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Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) is a former
third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...
in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
who played his entire career for the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "the Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr.
Hoover Hoover may refer to: Music * Hoover (band), an American post-hardcore band * Hooverphonic, a Belgian band originally named Hoover * Hoover (singer), Willis Hoover, a country and western performer active in 1960s and '70s * "Hoover" (song), a 2016 ...
", he is generally considered to have been the greatest defensive third baseman in major league history. A 15-time All-Star, he won 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, setting a record later tied by Jim Kaat and broken by Greg Maddux. His 2,870 career games at third base not only exceeded the closest player by nearly 700 games when he retired, but also remain the most games by any player in major league history at a single position. His 23 seasons spent with a single team set a major league record since matched only by Carl Yastrzemski. Joining the Orioles less than two years after the franchise relocated from St. Louis, Robinson played a major role in rejuvenating what had been one of the weakest major league clubs. He became the centerpiece of the team as they posted the best record in the major leagues during the decade from 1965 to 1974, capturing four
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...
(AL) pennants and two
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
titles. He was named the AL
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
(MVP) in 1964 after posting career highs with a .317 batting average, 28
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s and 118
runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the b ...
(RBI), leading the AL in the last category. In 1966 he finished second in the MVP voting behind teammate Frank Robinson after again posting 100 RBI as the Orioles won the pennant, then swept the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
for the team's first Series title. In the 1970 World Series against the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, Robinson drew wide attention with his strong defensive play, time after time robbing Cincinnati players of base hits, and drove in runs in the first four games; his performance won him the World Series MVP Award as Baltimore defeated the Reds in five games. In 1971 he became one of just 12 players to earn over $100,000 annually. Robinson led AL third basemen in fielding percentage eleven times and in assists eight times, both major league records, and in putouts and
double plays In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...
three times each. He still holds major league records for career putouts (2,697), assists (6,205), total chances (9,165) and double plays (618) at third base, with each total being between 13% and 20% higher than the closest player. His career fielding percentage of .971 was a major league record until 2006, and remains the top AL mark. Upon his retirement during the 1977 season, Robinson's 2,896 career games and 10,654 at bats each ranked fifth in major league history, behind only
Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the l ...
among AL players, and his 2,848 hits ranked seventh in AL history. From 1969 to 1980, he held the AL record for career home runs by a third baseman. He set franchise records for career games, at bats, hits, runs (1,232), RBI (1,357),
doubles Men's doubles, Women's doubles or Mixed doubles are sports having two players per side, including; * Beach volleyball * Doubles badminton * Doubles curling * Footvolley * Doubles pickleball * Doubles squash * Doubles table tennis * Doubles te ...
(482), total bases (4,270) and home runs by a right-handed hitter (268), all of which were later broken by Cal Ripken Jr. Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 in his first year of eligibility, the first time a third baseman had done so. Following his playing career, he served as a broadcaster for the Orioles and also joined Opening Day Partners, which owns several
minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
teams. Robinson has remained popular with Oriole fans for his kindness and patience with them. "Never has a player meant more to a franchise and more to a city than Brooks has meant to the Orioles and the city of Baltimore," said Oriole historian Ted Patterson.


