Brooks Robinson dies at the age of 86
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The popular Hall of Famer was one of the greatest defenders in baseball history, winning 16 Gold Gloves
00:28 UTC
Brooks Robinson, the legendary third baseman and Hall of Famer affectionately known as “Mr. Oriole because he spent his entire 23-year big league career in Baltimore, has died at age 86.
“All of us across Major League Baseball are saddened by the loss of Brooks Robinson, one of the greats of our national pastime and a legend of the Baltimore Orioles,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Brooks was one of the greatest defensive players who ever lived. He was a two-time World Series champion, 1964 American League MVP and winner of 16 consecutive Gold Gloves at third base. He was a role model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles. After his playing career, he continued to contribute to the game by working with the MLB Players Alumni Association.
“I will always remember Brooks as a true gentleman who represented our game exceptionally well on and off the field throughout his life. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Brooks’ family, his many friends in our game and … Orioles fans everywhere.”
The Orioles released a statement on behalf of the team and Robinson’s family: “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. He has been an integral part of our Orioles family since 1955 and will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community and the sport of baseball.”
Nicknamed “The Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his exceptional defense at the hot corner, Robinson won 16 Gold Glove Awards, the most of any non-pitcher in baseball history and tied with pitcher Jim Kaat for the second most of any player . Only Greg Maddux (18) won more.
An 18-time All-Star, winner of the 1964 American League MVP Award and a two-time World Series champion (1966 and 1970), Robinson was also named MVP of the 1970 Fall Classic. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, becoming the first third baseman elected in his first year of eligibility.
Although Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. eventually became synonymous with Baltimore during his playing career and after his retirement, he was born on May 18, 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he attended and went on to play baseball at Little Rock Central High School University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 1955, Robinson signed with the Orioles for $4,000 and debuted for the team later that same year at the age of 18.
From 1955 to 1959, Robinson played only 304 games for the O’s, spending time in the minor leagues and dealing with numerous injuries. But soon after, Robinson became an integral part of the Orioles’ team, where he would be a fixture for nearly two decades.
Robinson’s breakthrough came in 1960, when he was named an All-Star for the first time and won his first Gold Glove. He was an All-Star every year until 1974 and a Gold Glover every year until 1975.
While Robinson more than held his own, it was his gloves that continued to amaze everyone.
“He was the best defensive player at any position,” the late Frank Robinson, another Hall of Famer and Orioles legend, once said. “I used to stand in the outfield like a fan and watch him make play after play. I always thought, ‘Wow! I can not believe that.'”
As the Orioles excelled in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Brooks Robinson helped lead the franchise to its first two World Series titles in 1966 and 1970. In the last game, he went 9-for-21 with two doubles, two home runs, five runs scored and six RBIs in a five-game series against the Reds.
By the mid-1970s, Robinson’s playing time declined. Because Doug DeCinces became Baltimore’s third baseman in 1976, Robinson only appeared in 71 games that year.
Robinson still returned for the 1977 season and served as player-coach. But he played only 24 games, and on August 21 – when the Orioles needed to clear a roster spot for Rick Dempsey’s return from injury – Robinson ended his playing career by voluntarily placing himself on the retired list at age 40.
However, that was far from the end of Robinson’s time in Baltimore, even though he was no longer routinely on the infield dirt at Memorial Stadium. He was there the next year when his No. 5 was retired on April 14, 1978. Robinson also served as color commentator for the team’s television broadcasts from 1978 to 1992.
Robinson never moved from Maryland and lived there until his death with his wife Connie, whom he met on an Orioles team flight in 1959 when she was working as a flight attendant. Robinson is survived by Connie and their four children – sons Brooks David, Chris and Michael and daughter Diana.
“He was just nice, warm and friendly. Great player and great role model,” said Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, Robinson’s Orioles teammate from 1965 to 1977. “When you decided who you wanted to emulate, you said ‘Brooks Robinson.’ Because he was real. He was a real person. There was no acting or trying to play a role. We were just lucky to have him all in our lives. How [former O’s first baseman] Boog [Powell] said, “I loved him.” And I think we all did.
Although Robinson had health problems later in his life, he never stayed away from the O’s for long. In 2009, he underwent successful treatment for prostate cancer. In 2011, he had to undergo emergency surgery when he developed an infection following a routine procedure. In January 2012, Robinson fell backwards in his chair from an elevated platform at a charity banquet in Florida, fractured his shoulder blade and was hospitalized.
Still, Robinson came to Camden Yards on September 29, 2012, when a statue of him was unveiled at Legends Park behind the bullpens in left center field, along with previously dedicated sculptures of the other five people inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as Orioles : Eddie Murray, Palmer, Cal Ripken Jr., Frank Robinson and Earl Weaver. It was the second Robinson statue built in Baltimore; There is also one right in front of the ballpark on the plaza between Washington Boulevard and Russell Street. And on this sculpt, Robinson’s glove is matching gold.
The statue of Brooks Robinson in front of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The O’s regularly invited Robinson to other special events, such as “Thanks, Brooks Day” on September 24, 2022, which honored the 45th anniversary of his retirement.
They were all tributes and celebrations of the lasting impact Robinson left on the Orioles and Baltimore – perhaps one greater than any other player in team history and any other athlete in the city’s long past.
The memories we all share of Brooks will live on. My thoughts are with Connie and the Robinson family. We lost a great man, but were very lucky to have him in our lives.” – CRJ
— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) September 26, 2023
Robinson may have been considered a superstar in Charm City, but he reached that point with a humility that endeared him even more to his fans. He demonstrated this humility throughout his life and that is why his legacy will be remembered for generations to come.
“Brooks never asked anyone to name a candy bar after him,” longtime Associated Press sportswriter Gordon Beard once wrote. “In Baltimore, people named their children after him.”