Robinson was unfortunate in being ballyhooed as “the next Mickey Mantle” after the Yankees traded the popular Clete Boyer to Atlanta to obtain him. He struggled for three years with the Yankees, toiled in the Phillies system, and almost quit before finally maturing and hitting 25 homers in 1973. With Pittsburgh, Robinson never had a position, as manager Chuck Tanner used his “super-regular” in the outfield, at first base, and at third base. In 1977, he reached career highs of .304, 26 HR, and 104 RBI. He hit 24 HR in 1979 when Pittsburgh became World Champions and collected another World Series ring as batting coach for the 1986 Mets.