Early life

Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was born on May 18, 1937, in
Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...
,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, to Brooks Calbert and Ethel Mae (née Denker) Robinson. His father worked for Colonial Bakery in Little Rock and later became a captain with the Little Rock Fire Department. Meanwhile, his mother worked for
Sears Roebuck & Company Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began as ...
before accepting a position with the state controller's office. Young Brooks drew a salary himself from delivering the ''
Arkansas Gazette The ''Arkansas Gazette'' was a newspaper in Little Rock, Arkansas, that was published from 1819 to 1991. It was known as the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River. It was located from 1908 until its closing at the now historic Gazet ...
'' on his bicycle, as well as operating the scoreboard and selling soft drinks at Lamar Porter Field. Brooks Sr. had played second base for a semi-pro baseball team. He would play the game with his son during Brooks Jr.'s younger years. Growing up, Brooks Jr. rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals;
Stan Musial Stanley Frank Musial (; born Stanislaw Franciszek Musial; November 21, 1920 – January 19, 2013), nicknamed "Stan the Man", was an American baseball outfielder and first baseman. Widely considered to be one of the greatest and most consis ...
was his favorite player. In high school, he played American Legion Baseball for the M. M. Eberts Post No. 1 Doughboys, among the greatest American Legion teams in that part of the country. The team reached the regional finals in 1952, when Robinson was 15. They then advanced to the sectional tournament in 1953. Robinson graduated from
Little Rock High School Little Rock Central High School (LRCHS) is an accredited comprehensive public high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. The school was the site of forced desegregation in 1957 after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation b ...
on May 27, 1955, impressing the
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkans ...
enough with his
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
ability that the school offered him a full scholarship.Staples & Herschlag, p.402. However, Robinson desired to become a professional baseball player. Lindsay Deal, who went to Capitol View Methodist Church with Robinson, had been a teammate of
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
manager Paul Richards on a
minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in No ...
team, and he wrote a letter to Richards praising Robinson's ability. "He's no speed demon, but neither is he a truck horse," Deal wrote. "Brooks has a lot of power, baseball savvy, and is always cool when the chips are down."Patterson, p. 40 In 1955, three major league teams sent scouts to Little Rock to try to sign Robinson: the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...
, the Cincinnati Redlegs, and the Orioles. Each offered $4,000, but only Cincinnati and Baltimore were offering major league contracts. Robinson ultimately chose to sign with Baltimore because the Orioles had shown the most interest and had the most opportunities for young players to become everyday players on their roster.
Art Ehlers Arthur H. Ehlers (January 22, 1897 – February 7, 1977) was an American front office executive in minor league baseball, minor and Major League Baseball. He was the first general manager (baseball), general manager in the history of the modern Balt ...
was the scout who signed him.


Baltimore Orioles


Early years (1955-1959)

