Tom Robson, former MLB player and coach, dies at age 75

ormer major league player and coach Tom Robson has died. He was 75.

Robson died of natural causes on Tuesday at Memory Care Facility in Chandler, New York Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said Wednesday.

Taken by the Mets in the 50th round of the 1967 amateur draft, Robson played two seasons in the major leagues, both with the Texas Rangers. He batted .208 with four RBIs over 23 games and 54 plate appearances in 1974 and ‘75, playing first base and designated hitter.

His last season as a player was with Nankai in Japan’s Pacific League in 1976.

Robson coached in the Rangers organization, serving as minor league hitting instructor from 1982 to ‘85 and then as a member of manager Bobby Valentine’s coaching staff from 1986 to ‘92.

“As a hitting coach, Robbie was ahead of his times,” Valentine said in a statement. “He used kinetics and launch angle before anyone else did.”