ROBINSON CALLED UP BY DIAMONDBACKS

For Kerry Robinson, the dream has finally been realized.

Robinson, a former Southeast Missouri State University standout, can now call himself a major-league baseball player.

Late Friday night, Robinson -- one of the top prospects in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' minor-league system -- got the call that he had been anxiously awaiting.

He was being promoted to Tampa Bay's major-league roster.

"It's like a dream come true for Kerry," said Southeast baseball coach Mark Hogan, who was actually one of the first people to hear of Robinson's promotion. "He called me Friday night on my cell phone as I was driving home from the (SEMO District) Fair. Kerry was so excited."

Robinson, an outfielder, was in uniform Saturday night as the Devil Rays played host to the Toronto Blue Jays.

It was definitely a whirlwind experience for Robinson, who played Friday night for the Durham Bulls -- Tampa Bay's top minor-league team -- as they took on Buffalo in the fifth and deciding game of the International League championship series.

Durham lost the game, meaning Buffalo advanced to the championship series of minor league baseball's entire Triple A.

And as soon as Durham lost, Robinson was told -- along with two other members of the Bulls -- to pack his bags. He was flying to Tampa the next morning so he could be in uniform for Saturday evening's game.

Under baseball rules, every major league team is allowed to expand its roster from 25 to 40 players any time after Sept. 1. The process is generally done to give an organization's top prospects a chance to get some major-league experience.

Robinson certainly fits the bill of a top prospect. The St. Louis native batted .385 for Southeast in 1995 and then was a 34th round draft choice of the St. Louis Cardinals, his home town team.

After three strong seasons in the Cardinals' organization, Tampa Bay selected him in the second round of the 1998 expansion draft.

Robinson began the season with Tampa Bay's Double A team, then was promoted to Triple A Durham, where he finished the season with a .302 batting average. He hit .479 in the first round of the International League playoffs.

"Kerry certainly deserves this promotion," said Hogan. "And really, it couldn't have happened to a better person. He's a class act all the way and he always has been. He's the kind of young man that you really hope good things happen to."

Including Saturday, the Devil Rays have nine more game until the end of the season.

According to Hogan, Robinson already had a few dates marked on his personal calender when he was called up late Friday night.

"Tampa Bay finishes up the season in New York Sept. 24-28," said Hogan. "Kerry was already talking about that. He couldn't believe he was going to be in the Big Apple."