Hawkeye Sports
Playing With Heart
After receiving the ball from his catcher, senior Iowa Hawkeyes pitcher Zach Robertson walks to the back of the mound squatting to touch the dirt. His fingers begin to trace out his sisters name, Hannah. To many, this ritual Robertson performs at the outset of every inning may not seem very special, given the fact that baseball players are known to be unusually suspicious. But to Robertson, the writing of Hannah each inning is much more than just a name. It is a tribute to perseverance and will, something Robertson has witnessed firsthand.
Hannah Robertson, Zach’s younger sister, had a heart transplant here at the University hospitals at the tender age of 15, four years ago. The transplant was a monumental deciding factor for Robertson to come to Iowa City, transferring from Iowa Central College last season.
“I had spent a lot of time here, [Iowa City] because of my sister’s operation,” Robertson said. “I liked the family atmosphere, and on top of that, the coaching staff and academics run together which is important.”
Robertson’s sister has motivated him on and off the field. He’s always been a great competitor believing in being the best he can be, but since Hannah’s operation, he has learned to not take each day for granted. It has taught him to be passionate but also driven.
As a young kid, Robertson began to play tee ball, and he had always considered himself a hitter until around the age of 13. In his younger years and through high school he also played soccer, basketball and football.
“My favorite baseball player as a kid was Ken Griffey Jr. because I liked to hit,” Robertson said. “But now, I like to compare myself to Johan Santana, [of the New York Mets]. I have a lot of pitches like he does, and my best pitch would have to be the change up, which Johan uses.”
Robertson, who is a Des Moines Hoover alum, goes about his starts following the philosophy of his coach, Jack Dahm. He tells them you need to make three hits to get a run. The pitcher needs to avoid walks and make them work for it. Robertson describes his pitching style as effectively wild. He could throw a great pitch at one moment, and then the next he could throw something way out of the strike zone. He says it keeps the batters on their toes. In response to being effectively wild, Robertson hopes to get rid of his inconsistencies in the near future.
“I would like to pitch well enough to get into the weekend rotation, “ Robertson said. “As a team, we want to make a regional and we think we can do it. We tend to sometimes play down to the lesser teams level, and we can’t do that.”
After starting off the season slow, a 2-3 record with a 12.90 ERA, Robertson looks to get in his groove. Over the summer he led the summer league in strikeouts. Last season he started off slow as well but eventually got in the flow of things.
“Zach had a little bit of a transition a year ago, coming from a junior college to Division-I baseball,” Dahm said from Hawkeyesports.com “He went out this summer and dominated the Northwoods League. Zach has gained a lot of confidence since last season and he now understands what it takes to compete at this level.”
Robertson will continue to keep his sister close to his heart and live every day like his last while trying to crack the top rotation, knowing that he is fortunate to live a healthy and successful life.
