The Post’s Steve Serby caught up with All-Star Yankees setup man David Robertson to discuss everything from his aggressive pitching style to his experience visiting the tornado victims in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Q: What’s your mound temperament?
A: I’m just competitive, that’s all I can really say about that. When I get out there, I’m not thinking about how I look or anything like that. I’m thinking about … beating this guy and getting him out. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about. I don’t care how I have to do it, if I got to strike him out in 12 pitches or three, or if I got to get a groundball or pop fly, I’m going to compete with you with everything I’ve got.
Q: Do you pitch with an anger?
A: I’m not angry. I’m just very aggressive. I don’t want to give anybody a chance.
Q: You like to dominate.
A: Exactly. I don’t want anyone to get to that count where they’re 2-0 or 2-1 and sitting on a heater and they get on it and blast it, ya know?
Q: But if I were to step into the batter’s box, I would not be intimidated by you?
A: Not at all.
Q: But you intimidate with the way you throw, right?
A: I’m not a big guy, I don’t throw that hard. … I can’t stand to lose.
Q: The most ticked off you were after any loss in anything.
A: I gave up a walk-off home run in Super Regionals in college [at Alabama]. It cost us our chance of going to the College World Series, and it felt like the weight of the whole town was on my shoulders, we had more people there than we’d ever had. … All eyes were on me and I didn’t get the job done.
Q: What did you feel the first time you put on the pinstripes?
A: Nervousness … just extreme, sheer nervousness. I did not know anybody here when I got called up. I’d never been to big league camp, and I was a nervous wreck around the clubhouse and in the bullpen, and I don’t know how I got through my first outing.
Q: At Shea.
A: I can remember facing Ollie Perez, who was the first batter I faced. And Shea Stadium was packed, it was so loud. And I could not get him out, and this is the pitcher, you’re supposed to be able to get him out. And I throw a fastball, 91 [mph], and it cuts in, and almost hits him in the face, and as soon as I do that, I see a fan stand up and just … yelling at me in anger, a Mets fan, and I’m just like, “Oh God.” And I’m freaking out out there on the mound. I’m so nervous.
Q: You struck him out.
A: I did eventually, I think it took like nine or 10 pitches (smile).
Q: You had playoff success in ’09 and seem to thrive in dangerous situations.
A: I would want the opportunity to be in that tough spot.
Q: No fear?
A: What’s the worst thing that can happen? I can lose and I can be miserable for a day and then I can come back the next day, get back to work, and win the next one.
Q: Do you consider yourself a big-game pitcher?
A: I feel like I’ve been in a lot of big games, but I wouldn’t say I’m like a big-game pitcher like a CC Sabathia or anything.
Q: But you like pressure.
A: I enjoy coming through in pressure situations. I can say that.
Q: New York doesn’t scare you at all?
A: I love New York. You’re expected to win here, and I expect to win every game.
Q: What did you think of the Canyon of Heroes parade?
A: You look up, and it seems like it’s snowing, there’s people coming down everywhere, and everybody’s throwing toilet paper rolls and just having a great time. … It seemed like I could’ve done that parade for hours. I thought it was the greatest thing I’ve ever done.
Q: Do you like your nickname, Houdini?
A: (Chuckle) I guess. It sounds good to me.
Q: Do you think you have the mentality to be a closer?
A: I think I could. I would like to say that I could do that in a few years from now, but I don’t really have to worry about that, because we got No. 42 here, and when he’s here, I’m happy as can be. Q: What’s the funniest thing Mariano Rivera has ever said in the bullpen?
A: Not the funniest thing he’s ever said — the funniest thing he’s ever done was he was sitting there on the opposite side of the bullpen, and he tossed a piece of gum he was chewing on, and he stuck it directly in my ear, from all the way across the bullpen.
Q: How did you know it was him?
A: Because it’s always Mo throwing gum. He’s just like deadly accurate with a piece of gum.
Q: A quote from you in Yankee Magazine: “Whatever I grow up to do, that’s what I did.”
A: What I meant was, I never really had a plan for when I grew up, of like an occupation to do, so I was like, whenever I grow up, I’m gonna figure out something to do, and then that’s what I’m going to do for a living. But I don’t remember saying that.
Q: Your teammates wore you out about it?
A: I’m claiming that I didn’t say it, and they’re like, “Oh you said it!” And I was like, “Well I want to hear the recording.” (chuckle)
Q: But you did say it.
A: It’s possible (smile).
Q: You told a funny story at a meet-and-greet recently with season-ticket holders.
A: I think I might’ve been telling them about how I thought I was going to be the next Andre Agassi in tennis at one point in my life.
Q: Your thoughts on visiting the tornado victims in your Tuscaloosa hometown?
A: It’s shocking, to go down there and see my hometown destroyed. I’ve seen what Katrina did in Mississippi, and I’ve seen how bad other disasters have been, and that was the thing that hit me, is people I know have lost houses, and lost everything. … We speak to people, and they’re telling us about how they don’t have their kids’ pictures and their yearbooks and photos or anything anymore. And they don’t even have a house. There’s four people staying in one small, one-bedroom trailer. I have to do something to try to raise some money, and try to really help out, anyone I can down there and any way I can [through the David and Erin Robertson Foundation].
Q: You met your wife Erin at an Irish bar near Yarmouth, Maine, when you played in Cape Cod.
A: I can remember I was wearing a visor, and I was the only guy in the bar wearing a visor. Then she was the only girl I talked to. And … I don’t have exactly, I guess you can call it, a lot of game. I like to think that I do, but I really don’t. That’s just to keep the confidence level high (smile). I can remember telling her, I was like, “I’m going to call you to hang out,” and she was like, “OK, yeah call me, but just leave me a voicemail because I don’t have any service.” And I was like, “Oh yeah, because you’re really going to answer the phone now.” I’m just thinking she’s blowing me off, and then I call, and of course I have to leave her a voicemail because she had no service on her cell phone. She calls me back, 20 minutes later!
Q: What do you mean you don’t have any game?
A: I’m just being honest. I’m not the best speaker … not very smooth.
Q: But Erin thought you had game.
A: Oh probably, oh yeah, of course. She couldn’t resist my stellar good looks (smile).
Q: Tell me about her.
A: She’s gorgeous, first of all. She’s smarter than I am, which drives me nuts. … She beats me at almost every board game … every mental game we play she beats me at, and I don’t really enjoy it. She’s my best friend, that’s the biggest thing.
Q: Two dinner guests?
A: Teddy Roosevelt, Cal Ripken Jr.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: My dad. He did everything for me, and always showed me the right way to do everything.
Q: Did he buy you your first glove?
A: He bought me my first glove, my first gun, my first rod and reel — everything.
Q: You guys played catch?
A: In the front yard, we have a driveway, and we have a small brick wall. It was a perfect level for him to sit on and just catch bullpens. My younger brother would throw from closer, I’d throw from the middle and my older brother would throw from the furthest back. It got to the point where our stuff was moving a little more, and we’d hit him in the shins or skip a ball (smile), and he’d get irritated at us.
Q: Who else was a big influence growing up?
A: My older brother, Connor. He was always an unbelievable athlete. Seemed like everything I did, I couldn’t be as good as he was in high school, or even in college, and I just had to work so hard to just try to beat him at everything.
Q: Favorite movies?
A: “Forrest Gump,” “Last of the Mohicans.”
Q: Favorite actors?
A: Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Prime rib. Medium rare.