After some games in the
minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...
including the
Vancouver Mounties The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1956– 62 and – 69. Its home field was Capilano Stadium. During the Mounties' first t ...
, Robinson made his first appearance with the Orioles on September 17, 1955 at Memorial Stadium against the Washington Senators, batting sixth in the lineup. He had two hits in four at bats, singling in the fourth inning against
Chuck Stobbs Charles Klein Stobbs (July 2, 1929 – July 11, 2008) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox (1947–51), Chicago White Sox (1952), Washington Senators / Minnesota ...
for his first hit before driving in a run on a single in the eighth inning in the 3–1 win. After that, he went hitless in his next 18 at bats before sitting for the season's final two games.Wilson, p. 58 "Those American League pitchers made me look like just what I was—a young, green, immature eighteen-year-old who'd been lucky that first day against Washington," he later reflected. After the season, the Orioles assigned him to the Willard Blues, a Colombian winter league team where Baltimore sent some of its best prospects. Earl Wilson hit Robinson in the head with a pitch in one of the games, but Robinson was protected from severe injury because of a new fiberglass batting helmet the team was testing on their players. In 1956, Robinson was allowed to stay in
spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...
with the Orioles until March 21, but Baltimore acquired Bobby Adams to play third base, thinking the 18-year-old Robinson was not quite ready for the major leagues. He spent most of the year with the Class AA San Antonio Missions, where he tore cartilage in his right knee while sliding into a base in August. The injury was initially feared to require surgery, but rest and heat reduced the swelling, and he missed only a few games. Promoted to Baltimore after the minor league season, he appeared in 15 games, demonstrating fielding ability beyond his years, though only batting .227. Robinson competed with future Hall of Famer George Kell to be Baltimore's everyday third baseman in 1957, though Kell happily mentored the younger player. Both made the starting lineup (Robinson at third base, Kell at first), but two weeks into the season, Robinson completely tore the cartilage in his knee while swerving to avoid a tag at first base. He missed all of May and spent most of June on a rehab assignment in San Antonio but regained the starting job when he returned.Wilson, pp. 70-71 On August 2, he was again hit in the head with a pitch, this time by
Ned Garver Ned Franklin Garver (December 25, 1925 – February 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Browns (1948–1952), the Detroit Tigers (1952–1956), the Kansas City Athlet ...
. The errant throw resulted in a mild concussion and a wound above Robinson's left eye that required 10 stitches, but after five days, the ballplayer was ready to perform again. On August 14,
Pedro Ramos Pedro Ramos Guerra (born April 28, 1935), is a Cuban former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and the expansion Washin ...
threw him a pitch that he turned into his first major league
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
. In 50 games, he batted .239. Because of the time he had missed, the Orioles had him play winter baseball again to continue his development. This time in Havana, he led the league with nine home runs. When the Orioles played the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...
in late April 1958,
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but t ...
said that Robinson had "got a great future" after the third baseman dove to catch a
Gil McDougald Gilbert James McDougald (May 19, 1928 – November 28, 2010) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) infielder who spent ten major league seasons playing for the New York Yankees from 1951 through 1960. McDougald was the 1951 American ...
ground ball, stood up, and still threw out Berra trying to score. Offensively, Robinson batted .406 through April. Towards midseason, he developed a hitch in his swing and started hitting too many pop flies, which caused him to lose playing time to Dick Williams in August. He helped Hoyt Wilhelm throw a no-hitter on September 28 by making three terrific fielding plays after replacing Williams at third base in the eighth inning. "There weren't too many bright spots in my 1958 season, but being in on Wilhelm's no-hitter was the big one for me," Robinson recalled. In 145 games, he batted .238 with three home runs in 463 at bats, weak offensive numbers, but his defense was more impressive. "I think Brooks is in a class by himself as a defensive third baseman," said Oriole manager Paul Richards. Following the 1958 season, Robinson served six months in the Arkansas National Guard, which spared him the risk of being drafted by the
United States military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
and having to serve continuously for two years. The service kept him from being in optimal baseball shape, and shortly after the 1959 season started, Robinson was sent to the
Vancouver Mounties The Vancouver Mounties were a high-level minor league baseball club based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1956– 62 and – 69. Its home field was Capilano Stadium. During the Mounties' first t ...
of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. On May 17, he had a terrifying moment when, as he fell into a
Capilano Stadium Nat Bailey Stadium, also known as The Nat, is a baseball stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is home to the Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League High-A. Stadium history The stadium is located in Hillcrest Park immediately north-ea ...
dugout to catch a ball, he caught his right biceps on a hook, tearing tendons and causing severe bleeding. The injury just missed tearing a nerve, which would have ended his career, but he had to miss only 25 games. Fulfilling a promise he made when he demoted Robinson, Richards recalled him before the season's first All-Star Game. The time in the minors had helped his hitting; biographer Doug Wilson wrote that "He was no longer overmatched by big league pitchers." He batted .284 in 88 games, and Richards said that he was "the best player in the American League orthe last five weeks of the season."


Everyday player, MVP (1960-1965)

