March 3rd, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by Ron Cervenka One of the beautiful things about Spring Training is that fans get an opportunity to see young players and prospects in live-game action that they otherwise might not have.
One of the not so beautiful things about Spring Training is that if Spring Training games are tied at the conclusion of the predetermined number of innings set by both managers in advance of the game, the game just ends. In other words, although there may be “…no crying in baseball,” as Tom Hanks said in the popular 1992 baseball comedy ‘A League of Their Own,’ there is tying in baseball.
On Tuesday evening, the Dodgers game against the hated San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, AZ, ended in a tie; that’s the not-so-beautiful thing. The beautiful thing is that Dodger fans (and thousands of baseball scouts watching on television) got their first look at 22-year-old non-roster invitee Nick Robertson.
If you said ‘Who the heck is Nick Robertson and where did he come from,’ you are not alone. But the answer to both is simple and may actually surprise you. The 6′-6″/265-pound right-hander was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB draft out of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.
All the Roanoke, VA native did on Tuesday night in the first real live-game action of his professional career was retire the Giants in order in the bottom of the fifth inning, including two via strikeout.
Immediately following the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if this was the first time he has seen Robertson pitch.
“In live-action, it was,” Roberts answered. “I’ve seen a handful of pens, and he’s looked really good – shows an interest, how he was dominant, to pick up some hitters, a strike-thrower, good secondaries. So, yeah, to see him face some big league hitters in this environment, I know he was excited, and his stuff plays. Really good outing.”
(Photo courtesy of Dodgers Nation)
It goes without saying that Robertson will not break camp on the Dodgers 26-man Opening Day roster. He could … could, however, find himself at the teams’ alternate training site, which is pretty impressive when you consider that he spent the 2019 season with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer Rookie League.
Play Ball!
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@Dodgers He was outstanding last night! Great take!
Very exciting to see some relievers coming up through the system. Dropping loads of cash on free agents relievers can be a dubious proposition. Guys like Grove, and Robertson might be able to join Grateral, Gonzalez, maybe Gonsolin, and Ferguson in the next few years. Deliberately developing relievers will probably become more common if it isn’t already given the way innings are allocated these days.
This article just hit the spot. I saw the game yesterday and “Where did he com from?” Was exactly what I was asking. Not to mention this guy wit a Don Drysdale size and body type was absolutely blowing guys away. He looked like the real deal.
REALLY nice to see a young guy open eyes like that on a national stage. Happy for him. These are truly very young men that have pretty much always been the best wherever they’ve played all their young lives. It’s a new thing for them having to impress.
Just watching dodgers vs Cin. Is it my imagination, or did Justin Turner lose a lot of weight this off season???
Apparently as he was heading back to the clubhouse a fan in the stands hollered “Hey skinny Justin Turner,” so it’s not your imagination.
This is definitely a good thing, especially on his knees.