Small in stature, but large in heart and talent. That sums up the playing career of Robin Rose, who at 5-foot-10, 145 pounds, made life miserable for opposing teams first at Fike High, then at Louisburg, and finally at Atlantic Christian.
Referred to by his coach, Larry Thompson, during his senior year at AC as “the toughest out in North Carolina,” Rose is no longer an out, he’s in… as in the Barton College Athletic Hall of Fame. The 1978 graduate batted .411 his senior year and led the Bulldogs to the District 29 Championship, along with a berth into the Area Seven Tournament.
Rose, who was born on August 31, 1955, now resides in Cary with his wife, Kim, daughter, Christian, and son, John, where he works with the Preston Development Company.
He finished his two years at Barton with a sensational .369 batting average in 55 games, including .411 during a 28-18 senior year, when he earned All-Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, All-District 29 and All-Area Seven honors while playing centerfield. He batted .321 and drove in 21 runs his junior year, when the Bulldogs were 18-20.
His senior campaign, he was batting nearly .500 past the midway point of the season and won conference and district Player of the Week honors. However, AC’s MVP missed a handful of games late in the season, including the District 29 Tournament, when he strained a ligament in his left knee while breaking up a possible double play at second base.
He returned for the Area Seven Tournament, which was held in Wilson, but the Bulldogs suffered several heartbreaking defeats and were eliminated. Rose played second base for Gilbert Ferrell at Fike High School, where the Golden Demons reached the first round of the state playoffs his junior year, then went 5-0 to start their senior season.
Rose said his prep statistics were far more spectacular, but added, “I was just a scrapper. I don’t remember striking out much. I just wanted to put a bat on the ball and make them play. I had the mentality that nobody was going to strike me out, so if I got two strikes, I would choke up on the bat or bunt. I hated to walk back to the dugout.”
It was that kind of fire that kept Rose from quitting baseball after he was cut from the team at Louisburg Junior College. So Rose became friends with some sophomores on the team and worked out hard with them during the winter. When the spring season rolled around he asked for another tryout and made the team.
Rose and Keith Stutts were members of the Louisburg team that went to the World Series in Colorado and finished third before both signing with Coach Thompson and AC.
Rose gives much credit for his hitting prowess to Thompson, who moved him from the infield to the outfield. He also has a fond place in his heart for Doc Sanford, his summer league coach for two college seasons while attending AC.
Rose is thankful for many things as he reflects on his baseball career at AC, where he had 86 hits in 233 at-bats, drove in 51 runs, hit three home runs, seven triples and nine doubles. He had some tryouts with the Cincinnati Reds organization after college, but the injury to his knee cut down on his speed, so he was passed over.
Long-time Raleigh News & Observer sportswriter A.J. Carr wrote after the 1977 regular season that: “Senior Robin Rose played like Pete, leading the CIAC in hitting at .411 and earning All-Star honors.”
Rose and pitcher-shortstop Jim Satterfield were the first Bulldogs ever named to an All-Area team.
“I’m lost for words,” he said of his enshrinement. “No. 1: I’m blessed to be joining all those great people in the Hall of Fame. It was just one of those moments in time, and all of my teammates contributed to me being there. I had the drive and desire, but you can’t be successful without good people around you. I’m proud that Keith and I, and our teammates, accomplished some things that had never been done before at AC, like winning a district title, and helping build the foundation for a solid baseball future here.”