By 1960, Robinson was unquestionably the Oriole third baseman. He started the year in the sixth slot in the batting lineup but ascended to third after batting .333 in June and .351 in July. In July, he was selected to his first of 18 straight All-Star Games; he would be a part of both games from 1960–62, in which two games a year were played. On July 15, he recorded five hits in five at bats, becoming the first Oriole to hit for the cycle in a 5–2 victory over the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. For the first time since their arrival in Baltimore, the Orioles were contenders for the AL pennant, part of a three-way race with the Yankees and the White Sox as September arrived. In the first game of an early September series against the Yankees in Baltimore, Robinson had the first RBI, then fielded a ball hit off of Milt Pappas's leg in the ninth and threw out
Hector Lopez In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defe ...
at first base. He drove in the only runs in the second game, in which the Orioles took over first place in the AL on September 3. Baltimore swept the series, but a fever briefly hospitalized Robinson at the end of the series, and he went into a batting slump. After getting swept in a four-game series against New York later in the month, Baltimore finished in second. In 152 games, Robinson batted .294 and hit 14 home runs. He finished third in AL
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...
(MVP) voting (behind Roger Maris and
Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
), was named the Most Valuable Oriole by sportscasters and sportswriters around Baltimore, and won his first of 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards at third base. For most of 1961, Robinson batted first in Baltimore's lineup.Wilson, p. 110 He further solidified his defensive reputation in 1961; sportswriter Bob Addie reported, "The 'young old-timers' in the press box are beginning to compare Baltimore's Brooks Robinson with the great third basemen of the past." One of two players in the AL to appear in every game of the season, he batted .287 with 192 hits (second in the league only to Norm Cash's 193) and seven home runs. After two straight second-place finishes, the Orioles slumped to seventh place in the league in 1962, but Robinson had another fine year. In consecutive games on May 6 and 9, Robinson hit a grand slam, one of six major leaguers ever to have done so at the time. In August, he had eight straight hits over a three-game span. ''Sports Illustrated'' proclaimed him "the best third baseman in the league."Wilson, p. 112 He batted higher than .300 for the first time (.303) and topped 20 home runs (23), recording 86 RBI as he was named the Most Valuable Oriole for the second time. Robinson got off to an excellent start offensively to the 1963 season, and had hits in both of his at bats in that year's All-Star Game. Overall, his offensive production diminished, as he batted just .219 after the All-Star break, and saw a streak of 462 consecutive games played come to an end when manager Billy Hitchcock benched him in an attempt to improve his hitting. For the year, he batted .251 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI. Robinson spent extra time in 1964 spring training practicing offense with hitting coach Gene Woodling. The coach encouraged Robinson to stop swinging at bad pitches, and Robinson started using a slightly heavier bat. Against the Yankees early in the year, he made what Wilson said "was generally agreed to be the play of the year," diving to stop a hard-hit ground ball off the bat of
Bobby Richardson Robert Clinton Richardson, Jr. (born August 19, 1935) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1955 through 1966. Batting and throwing right-handed, he ...
and throwing him out while still seated on the ground. With the Orioles, Yankees, and White Sox in a three-way race for the pennant, Robinson batted .464 with 28 RBI from September 7 through the end of the season, though the Orioles again finished behind the Yankees. The Orioles honored him with a "Brooks Robinson Night" late in the season, which the ballplayer said "will always remain one of the great moments of my life." Maxwell Kates of the
Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball primarily through the use of statistics. Established in Cooperstown, New ...
said "Robinson had perhaps his best season in 1964." Playing all but two innings of Baltimore's 163-game season, Robinson hit for a .318 batting average with 28 home runs. He led the league with 118 RBI, winning the AL MVP Award. For much of 1965, Robinson batted over .300 again, though his average fell to .297 by the end of the year. He led Baltimore in batting average and RBI (80).


World Series champion (1966-1971)


