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In Little League, Chattanooga center fielder and Los Angeles native Trayvon Robinson would go to Family Fun Day at Dodger Stadium and dream about one day playing in a similar stadium.

Not the same stadium mind you, because, despite never having strayed too far from Los Angeles, Robinson's baseball allegiances didn't lie in Los Angeles.

"Of course I liked the Dodgers, but I grew up a Rangers fan," Robinson said with a laugh. "I just liked players like Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Tom Goodwin, so I always rooted for the Rangers."
LA출신이지만, 다저스보다는 텍사스팬으로 성장했던 트레이본 로빈슨(Trayvon Robinson)은 과거 레인저스의 I-rod나 후안 곤조, 팀 굿윈을 동경하면서 자라왔다고 합니다. 물론 다저스를 좋아하기는 한다네요.

But now, with a chance to return to the park he grew up around as player, it's safe to say Robinson's allegiances have returned to the city of his birth. On Sept. 1, which is also the date of Robinson's 23rd birthday, major league teams will expand their rosters to 40 players. And Robinson, who was put on the Dodgers' 40-man roster last November and is in the midst of the best professional season of his career, is a likely candidate to be called up.
작년 인랜드와 체터누가에서 브레이크아웃 시즌을 보낸 후 지난 11월에 다저스는 그를 40인 로스터에 포함시켰으며 어쩌면 다가오는 9월에 콜업될지도 모르는 선수가 되었습니다.

Always a player with five-tool potential, Robinson is beginning to fully realize that potential now in his first full season at Double-A. Hitting primarily out of the No. 2 hole, Robinson is sporting an impressive .309/.408/.453 line in 369 at-bats, and also has nine home runs and 32 stolen bases in 45 attempts to boot.
작년의 성공을 올해도 이어가고 있는 5-툴 플레이어는 체터누가에서 주로 2번타자로 나와서 369타수동안 .309/.408/.453와 9HR 32SB를 기록중입니다.

Look at most of the offensive leaders in the Southern League and there is a good chance Robinson will be there. He currently ranks sixth on the circuit in runs (71) and OPS, eighth in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, and third in walks (59) and stolen bases. With the recent trade of outfielder Andrew Lambo and the struggles of Lookouts' teammate Kyle Russell, Robinson has emerged as arguably the best outfield prospect in the Dodgers' system.
서든 리그에서 그는 공격 카테고리에 대부분 랭크되어있는데, 득점과 OPS는 6위, 타율은 8위, 출루율은 4위, 볼넷과 도루는 3위를 마크하고 있습니다. 지금껏 체터누가의 외야를 담당했던 앤드류 람보(Andrew Lambo)는 트레이드되었고, 카일 러셀(Kyle Russell)은 삽질 중이어서 다저스의 외야 프로스펙터로써 주목을 받고 있다고 하는군요.

"It all comes from his growth as a player," said Lookouts' hitting coach John Valentin who also managed Robinson at high Class-A Inland Empire in 2008. "He is like a sponge soaking everything in. He has started to make strides, he understands how to approach his daily routine better, and it is paying off."
선수로써 그의 성장은 계속되고 있습니다. 08시즌 인랜드에서 감독을 역임하면서 그를 지켜봤던 현 체터누가의 타격코치인 존 발렌틴(John Valentin)은 그에 대해 마치 '스펀지'와 같다면서 많은 부분을 자신의 것으로 흡수하는 선수같다는 표현을 하면서 나날이 발전하고 있다고 합니다.

The season didn't start well for Robinson however. Robinson admits that because of his placement on the 40-man roster, he spent too much time watching the injuries and counting bodies in Los Angeles, and the result was a .224/.314/.395 line in April, and a .262/.342/.447 line in May.
하지만, 막상 시즌이 시작되었을때 그는 다저스가 해준 보답(40인 로스터포함)에 대해 보답해주지 못했습니다. 4월과 5월에 삽질을 했기때문이고, 부상도 당했었기때문이죠.

"I was too busy watching what was happening in Los Angeles and it was clouding my focus," Robinson said. "I realized eventually that I can't control what goes on with the big league club, so I stopped worrying about it."

Valentin noticed another change in Robinson right around the All-Star break. He had been constantly urging Robinson to be more selective at the plate. Robinson said he heard what Valentin was saying, but it wasn't until Lookouts' manager Carlos Subero told Robinson to start using his hands more, that what Valentin was saying started to click.

