical therapist, following the protocols of the rehab process and throwing.”
“I was trying to hit every mark and keep going. I was able to lift.”
Robertson was shocked when he heard the news about positive COVID cases from the facility that resulted in its subsequent closure.
“We took so many precautions. We were doing everything that MLB suggested. Hand sanitizing, washing hands, everyone splitting up in all different ways so we weren’t near each other for extended periods,” Robertson said. “We did everything we were supposed to do, and people still got sick. … I was just shocked by how quickly it happened.”
“We didn’t think it was going to happen to us. We did everything we thought was the right way. … It shooked things up for me and everybody there.”
Robertson hopes no other team has to go through what the Phillies did moving forward, as it can be a detriment to the upcoming season. His biggest fear was him being someone who got the virus and be an asymptomatic carrier: “More people are going to get it; it’s going to happen. I just don’t want to be the person who is pushing it on other people.”
Now, Robertson remains determined to do his part to stop the virus’ spread.
“I just want to make sure I’m doing my part, wearing my mask, and keeping this social distancing thing going,” said Robertson, who is now back home at his Alabama family farm, throwing with his brother in Alabama.
“If that’s what it takes for me to play baseball, I’ll do whatever it takes,” he continued. “I’m still doing social distancing. I’m at the farm staying away from everyone. I just don’t want to risk getting sick. I can’t let it happen. I’m so close to getting back.”
Then and Now
One of the latter topics WFAN discussed with Robertson in the 20-plus-minute interview was the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. The right-hander was on the 2017 Yankees ALCS roster and posted an uncharacteristic 9.00 ERA across four appearances.
Robertson mentioned how there was no way Astros players should have been able to pick up some of his pitches when they did. Of course, they would go on to defeat the Yankees and win the World Series, which contributed to Girardi’s departure from the team.
Robertson said he will never not be upset about the Astros cheating, and that is “very frustrating” — putting in a ton of work, “only to realize that they know what’s coming and that it’s nothing that you’re doing.”
“I’m never not going to be upset about 2017. The Astros should be ashamed of what they did. It’s not professional; it’s not fair. They shouldn’t get a pass for it,” Robertson said. “I’m never going to get that season back and that group of guys back in 2017. I’m never going to get to look down the bench and see CC Sabathia again.”
“It’s not fair what happened. It irritates me every time I think about them and that season,” he continued. “We played and gave everything we had. We fell short, and I think we fell short for a reason.”
“It was a tough break for us. I’m just never not going to be upset about that.”
Fast-forward to the unprecedented 2020 season that will soon take place, Robertson said pitching with no fans will take some getting used to: “Being a high-leverage, late-inning reliever, you can come in and swing the momentum to change the whole game, just getting a few guys out. No crowd there is going to be definitely a little different.”
Robertson also discussed the negotiations between MLB and the players.
“I think it just goes back to the agreement we had in March with MLB. We felt that a prorated salary was something we weren’t going to budge on, and MLB had things they weren’t going to budge on,” Robertson said. “MLB was just not willing to give us what we agreed on in March, so that’s why it took so long to get to this point.”
“If a 60-game season is what this is going to be … we definitely could have got it going sooner, but that’s just the way things worked out this year.”