On most days youll find former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ron Robinson at his west Visalia baseball gym, which is informally referred to as The Dugout.

There, he coaches young players how to pitch, hit, field and other aspects of the game, including video analysis of the kids in action.

What many of his young students don't know was that Robinson, 57, was tantalizing close to baseball immortality when he was one batter away from a perfect game.

On May 2, 1988, in Cincinnati, Robinson started against the Montreal Expos. Still recovering from elbow surgery, he was expected to throw about 70 pitches.

But as the game progressed, Robinson and his teammates allowed no batters to reach first base.

Finally, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, he was one pitch away from a perfect game.

At the time, no pitcher in Reds history had ever achieved a perfect game: 27 batters up, 27 batters down.

In fact, in all of Major League Baseball history, about 130 years and a quarter of a million games, only 23 players have pitched a perfect game.

But then, just one pitch away from baseball immortality, and with two strikes, the Expos Wallace Johnson sent a lazy fly ball into shallow left field, just out of the reach of the defender.

Perfection was thwarted.

But Robinson received a standing ovation from the Cincy fans, and they have never forgotten.

When I visit Cincinnati, they still bring it up after all these years, Robinson said.

Robinson played for Woodlake High School and was drafted by the Reds as their first-round pick during the 1980 amateur draft, going 19th overall. He played for the Reds from 1984 to 1990 and for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1990 to 1992.

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ron Robinson works with local young people on baseball skills at The Dugout in Visalia on Tuesday, October 29, 2019.(Photo: Ron Holman)

Overall, he had 48 wins, 39 losses and 19 saves with an ERA of 3.63 and posted 473 strikeouts.

Robinsons love for baseball, like most pros, goes back to his own childhood when his father took him to a San Francisco Giants game at Candlestick Park. There, he watched Willie Mays.

Hes the best player I ever saw, Robinson said.

In this 2002 file photo, former Reds pitcher Ron Robinson took away some dirt from the pitcher's mound, where Tom Browning had painted Pete Rose's No. 14.(Photo: The Courier-Journal)

And whos the best player Robinson ever pitched against?

Definitely Tony Gwynn, the late great Hall-of-Famer who played for the San Diego Padres and delivered more than 3,000 hits.

Then, there is Pete Rose, who managed the Reds while Robinson was on the team.

One day, Rose pulled Robinson aside and said, Ronny, Ive got some good news and some bad news.

OK, whats the good news? Robinson asked.

Youre starting on Houston in a few days, Rose said.

OK, whats the bad news, Robinson persisted.

Rose said, smiling, Youre starting against Nolan Ryan.

But a few days later, on June 17, 1987, in Houston, Robinson did well against the famed pitcher, who has more strikeouts than any pitcher in baseball history.

The Reds beat the Astros 9-1. Robinson even got a hit off Ryan.

From near perfection to coaching

Today, depending on the time of year, Robinson coaches around 90 students ranging from age 6 to 22 at his Visalia facility. Lessons are between 30 minutes and an hour.

Robinson still throws batting practice about 1,500 pitches on an average day to his young prospects.

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ron Robinson works with local young people on baseball skills at The Dugout in Visalia on Tuesday, October 29, 2019.(Photo: Ron Holman)

He says the key to success is good mechanics and lots and lots of repetition.

Depending on the ability of the player, he can still throw over 80 miles per hour, and thats after a professional career during which the right-handed fastball specialist underwent five elbow surgeries.

But he usually throws slower.

I try to throw pitches that the kids are likely to see during their games, he said.

Sometimes that even means throwing from a seated position from a chair.

Robinson is 6-feet-5-inches tall and is about 275 pounds. His 7- and 8-year-old players arent likely to face someone that big.

I dont want them to feel intimidated by having to look up at some giant standing in front of them, he said.

Learning from a major leaguer

Robinson tutors young players such as 9-year-old Blake Stockton. The third-grader plays Cal Ripken ball and has been seeing Robinson for about two years.

Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ron Robinson takes pitches from Blake Stockton, 9, at The Dugout in Visalia on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. (Photo: Ron Holman)

Weve seen real progress, said his father, Sean Stockton.

And he just loves coming here each week, said Kristen, Blakes mother.

But there are other reasons parents bring their young players to Robinson.

His skills and reputation as a coach and his knowledge were a given, said Shane Ice, who has taken his 12-year-old son, Brody, to learn from Robinson for a little more than two years. He teaches Brody self-confidence, which, to me is even more important. He just has a way with Brody that has made a big difference."

Robinson says he prefers the one-on-one relationships with his students to coaching a team.

I dont have to show an allegiance to a particular team, just to the kids and baseball," he said.

Jordan Righi is a former sports editor at the Times-Delta and Advance-Register.

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Ron Robinson: From near perfection to coaching kids in Visalia - Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register