Since then Robinson has been red-hot, hitting .370/.448/.440 in June, .350/.458/.550 in July, and .400/581/.467 through 30 at-bats in August.
하지만, 로빈슨은 올스타 브레이크 이후 많이 좋아지면서 아주 뜨거운 타자가 되었습니다.

"I made him understand he needed to take pitches more. I told him his role in the big leagues was at the top of the order, so he needed to get into better hitter's counts, take more pitches, and get on base," Valentin said. "He wasn't reading the ball well and he was swinging at pitcher's pitches. Now he understands everything so much better. I really believe this is the beginning of the new Trayvon and that we won't see anything other than good things from him from this point on."
발렌틴은 로빈슨으로 하여금 (타석에서) 더 많은 공을 보도록 요구했고, 그가 (잠재적으로) 빅리그에 들어섰을때의 직책(리드오프)을 말해줬다고 합니다. 그 이후에 그는 새로운 로빈슨이 되었다고 합니다.

It hasn't always been this easy for Robinson however. In fact, even as far back as high school, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Robinson has been flying under the radar. Before signing with the Dodgers, Robinson attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles. Crenshaw has produced talented baseball players in the past, most notably former All-Star Darryl Strawberry, but the Cougars' baseball team has always played third fiddle to basketball and football.

In fact, despite some of their notable alumni, the Crenshaw baseball program isn't particularly strong. 2004 graduate Dan Nelson is the only other Crenshaw graduate playing professional baseball and he is currently toiling in high Class-A for the Nationals. In 2008, now California sophomore Cameron Hart became the first Cougar to play Division I college baseball in almost 25 years.
로빈슨은 고딩때 많은 주목을 받지 못했고, 당시에는 단지 데럴 스트로우베리(Darryl Strawberry)의 고딩후배라는 이유로 약간의 주목을 받았고, 실제로 고딩때는 풋볼과 농구를 주로 했기때문에 야구는 그저 3옵션에 불과했다고 합니다. 그리고 그의 고등학교는 좋은 야구 선수를 배출시키지도 못했다는군요.

That lack of tradition and the fact that Robinson was swooped up by the local organization in the 10th round in 2005 made it easy for critics to discount Robinson's playing ability. The pressure of success and the completely new surrounding of the Gulf Coast League made it tough for Robinson early.
이런 부족한 인프라(표현이 맞나 모르겠습니다)와 로빈슨의 잠재력을 폄하하는 시선, GCL등의 새로운 환경으로 인해 로빈슨의 프로 커리어 초반은 힘들었다고 합니다.

"When I came out, everybody was thinking 'He came from Crenshaw so he can't be that good because they don't play good baseball,'" Robinson said. "It was hard early on because I put a lot of pressure on myself. I was 17 years old, I had never been out of Los Angeles really, and I was just trying to adjust to the Florida weather and Florida culture. But not getting a hit every time is frustrating," he continued, repeating the word twice more for emphasis. "Finally at the end of last year I just said 'Forget it' and just started to play my game."
Crenshaw출신인데다가 부족한 환경등으로 인해 제가 성공하리라고 생각하는 사람들은 없었습니다. 그리고 17살의 나이에 LA밖을 벗어나본적이 없어서 모든게 부담스러웠습니다. 하지만, 플로리다의 날씨와 문화에 적응하려고 노력했습니다. 그리고 작년에 비로소(?) 깨달았습니다. 모든걸 잊고, 단지 경기에 집중하자구요.

As if he didn't have enough to adjust to, when Dodgers' coaches saw Robinson's plus speed in person, they urged the natural righthander to try switch-hitting. So every morning Robinson, who said he had never even tried to hit lefthanded before, was in the batting cages at 7:30 a.m., working on his lefthanded swing.
아직 로빈슨의 플레이가 영글지 못했음에도 불구하고 다저스의 코치진들은 로빈슨의 스피드를 높이 평가했다. 해서 데뷔 초반 원래 우타자였던 로빈슨에 대해 다저스는 그에게 스위치히터로써 컨버전을 시도했습니다.

The adjustment the Dodgers' hoped would help maximize his speed actually hurt Robinson in the beginning as he struggled mightily and allowed himself to get discouraged.

"At first, I was really really bad," said Robinson, who was able to laugh at his struggles looking back. "My top hand was really weak and I had a lot of conversations with [Dodgers' farm director] De Jon [Watson] about it and I told him, 'I don't think I can make it to the big leagues as a switch-hitter.'"
그렇지만, 그의 컨버전 초기에 바람과는 달리 그의 장점(스피드)까지 슬럼프를 겪게 되었고, 자신감마져 상실하게 되었습니다. 그래서 디 존 완슨과 대화까지하면서 자신은 빅리그에서 스위치히터가 될 수 없을것이라는 말까지 하기도 했었다는군요.

