He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1884 to 1892 for the Detroit Wolverines, Baltimore Monumentals, St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Burghers, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, and Washington Senators.

Robinson was a starter for St. Louis Browns teams that won four consecutive American Association pennants and the 1886 World Series.

[1] He came from a poor background, left home at a young age and moved to Boston where he played sandlot baseball.

[2] In August 1882, Robinson was playing minor league baseball in Natick, Massachusetts, when he was given a try-out with the Detroit Wolverines who were in the midst of a six-game losing streak against Providence and Boston.

[4] The Browns had finished in fourth place in 1884, and Robinson was one of the final additions to a team that went on to win four consecutive American Association pennants under player-manager Charles Comiskey from 1885 to 1888.

[1] Robinson also played a key role in helping the Browns win the 1886 World Series with a post-season batting average of .316, three RBIs and five runs.

[1] During the 1887 season, Robinson compiled career highs with 75 stolen bases, a .305 batting average, a .445 on-base percentage, 74 RBIs, 32 doubles and 17 times hit by pitch.

During that season, Robinson had 70 hits for a .229 batting average, but his 101 bases on balls elevated his on-base percentage to .434, fourth highest in the Players' League.

[1] Applying the modern measure of wins above replacement (WAR), Robinson's propensity to draw free passes made him one of the most valuable players in baseball during his peak years.

By that time, Robinson had developed a reputation as a drinker, and the Sporting Life reported on the signing as follows: "Robby is a brilliant player, and if he will refrain from his bibulous habits he will be a great help to the club.

"[9] Robinson compiled a .178 batting average in 97 games for Cincinnati, but his talent for drawing walks, totaling 68 in 1891, gave him a respectable .328 on-base percentage.

[1] The Kelly's Killers disbanded in August 1891, and Robinson returned to the Browns for a single game late in the season.

In his 1999 book on the early St. Louis Browns, J. Thomas Hetrick stated: Performing gloveless at second base, Robinson was known for his range, accurate throwing arm, and double-play acrobatics.

Ambidextrous, Robinson sometimes startled the opposition with lefthanded throws across his chest to nail base runners heading to third.

"[2] While Robinson did rank second among the American Association's second basemen with 66 double plays turned in 1886, the historical record does not support the claim that he was an excellent, or even average, fielder.

To the contrary, he never ranked higher than fifth in range factor, assists or putouts among the second basemen in the eight-team American Association.

He had reportedly signed a contract to play for Louisville in 1893, but traveled instead to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to receive treatment for his illness.

[14] Two weeks later, Sporting Life published a retraction of its account and noted: "The story that second baseman Yank Robinson is dying with consumption is untrue.