A Teen's Journey to the Big Leagues: 16,000 km Away from Home
Melbourne teenager Robinson Smith, 17, has been chasing his major league dream in the Dominican Republic, 16,000 kilometres from his hometown. Despite living in a tropical paradise, he hasn't been lounging on the beach or hitting the clubs. Instead, he's been training with the Pittsburgh Pirates' development squad, signing a six-year contract as a pitcher.
Since January, Robinson's home has been the Dominican Republic, a Spanish-speaking nation 15 hours behind Melbourne. Named after the legendary African-American baseball icon Jackie Robinson, the teen has been passing his free time with friends, enjoying fried chicken and pizza, and occasionally venturing out.
Sharing a room with three other players at the training academy, Robinson spends hours each day in the gym. From April to August, he played baseball games against fellow Pirates and players from other teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
During his downtime, Robinson said, "Hanging out in our rooms, a lot of the guys play video games. I’ve been watching a lot of games on Netflix." Only a few recruits speak English, but Robinson's Spanish is improving.
The son of Australian swimming legend Nicole Livingstone, Robinson is one of four Victorians featured in The Age's Living Abroad summer series. He misses his friends, family, and homemade food the most during his time overseas.
Robinson's love for baseball began when his father, Marty Smith, played the sport. Robinson started playing as soon as he could walk and later joined the Sandringham Royals baseball team in Melbourne. In 2024, he spent seven months in Florida training with American coach Manny Carrion before moving to the Dominican Republic.
Robinson speaks daily with his parents via video call and credits his mother, who competed in three Olympic Games, for her advice. She encouraged him to stay focused and accept challenges, drawing from her own experiences of traveling the world for her successful career.
Despite the distance, Robinson has had visits from his dad, mum, and sister Ella. He's currently in Australia for a summer break, preparing for next year, which will start with a move to a Pirates training centre in Florida in January. He will then report to the Pirates' spring training and minor league centre in Bradenton, Florida, for an undetermined period.
Robinson views these overseas stints as character-building and a great opportunity. He says, "Meeting a lot of guys who have grown up wanting the same thing as me, and who have the same dream as me, to get to the top, is pretty awesome."
