With his dad’s help, Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos gives back

The day Robinson Chirinos signed an amateur free agent contract with the Chicago Cubs, one dream was realized and another was born.

That day, July 2, 2000, Chirinos’ father, Roberto Chirinos, sat his 16-year-old son down at the kitchen table in Venezuela. He reminded his son about giving back to those less fortunate, to those in need.

Young Robinson, who had grown up watching his dad help the less fortunate, prayed to God that one day he’d have the means to fulfill his dad’s wish.

“That’s something I said to him and he kept believing,” Robinson said.

More than 10 years passed, most of it spent in the minors. Robinson was with the Tampa Bay Rays and was recovering from a serious concussion that forced him to miss the entire 2012 season. It was during his recovery in Port Charlotte, Fla., that Robinson had a spiritual epiphany.

“I got to know Christ,” he said. “I went to church one Sunday and a pastor was saying so many guys watch those commercials with [starving] kids in Africa and they feel sad but they don’t do anything about it. I think God used that moment to touch my heart and say, ‘All right, let’s go and do it.’ ”

He called his dad in Venezuela.

“Let’s make this happen, do everything we need to do to make this happen, all the legal stuff and paper work,” he recalled telling his dad.

Roberto Chirinos, 65, who owned a refinery maintenance company for 30 years, never missed an opportunity to lend a helping hand in the community. That included founding Estrellas de Falcones, a baseball academy, for whom Robinson and his brothers played.

“It was very important to me that my children see that helping the community and the most needy is something important,” the elder Chirinos said in an email. “I wanted them to learn and that’s why I took it very seriously, that helping the needy in the community does have a big impact on society. You feel great satisfaction when you help someone who has needs.”

With his dad’s help, Chirinos and his wife, Heidy, created the Robinson Chirinos Foundation in 2012. That year they helped distribute athletic equipment to children in Venezuela.

Since joining the Rangers his foundation has grown. This past off-season Chirinos was the face of the organization, spending countless hours at churches, shelters and autograph signings.

In December, his family, including his dad and mom, Marbella Coromoto de Chirinos, were in town to take part in a visit to Wedgewood Nursing Home in Fort Worth as part of Cowboy Santas Silver Star program.

Roberto Chirinos, who was in a wheelchair, still recovering from a recent stroke, was brought to tears.

“It was real emotional that day to see the foundation help these disabled people,” Roberto said. “To see that the dream I had to create the foundation and Robinson, with God’s help, made it possible. Helping people here in the United States is big for me and my family.”

The show of emotion wasn’t a surprise to Robinson. He saw his dad tear up when the foundation made its first mark on 200 Venezuelan kids in 2012, a moment the elder Chirinos said he felt blessed that his dream had come true.

“He was just overcome. He feels that in his heart and just started crying,” Robinson said. “It was awesome to be able to do the same stuff we did in Venezuela here in the States with my dad.”

Giving back and community involvement are not just off-season obligations for Chirinos. His Foundation donated 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to Refuge Church in Fort Worth last August. Chirinos, along with teammates Elvis Andrus, Martin Perez, Yovani Gallardo and Jayce Tingler, signed autographs on a rare off day.

“When a player such as Robinson places such an emphasis on giving back, his leadership and commitment provides a positive role model and example for younger players,” said Rangers’ player and alumni relations director Taunee Taylor. “You can tell how his teammates respect him by joining in his charitable endeavors.”

He truly enjoys spending time with people and brightening their day. Chirinos insists he receives as much gratification out of the interactions as he gives away.

Whether it’s showing up at a fundraiser for Fort Worth Polytechnic High School baseball, or helping serve dinner at the Arlington Life Shelter, he’s doing it, in part, because of the lessons from his father.

“For me, to see the foundation working and helping the community and the people most in need that meant a lot,” Roberto Chirinos said. “It’s a tremendous joy to see the dream we had [flourish] and to see the face of that person you are helping, it’s very emotional.”

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "With his dad’s help, Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos gives back."