SEMO legend Kerry Robinson returns with Cardinals Caravan

The Cardinals Caravan returned to Cape Girardeau on Monday after the coronavirus pandemic and MLB lockout kept them away for the previous two seasons.

The return of the caravan event at the Osage Centre also meant the return of Southeast Missouri State alum Kerry Robinson, who is always the star of the show.

Three decades of Cardinals baseball were represented on Monday in Robinson (01-03), Jason Motte (2008-12, 2014), and the rookie trio of James Naile, Matthew Liberatore, and Nolan Gorman.

As the six current and former Cardinals players made their entrance to the stage in front of the long rows of cheering fans in the main gymnasium, Robinson walked through the door with his phone in hand to film his perspective of the event.

He wears a ring from the 2011 World Series as a reward for his journey as a player. It was the year he returned to the Cardinals as a scout and the series that was closed out by Motte.

Assuming his usual role from previous Cape iterations of the Cardinals Caravan, Robinson roamed the ally between the chairs with a microphone in his hand visiting a random assortment of fans, giving them the opportunity to ask questions.

Robinson told a story about being a big fan of Ray Lankford and getting to meet him during a caravan visit during his playing days at Southeast Missouri State. He wanted to hit like Ray when he played for the Redhawks, and when he hit his first home run at Busch Stadium Lankford was there at first base to congratulate him.

During the Q&A session, Robinson pointed to Naile being a native of Charleston as an example of the big league dream being possible even in the Heartland. Naile met Robinson at the event years ago, just like Robinson met Lankford.

He then mentioned Liberatore and Gorman being as closely connected as the two redbirds standing on the bat embedded on their jersey.

As a pro scout Robinson is tasked with keeping a close eye on 24 MLB organizations and writing up reports for when it’s time to make a midseason move. Since major and minor league players are often swapped for one another, Robinson manages a flexible schedule mixed with visits to big league cities like Miami and minor league cities like Memphis.

“When I’m in a major league city, it’s like the major league life like the major league players,” Robinson. “When I’m in the minor leagues, I’m doing my own thing, trying to get information on players in the small towns. So I get both of them.”

Mark Hogan became the SEMO head baseball coach in 1995 when Robinson was a senior. Long after Robinson’s playing career and Hogan’s run as the program’s winningest coach, the two stayed connected. Robinson was in town before the caravan event to celebrate his 70th birthday.

“When he came my senior year, he basically talked to me and let me know that I could be a professional player and gave me the confidence to go for my dreams. He’s been a great friend of mine ever since.”

Robinson made it clear that as long as the Cardinals continue to invite him to go on the caravans, he'll continue to be a part of them. As long as the Cardinals continue to fly south of the state during the winter, Robinson will always be welcomed as a friendly familiar face.