Soaring Robin

By his own admission, Robin Yount never has been comfortable talking to crowds. But, boy, could he dazzle them with his play.

For 20 prolific seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Yount built the credentials that landed him in the baseball Hall of Fame in July, refining his craft year after year like an artisan.

At the induction ceremonies in Cooperstown, Yount acknowledged his stage fright during his acceptance speech.

“When I first drove up in the bus and got a look at the number of people, I was a bit intimidated and went directly to the bathroom,” Yount quipped.

He needed not worry, because nobody was there to jeer him. Known as one of the good guys in baseball, Yount’s ego never kept pace with his rise to stardom and never made him forget his roots.

Those roots were deeply planted in Woodland Hills, where Yount moved with his family from Indiana when he was 11 months old. He flashed signs of greatness in Little League and was stunning at Taft High, his skills far superior than others his age.

Clement Cohen, who coached Yount in Little League, recalled those days.

“I used to say, ‘Why don’t you come to watch this kid play? You’ll see something special,’ ” Cohen said. “He was special.”

Cohen had even more reasons to feel that way about Yount last summer. Yount invited Cohen and his family to the Hall of Fame ceremonies and later invited his former coach to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., where Yount received an award.

It was the latest of many accolades for Yount.

A slugging shortstop with a potent arm and exceptional speed, Yount batted .455 in 1973, his senior season at Taft, and was selected City Section player of the year.

The Brewers picked Yount that summer with the third pick of the amateur draft, making the first two selections, David Clyde and John Stearns, trivia answers.

After a brief minor league stint, Yount became Milwaukee’s shortstop in 1974, an 18-year-old rookie hotshot with a reputation to uphold. Which he did, sticking around for 3,142 hits, 15th in the all-time list.

Yount was the American League most valuable player in 1982, when he batted .331 with 29 home runs and 114 runs batted in, and led the Brewers to a World Series showdown with St. Louis. Milwaukee lost in seven games, dealing Yount his biggest disappointment in baseball.

“Other than [losing the Series], I couldn’t be happier,” Yount said. “That whole ’82 season was a highlight. We were getting closer and closer starting back in about ‘79, each year getting a little better and a little better.”

After shoulder surgery following the 1984 season, Yount moved to center field, winning his second MVP award in 1989. He batted .318 with 21 home runs and 103 RBIs that season but was never fully comfortable in the outfield.

“I learned to enjoy playing center field,” Yount said. “But I still always felt like a shortstop.”

Yount, a free spirit fond of motorcycles and sports cars, and who once contemplated leaving baseball to play professional golf, lives in Paradise Valley, Ariz., with his wife and four teenage children.

He provided a glimpse of his philosophy in his speech at Cooperstown.

“The game of life is too short,” Yount said. “Play it with all you’ve got.”