A day in the life of Robertson, closer extraordinaire

White Sox fans look at David Robertson as the shutdown closer they've craved maybe going as far back as the days of Bobby Jenks. But there's more to the veteran right-hander than solely the baseball side of his life.

Robertson also is a husband, a father and … a homeowner.

That's right, when Robertson departed the Yankees for Chicago via a four-year, $46-million free agent deal, he put down roots in his new city. Those roots, taken with his wife, Erin, and his son, Luke, now center on the hip Bucktown area about 20 minutes from U.S. Cellular Field.

They have been renovating, not renting.

"We are almost done," said a smiling Robertson with a relieved look when talking about renovations. "Just small odds and ends are coming in. Light fixtures and things.

"It's nice to have a home we can drive to and sleep in a bed that you actually bought and are keeping. We made it the way we wanted. We are excited for the first time ever to be able to lay down roots and have somewhere we hopefully are going to be for four years."

Now that the renovation seems pretty much done for the Robertson family, they can get back to their normal daily existence. And what does that existence entail? Here's a look at a day in the life of Robertson, using a home night game as a reference point.

Up and Moving

Luke Robertson, 3, is like any other boy his age.

"He's all over the place," said Robertson of his son. "It's cars. It's soccer. It's baseball. It's doing whatever we can while we have time."

That morning schedule isn't influenced much by a rain delay the night before or even extra innings, with Dad pitching in the 11th or 12th. If it's a night game on that particular day for the White Sox, then the Robertsons are up and moving by mid-morning.

"He still wants to go," said Robertson with a laugh. "He doesn't get up too early because he's on a baseball schedule. He stays up until around 11 o'clock. It's good for me that he sleeps a little later because then everything is pushed back a few hours.

"My wife and I go to bed at midnight and get up at nine or 10 o'clock. Or at least that's when we get moving. We aren't up at six like the average family. We can't do it."

Breakfast comes first, with Luke having some fruit and David having oatmeal to go with his coffee. Then it's a check of the agenda for the day, whether it's buying a grill or getting a lawnmower for their yard or making calls related to their charity, High Socks for Hope, which helps those affected by hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters.

"There's always something going on," Robertson said. "After that, it's let's turn a show on and relax for a second.

"Then we'll get up and go for a walk, maybe go to the local park, or go whatever, me and Luke. I try to get my wife a breather. I'll be leaving between two and three in the afternoon and she's on her own until 11 or noon. I try to give her at least an hour or so a day to hang out and have a shower and relax a little bit."

Because breakfast comes a little later, Robertson usually doesn't do lunch. He grabs a snack upon arriving at U.S. Cellular Field somewhere around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m.

Living in both New York and Chicago has made Robertson an expert on traffic patterns. He also quickly has learned the difference in congestion between the two big cities.

"I haven't had a ton of time to go exploring Chicago," Robertson said. "But in New York City, you are always fighting traffic in the city. I lived in Manhattan. It's bumper to bumper.

"In Chicago, you sit on the highway until it clears up and then it's right to the field for me."

Ballpark Routine

Once Robertson gets to the White Sox clubhouse, he'll start a crossword puzzle that he readily admits probably will never get finished.

"Basically I butcher crossword puzzles every day," Robertson said.

"You're not that good," said Jake Petricka, with one of Robertson's bullpen mates having a little fun at his expense.

"No, I'm not," Robertson said with a laugh.

"Better than I am," a smiling Petricka said.

"I'm trying," Robertson said. "I'm bad at them. I had to go buy a book with the answers in the back because my spelling is so atrocious."

On the first day of every series, Robertson does his work off the mound, mimicking what it's like to be pitching in a game. He'll play catch with John Danks, shag left-handed during batting practice and then get ready.

It's Game Time

Robertson watches the first two innings of every game in the dugout and then he'll do a quick workout just to get active and maintain the muscle mass.

"I'll do actual lifting, running, some agility, rotator cuff. That way when I get to the pen, I have a lather going," Robertson said. "If the game lines up, I can stretch in the seventh and I'm ready to go in case there's a chance for a four-or-five-out save. I feel more comfortable doing that.

"Usually, I'll do my workout in my shoes. I'll come back, throw my spikes on in the middle of the fourth and get ready to go out and watch and see where the game is. I'm watching it the whole time I'm in there working out, so I know where it's going."

"Even if it's a two or three run game, I'm stretching to get ready," Robertson said. "Even down a run, it wouldn't surprise me if I have to pitch if some of the guys are used."

After the Save

Robertson grabs some ice for his shoulder before making himself available to the media postgame.

"I feel like every time I come back out, everyone is gone," Robertson said with a grin.

There's a little unwinding period at home after making his way back to Bucktown, maybe an hour or so to cool off, since he's still a little geared up.

"It sits with you for a little while," Robertson said. "And by then I'm usually so tired, I fall asleep and start over again."

The schedule might change a little bit on the road. For example, Robertson went fishing with a few teammates before the start of a series against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"I lived in St. Pete for the last five or six years, so it's fun to get out and go fishing for a day," Robertson said. "I missed it in Spring Training. Usually in spring, I'm leaving the field and grabbing my kayak and going fishing."

Off-days of course are lazier, with the Robertsons sleeping as long as they can. There might be an outing to Target or maybe the Shedd Aquarium, which Luke loves.

As mentioned above, there hasn't been a great deal of opportunity for the Robertsons to take in Chicago. But that time certainly will come. Robertson intends to live out a number of these days over the course of the next four years.

"Absolutely. I love it here," Robertson said. "My family loves it here, and the organization is great. It's been a nice change of pace for me."