Eventually, with practice, Robinson improved his swing from both sides of the plate and settled in as a full-time switch-hitter. This season his .306/.407/.435 line against righthanders is nearly identical to his .316/.409/.491 line against lefthanders, and he said he feels comfortable from either side of the plate.

Still there was plenty of work left for Robinson to do before he could convince coaches and scouts he was ready for the next level.
그렇지만, 꾸준한 노력을 결과로 양쪽 타석 모두 좋은 스윙으로 개선되었고, 좌우타석의 스텟비율이 비슷한 수준까지 끌어올릴 수가 있었지만, 여전히 좌타석에서 개선되어야 할 부분이 많다고 합니다.

Like any young hitter, Robinson was too aggressive at the plate in his first few seasons as a professional. Playing for low Class-A Great Lakes in 2007, Robinson posted a .314 on-base percentage and a lackluster 119-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The next season, even with Valentin constantly in his ear telling him to be more patient and work for a hitter's count, Robinson walked just 33 times and struck out 104 times.
로빈슨은 여타의 어린 선수와 비슷하게 커리어 초반에는 너무 공격적이었다고 합니다. 07년도 GLL에서는 .314의 출루율만을 기록했고, 119K/32BB의 스텟을 보여줬지만, 발렌틴은 그에게 많은 참을성을 요구했고, 그 스텟은 104K/33BB로 조금 나아졌습니다.

For Valentin, it wasn't the high strikeout totals that concerned him. It was the fact that Robinson wasn't capable of reaching his full potential and tapping his raw power because he wasn't swinging at good pitches.

Then, having hit just 12 professional home runs prior to last season, Robinson crushed 15 home runs and 28 doubles. The reasoning behind his newfound power differs depending on who you talk to.
지난 시즌 전까지 통산 12HR에 불과했던 로빈슨은 작년에 인랜드에서만 15HR/28 2B를 기록하면서 로빈슨이 자신의 파워를 사용하는 법을 가르쳤다고 합니다.

Robinson's story is that he was frustrated with rolling over so many balls, so when Valentin suggested he switch from a 33.5-inch bat to a heavier, 35-inch bat, Robinson gave it a shot. He rolled a lot of tape over the handle to help his feel, and all of sudden he was able to stay through the ball much better.
로빈슨이 삽질하는데 대해 발렌틴은 그에게 기존에 쓰던 무게의 뱃으로 바꾸길 권유했다고 합니다. 무거운 뱃으로 바꾼게 더 많은 공을 볼 수 있게 도움이 되었던 모양입니다. 아무래도 무거우니 뱃이 덜 나갔던 모양이네요.

Valentin credited the newfound power to Robinson's ever-maturing discipline at the plate. He said that Robinson was doing a much better job of working the count, and getting pitches he could drive. Now, despite the fact that Robinson has nine home runs and openly talks about enjoying his new power, Valentin said he wishes Robinson would swing for the fences more often.

"I am always asking him to take more chances," Valentin said. "When he gets in those hitter's counts, I am always pushing him to be more aggressive because I think he has a chance to hit 20 or 25 home runs in the big leagues."
하지만, 발렌틴은 더 무거워진 방망이와 새로 알게된 파워를 로빈슨이 더 많이 사용했으면 하는 바람이 있다고 합니다. 히팅 카운터에서 더 공격적으로 변한다면 로빈슨은 빅리그에서 20~25홈런을 때린 수 있다는군요.

Valentin also said he believes Robinson is ready for the next level and that, while it will be a challenge for him against veteran pitching, a September call-up could give Robinson even more confidence to help him stay in the big leagues.
그러면서 로빈슨은 이미 다음단계(AAA나 빅리그)로 나아가기 위한 준비가 다 되었다고 생각되며, (만약) 9월에 빅리그로 콜업된다면 로빈슨의 자신감은 상승할 것이라고 판단하네요.

For now, Robinson can't get past the emotions that will come with playing in the big leagues, in the city he grew up in. In other words, if he does make it there this season, expect things to get misty.

"I will cry," Robinson said only half-joking. "There's nothing else, I will just cry. I remember going there when I was younger and to go back 15 or 16 years later as a player...man, that would be unreal."
(빅리그로 콜업되면) 난 울지도 몰라요.