1966-1970

During the 1965–66 offseason, the Orioles acquired former
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
(NL) MVP Frank Robinson from the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
; Frank would bat third in the lineup, right in front of Brooks. Halfway through the year, Brooks had 70 RBI. In the All-Star Game, played in conditions, he made several outstanding defensive plays and recorded three hits, getting named the game's MVP even though the AL lost 2–1. Over 28 games in August, he struggled, batting .187 with just three RBI. The Orioles nonetheless won the AL pennant for the first time in Robinson's tenure with the team, clinching pn Sep 15. In 157 games, Robinson batted .269 with 23 home runs and 100 RBI, his second and final season with at least 100 RBI. He finished second to Frank, that year's Triple Crown winner, in the AL MVP voting; teammate
Boog Powell John Wesley "Boog" Powell (born August 17, 1941) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from through , most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dyna ...
came in third. Against the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League West, West division. Established in 1883 i ...
in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
, Frank and Brooks hit back-to-back home runs off of Don Drysdale in Game 1, a 5–2 victory. "Drysdale's second pitch to me was a high fast ball, and I parked it in almost the same seats in the left field pavilion
hat Frank had hit his to A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
" Robinson recalled. In Game 4, the Orioles nursed a 1–0 lead in the fifth inning when Jim Lefebvre led off with a single. The next batter, Wes Parker, hit a ground ball that Robinson had to stretch to catch. After stumbling, Robinson threw the ball to second baseman Davey Johnson, who threw out Parker at first base to complete a double play. The score remained 1–0 through the end of the game, and the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Dodgers for Baltimore's first World Series championship. A picture of Robinson leaping into the air as he ran to the pitcher's mound to congratulate
Dave McNally David Arthur McNally (October 31, 1942 – December 1, 2002) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1975, most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles d ...
after the game remains one of the most iconic Oriole photos. After the season, he and multiple other baseball celebrities went on a tour to visit US troops serving in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. In 1967 spring training,
Phil Niekro Philip Henry Niekro ( ; April 1, 1939 – December 26, 2020), nicknamed "Knucksie", was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball, 20 of them with the Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves. Niekro's 318 career vict ...
hit Robinson in the head with a pitch, causing a mild concussion. Robinson slumped early in the year but improved towards the end of June, posting 17 hits over 39 at bats in one 10-game stretch, including five home runs. His home run in the All-Star Game was the only run for the AL in its 2–1, 15-inning loss. On August 6, he hit into a triple play for the fourth time in his career, a major league record. "I wouldn't mind seeing someone erase my record of hitting into four triple plays," he said. Towards the end of the year, he went hitless in 49 out of 51 at bats. In 158 games, he batted .269 with 22 home runs and 77 RBI. He played all 162 games for the Orioles in 1968, batting .253 with 17 home runs and 75 RBI. Robinson also ended the season with 405 assists, tying the major league record set by Harlond Clift in 1937; Graig Nettles broke the record with 412 assists in 1971. Through May 1969, Robinson batted .216, only raising his average to .234 by the end of the year.Wilson, p. 187 Manager Earl Weaver attributed his struggles to swinging at bad pitches, as well as his slow pace, which prevented him from getting as many infield hits. On May 28 in a 9-5 road win against the Seattle Pilots, he hit his 179th career home run as a third baseman, breaking Clift's AL record. Robinson hit .234 with 23 home runs and 84 RBI, and the Orioles won the newly created
AL East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (NL). This division was created before ...
division to advance to the postseason. In Game 1 of the AL Championship Series (ALCS) versus the Minnesota Twins, Robinson had four hits in Baltimore's 4–3 win. He gloved a hard-hit line drive off the bat of Rod Carew in Game 3, an 11–2 victory that clinched the Orioles a trip to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
to face the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...
. During the first game of the World Series,
Rod Gaspar Rodney Earl Gaspar (born April 3, 1946 in Long Beach, California, United States) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A switch hitter, Gaspar played for the New York Mets (1969–70) and San Diego Padres (1971, 1974). A former player at ...
hit a slow, bouncing ball towards third base that both Gaspar and pitcher
Mike Cuellar Miguel Ángel Cuellar Santana (; May 8, 1937 – April 2, 2010) was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher in 1959 and from 1964 through 1977, most prominently as a me ...
thought would be a hit. Robinson caught it barehanded and threw it to first before he had fully stood up, retiring Gaspar as the Orioles went on to win 4–1. He made a similar play to keep
Jerry Grote Gerald Wayne Grote (born October 6, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Mets, catching every inning of the franchise's first two World ...
from getting a hit in Game 2 and had an RBI single against Jerry Koosman, but Baltimore lost 2–1. With the Orioles trailing the Mets 1–0 in the ninth inning of Game 4, Robinson batted against Tom Seaver with runners on first and third and one out. He sent the ball towards right field but was robbed of a hit when Ron Swoboda made a diving catch; Biographer Doug Wilson, mentioned earlier in this article, wrote that the catch "is one of the all-time great plays in World Series history."Wilson, p. 194 Baltimore lost 2–1 in 10 innings, then went on to lose the series in five games. Robinson started using a heavier bat in 1970, as he batted .311 in April.Wilson, p. 198 On May 9, he hit his 200th home run. His 2,000th hit came on June 20, a three-run home run that provided the margin of victory in a game against the Washington Senators. Against the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
on September 4, he recorded five hits, two home runs, and four RBI in an 8–6 victory. On September 8 in a 6-3 road win against the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
, he broke
Eddie Yost Edward Frederick Joseph Yost (October 13, 1926 – October 16, 2012) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played most of his Major League Baseball career as a third baseman for the Washington Senators, then played two ...
's American League record of 2,008 games at third base. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Senators on September 29, he had his 1000th career RBI against Joe Coleman, who had also allowed his 200th home run. Robinson had his highest batting average (.276) and RBI (94) totals since 1966, adding 18 home runs as the Orioles again won the AL East.


