Billy Jo Robidoux Making a Name for Himself So Far With the Brewers

Billy Jo Robidoux might have a first name more suited to Alabama football or the NASCAR circuit than major league baseball, but he has turned out to be quite a good ol’ boy for the Milwaukee Brewers just the same.

Ironically, Robidoux’s idea of the south is New Jersey. He was born and still lives in Ware, Mass. His dad lived next door to a guy named Billy Joe and liked the name. It must have been because it was so unusual. The guy lived in Cape Cod.

It was Robidoux’s idea to drop the ‘e’ from his middle name because it expedited autograph signing. That might sound a bit silly, but if the first month of his rookie season is any indication, the burly first baseman might end up saving a lot of wear and tear on his right wrist over the next couple of decades.

Saturday night, Robidoux afforded Angel pitcher Mike Witt no comfort--southern or otherwise. He singled in the first and then ripped a two-run double to right in the sixth, lifting the Brewers to a 4-2 win at Anaheim Stadium.

“I was looking for something over the plate that I could drive (in the sixth),” Robidoux said. “He threw me a breaking ball down, but I managed to stay with it.”

Robidoux’s been hanging in there quite admirably since he earned starter status this spring when Cecil Cooper was slow to recover from off-season elbow surgery. His statistics thus far make him a candidate for Rookie of the Year honors. He’s hitting .300 with eight doubles, one homer and 18 RBIs.

“He’s a dangerous hitter,” Manager George Bamberger said. “He can do some real damage. He’s a quiet kid, the type of ballplayer who seems to be able to stay on an even keel.”

Robidoux spent 1985 on a level, but higher plane. He put up some truly remarkable numbers to lead the Texas League with a .342 batting average, a .577 slugging percentage, 176 hits, 297 total bases, 46 doubles, 111 runs and 132 RBIs. He was second in home runs (23) and walks (97) and third in game-winning RBIs (13).

“It was just one of those seasons where everything went right,” Robidoux said. “It seemed like every time I came up with a guy on second, I got him home. Everything just dropped into place.”

Not surprisingly, he was the biggest thing to hit El Paso since Marty Robbins. Robidoux seldom had an off night before the hometown fans. He had a .435 batting average, slammed 17 homers and drove in 81 runs at home.

“The people in El Paso were great,” he said, smiling. “They all thought I was from Louisiana.”

The people in Milwaukee didn’t care where he was from when he showed up for 18 games last September. From what they were reading in the newspapers, though, they figured he just making a stop on his way to the Hall of Fame.

“I felt a lot of pressure last year,” he said. “They kept writing about how many homers I hit and how many runs I drove in and I guess I thought that’s what the fans expected.”

This year has been a different story, however. Cooper’s injury made it obvious that Robidoux would at least start the season as the Brewers’ regular first baseman and that relieved some of the nerves.

“They told me I’d be starting and so I went into the spring with the idea of getting ready to make the most of the opportunity,” he said. “Not many rookies get the chance to play every day and it’s hard to keep your hand-eye coordination up and hit the ball hard if you’re just getting spot starts.”

Cooper’s arm is feeling better these days, but he’s going to have to be content with a designated-hitter role for the time being.

This kid looks like he’s here to stay.

The 22-year-old hit his first home run two weeks ago on Ball Night in Arlington, Tex. and after the crowd showered the field with balls, he was quoted as saying, “I hit that ball so hard it multiplied.”

He says now he stole the line from teammate Robin Yount. But the Brewers are more interested in his line drives than his lines, anyway.