ROBINSON'S BIG DREAM IS JUST A CALL AWAY

As Kerry Robinson continues to climb toward a potential major-league baseball career, he can't help but think back to 1994.

It was then that Robinson batted a paltry .232 as a Southeast Missouri State University junior. At the time, he looked like anything but a hot item.

But look at him now. Robinson is regarded as one of the better outfield prospects in all of the minor leagues and he is currently living up to that billing at American baseball's highest level outside of the majors -- Triple A.

Playing center field for the Durham (N.C.) Bulls -- an affiliate of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays -- Robinson is hitting .297, with one home run, 23 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases in 40 games since being called up from Double A.

The good-natured Robinson, during a telephone interview from Durham prior to a Bulls' game this week, recalled with a laugh his struggles of 1994.

"I didn't have a very good season," he said. "I guess I was kind of a late bloomer, you could say."

Evidently. The next season, as a Southeast senior, Robinson exploded on to the college baseball scene with a 35-game hitting streak that broke the Ohio Valley Conference record and ranked 13th in NCAA history. He finished the year batting .389 for the Indians.

"Coach (Mark) Hogan took over the program and he really made a big difference for me, mainly mentally," Robinson recalled. "He really challenged us. I struggled the first few games that year and he took me into his office and we talked about a lot of things. After that, I was fine."

Robinson, a St. Louis native, was selected by his hometown team -- the Cardinals -- in the 34th round of the 1995 amateur draft.

He did well in the St. Louis organization and made the Double A all-star game last year. Despite being labeled one of the better outfield prospects in the Cardinals' farm system, he was made eligible for the expansion draft and Tampa Bay quickly snapped him up.

"I had mixed emotions," said Robinson of leaving the St. Louis organization. "I wanted to be a Cardinal. I'm a Cardinals fan. I grew up in St. Louis and my dad played in the organization.

"But at the same time, there's more of an opportunity to make the majors quicker with Tampa Bay. The Cardinals had so many outfielders. And they just picked up J.D. Drew, so that would have made it even tougher for me to get a chance."

Robinson began this season, his fourth year in the minors, with the Devil Rays' Double A team in Orlando. He also embarked on a position switch, from left field to center. He played center at Southeast but had been in left ever since starting his minor-league career.

"I was really happy about going back to center. It was easy for me and it just felt like old times," he said. "I like playing center a lot better than left."

The 24-year-old Robinson was promoted to Triple A Durham on July 2 and he has played well since. In his eyes, the promotion was a long time coming.

"It's about time I got up there (to Triple A)," he said with a chuckle. "I was excited. They told me out of spring training that I wouldn't be in Double A long, but it took longer than I thought. After making the Double A all-star game the year before, I thought I'd be up in Triple A fast."

Robinson said he has enjoyed his time in Durham because it is a real baseball community. The team averages about 8,000 fans per game.

"The stadium is beautiful and the fan support is awesome," he said. "This is by far the most (fans) I've ever played in front of. You really feel like a professional ballplayer here."

Robinson hopes he'll be able to feel even more like a professional ballplayer in the near future. He doesn't know what his chances are of being called up by the Devil Rays when the major-league rosters expand next month, but before too long he hopes he'll be able to call the big leagues his home.

"What I've done so far (in the minors) is exciting, but I can't get too satisfied, because I haven't reached my goal," he said. "I'm just trying to get where I want to be, the major leagues. God willing, I'll make it."