1970 postseason

In the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
, against the Twins, Robinson batted .583 with three runs scored and two RBI as Baltimore completed the sweep, sending them to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
against the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
. With Game 1 of the World Series tied at 3–3 in the sixth inning, Lee May hit a one-hop ball fair past third. Playing behind the base, Robinson lunged, backhanded the ball, spun 180 degrees, and made a one-hop toss to first that narrowly beat May to the bag. Years later, Jayson Stark of
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
considered this the third-greatest play of all time. Against Gary Nolan in the seventh inning, Robinson's solo home run provided the winning margin in Baltimore's 4–3 triumph. As it turned out, these were just the first of many fine plays Robinson would make during the Series. During Game 2, Robinson darted into the gap between him and shortstop Mark Belanger to field a ground ball hit by Bobby Tolan in the first inning. Throwing sidearm to second, he forced out Pete Rose. Then, in the third inning, he snagged a hard line drive off May's bat, whirling and throwing almost immediately to second for a double play that ended the inning. Baltimore won the game 6–5. Robinson made an over-the-head catch of a bouncing ball off of Tony Pérez's bat in the first inning of Game 3, outracing Rose to third base and throwing to first to complete a double play. Fielding a slow grounder hit by Tommy Helms in the second inning, Robinson partially circled the ball before picking it up, allowing him to throw to first on a better angle. He dove to his left to rob Johnny Bench of a hit in the sixth inning, barely holding onto a hard line drive. Offensively, he had two RBI in Baltimore's 9–3 win. In Game 4, he had four hits and a home run, though Baltimore lost 6–5. Finally, in Game 5, he made a diving back-handed catch of a line drive off of Bench's bat in the ninth, and fielded Pat Corrales' ground ball for the final out, as Baltimore won the game 9–3 to clinch their second World Series victory. Though Robinson batted .429 with two home runs in the series, his defensive prowess was what really stood out, as he started two double plays and fielded 23 chances while making several outstanding plays. His performance won him the World Series MVP Award. During the Series, Reds manager Sparky Anderson quipped, "I'm beginning to see Brooks in my sleep. If I dropped this paper plate, he'd pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first." "I've never seen anything like him in my life," Rose said. "He has to be the greatest third baseman of all time," said Pérez, who played the same position. "I just enjoy watching him play. He's in the right place every time." Wilson wrote that Robinson's outstanding play in the series, which was televised nationally, helped his ability to be appreciated by baseball fans outside the Baltimore area. After the season, he won the Hickok Belt, presented annually to the top professional athlete of the year.


