Yankees Star Reliever Built 20,000 Homes After Retirement

The nervous rookie who fumbled through his first interview in 2008 spent the next 17 years showing what real strength looks like, both on and off the field.

David Robertson announced his retirement Friday after a stellar baseball career that included a World Series ring, three All-Star appearances, and more than 900 strikeouts. But the numbers that matter most tell a completely different story.

When tornadoes tore through his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2011, Robertson and his wife Erin didn't just write a check. They started High Socks for Hope, named after David's signature look of wearing his baseball socks pulled high on his calves.

The foundation began by helping neighbors rebuild what they'd lost in an instant. Then it kept going as hurricanes and disasters struck other communities across America.

Robertson didn't stay in the front office either. He showed up with garbage bags and shop vacs, helping families sort through waterlogged photo albums and ruined heirlooms. He installed drywall in Chicago and worked on roofs alongside construction crews.

The foundation also supports homeless veterans, terminally ill children, and pancreatic cancer research after Erin's father died from the disease in 2016. Robertson earned two nominations for baseball's prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for his humanitarian work.

Sunny's Take

Executive director Judy Holland says Robertson never stopped showing up. "His heart is huge. He jumped straight in and has never given up on it."

To date, High Socks for Hope has helped build and furnish 20,000 homes across 17 states. The foundation is currently rebuilding homes in Jamaica destroyed by Hurricane Melissa last fall.

Robertson earned the nickname "Houdini" early in his career for escaping tough situations on the mound. But his real magic happened in piles of rubble that used to be someone's living room, bringing relief when families needed it most.

His baseball career is over, but the relief work continues.