The Philadelphia Phillies signing David Robertson to a two year deal brings to mind the line, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
Robertson performed well out of the bullpen for the New York Yankees after coming on board from the Chicago White Sox. He got his usual strikeouts when needed in his role as the bridge to closer Aroldis Chapman. Robertson used the pinstripes he wore to his advantage when it came to negotiating his free agent contract, which got him 23 million dollars for the next two seasons.
He also had a reputation for being charitable but failed to walk the walk when it came to another known line of, “Charity begins at home.” Robertson, who also was the player rep for the Yankees, also created strikeouts inside the Yanks clubhouse. One of his responsibilities as the player rep was to suggest who gets voted a playoff share among The Yankees so called “little guys,” in this case the clubhouse attendants.
The Yankees voted on 45 full shares to the tune of 43,082 dollars per man. They also handed out 21 partial shares and 2 cash awards, which could be anywhere from one dollar and up.
Two staff members who got the shaft, which was documented, was assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere, who was one of the first guys constantly on the ballfield on a daily basis to help fine tune the hitters swings. He was voted a half a share. The other was Zac Fieroho, who’s an analyst for the coaching staff and traveled with the team on a daily basis. He got voted nothing. The clubhouse attendants, who put in the most hours getting everything ready for game day, were awarded zilch. On top of being the first ones at the ballpark and the last ones to leave, they are also the lowest paid staff members.
Upon signing his new contract with The Phillies, Robertson refused to comment on the shutout of the “little guys”, which leads to stories like this one. May Mr.Robertson enjoy his new neighborhood, and here’s to you, Mr.Robertson. When you ask a Phillies clubbie for a cup protector, you better check it well for any cracks.