1971

Before the 1971 season, Robinson signed a $100,000 contract, becoming only one of 12 players with such a high baseball salary at the time. He played 50 games in a row without committing an error and received the most votes of AL players in the All-Star Game. On July 28, he uncharacteristically made three errors in a game, though Baltimore still won 3–2. Wilson pointed out, "men had literally walked on the moon before Brooks Robinson had made three errors in a game." On the final day of the season, he broke
Eddie Mathews Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman. He played 17 seasons for Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (1967) and Detroit Tigers (1967� ...
' major league record of 2,181 games at third base, with his 2nd-inning home run providing the only scoring in a 1-0 victory over the Red Sox. In 156 games, he batted .272, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 92 runs as he finished fourth in AL MVP voting. For the third year in a row, the Orioles won the AL East.Wilson, p. 219 In Game 2 of the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
against the Athletics, Robinson hit a home run against
Catfish Hunter James Augustus Hunter (April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999), nicknamed "Catfish", was a professional baseball player in Major League Baseball (MLB). From to , he was a pitcher for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics and New York Yankees. Hunter wa ...
. He had two RBI in Game 3 and batted .364 in the series as Baltimore swept the Athletics, advancing them to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
where they would face the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
. In Game 2, Robinson had three RBI and reached base safely five times, joining
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
and
Lou Brock Louis Clark Brock (June 18, 1939September 6, 2020) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He began his 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the 1961 Chicago Cubs but spent most of it as a left fielder for the St. Louis ...
as the only other players to do so in a World Series game. During the eighth inning, he landed on his chest after diving for a bouncing ball off the bat of Manny Sanguillén, but he stood up in time to throw the runner out. Baltimore won 11–3. After the Pirates got two baserunners in the first inning of Game 3, Robinson snagged a hard line drive off the bat of Bob Robertson, throwing to second for a double play. Baltimore would lose that game 5–1.Wilson, pp. 220 With the Orioles facing elimination in Game 6, Robinson hit a 10th-inning
sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
against Bob Miller that scored the winning run in a 3–2 victory. He batted .318 in the series and tied with other Orioles and Pirates for the most RBI in the series (five), but Pittsburgh defeated the Orioles in seven games.


Later years (1972-1977)

Robinson served as the Major League Baseball Players Association player's representative for much of his career with the Orioles. In 1972, he and Belanger were among the 47 who voted in favor of the 1972 Major League Baseball strike. "I want to play," Robinson told reporters. "All players do. It all boils down to whether the owners are willing to make some concessions. I think our fellows are willing to make some, too, and that seems to be the best chance." The strike only wound up cancelling games on 10 days of the 1972 season, but Robinson was booed in his first at bat of the year at Memorial Stadium. In 153 games in 1972, Robinson batted .250. His eight home runs and 64 RBI were his lowest totals in those categories since 1961. During the season, he criticized Weaver publicly when Weaver suggested that some of the Oriole veterans were getting too old to play. "I find the remark embarrassing," Robinson said. "I don't enjoy going places to hear people say I'm over the hill, or know that they're thinking it." He recognized that Weaver was a great manager, however, and observed a couple years later that "Rarely have I questioned his action." Robinson still won the Commissioner's Award, presented annually to the individual who best represented baseball as a player and as a person. Robinson hit two home runs on Opening Day in 1973, but his batting average was under .200 by the middle of June.Wilson, p. 236 He still made the All-Star Game, but sportswriters observed that his selection had more to do with popularity than it did with his performance that season. On May 4, he had his 2,417th career hit, breaking
Pie Traynor Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor (November 11, 1898 – March 16, 1972) was an American third baseman, manager, scout and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career between 1920 and 1937 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. ...
's record for most hits by a third baseman. Defensively, he started two 5-4-3 triple plays – on July 7 against the Athletics, and on September 20 against the Tigers. On August 20, he made his 2,500th hit against the Twins, a 9th-inning RBI single to tie the game, with the Orioles going on to win 4-3. In the season's final months, he batted nearly .300. He played 155 games, batting .257 with nine home runs and 72 RBI as the Orioles returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. In the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
against Oakland, he batted .250 with a run scored and two RBI as the Athletics defeated Baltimore in five games. Though Robinson made more errors than usual in 1974, he was batting .311 at the All-Star break. In the second-to-last game of the year, Robinson scored from first on a pinch-hit double by
Andy Etchebarren Andrew Auguste Etchebarren (June 20, 1943 – October 5, 2019) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher in and then from through , most notably as a m ...
. The run provided the margin of victory in a game that, coupled with a Yankee loss later that day, made the Orioles AL East champions. Robinson batted .288 with seven home runs. His batting average was the best it had been since 1965, though his RBI total was at its lowest since 1959. Oriole historian Ted Patterson wrote that 1974 was "his last solid season." The Orioles again faced the Athletics in the
ALCS The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the two winners of the American ...
; in Game 1, Robinson dove to catch a ball hit by Dick Green, then threw him out at first, adding a solo home run in Baltimore's 6–1 win.Wilson, p. 239 He would bat just .083 in the series, which Oakland won in four games. Plagued by a sore thumb and declining ability in 1975, Robinson missed the All-Star Game for the first time since 1960. His batting average was .159 at one point, and on July 7, a pinch-hitter was substituted for him for the first time since 1958. In 144 games, he batted .201 with six home runs and 53 RBI. On the bright side, he led AL third basemen in fielding percentage for the 11th time. The Orioles had a young third base prospect named Doug DeCinces, and on May 17, 1976, Weaver informed Robinson that DeCinces would be taking over his position; though still a fine fielder, Robinson was only batting .165. Robinson requested a trade to a team that would give him more playing time and was nearly sent to the White Sox, but he vetoed the deal because Chicago did not want to give him a contract through 1978. In 71 games, he batted .211 with three home runs and 11 RBI. 1977 would be his final season; his playing time was infrequent. "Brooks' last great moment," according to Patterson, came against the Indians on April 19, when he pinch-hit in the bottom of the 10th inning of a game against the Indians which Baltimore trailed 5–3. There were two men on base, and after working the count full and fouling off several pitches, Robinson hit a
walkoff home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will n ...
against Dave LaRoche for a 6–5 Oriole win. He made his final batting appearance on August 5 at Anaheim Stadium, pinch hitting for Belanger in the top of the eighth inning and lining out. However, he would play briefly in one more game, eight days later at Memorial Stadium against the Athletics. He entered as a pinch hitter for Al Bumbry against the left-handed
Bob Lacey Robert Joseph "Bob" Lacey, Jr. (born August 25, 1953) is former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, California Angels, a ...
. When Oakland manager Bobby Winkles replaced Lacey with right-hander Doug Bair, Weaver replaced Robinson with left-handed Tony Muser before the at bat even started. With the Orioles needing another roster spot when Rick Dempsey returned from the disabled list, Robinson retired on August 21, with more than a month to go in the season.


Career statistics

Robinson batted .267 in his 23-year career, accumulating 2,848 hits, 268 home runs, and 1,357 RBI. In 39 postseason games, he batted .303 with 5 home runs and 22 RBI. Several of these statistics were achieved during what biographer Wilson terms the "second dead ball era" (1962–68), in which very few players hit over .300. Defensively, Robinson set an AL record by leading the league in fielding percentage 11 seasons. His career fielding percentage of .971 was higher than that of any other third baseman when he retired. Other third baseman's records he holds include most games played at the position (2,870), most putouts (2,697), most assists (6,205), most total chances (9,165), and most double plays (618).Wilson, p. 287 Prior to Robinson, no other player in MLB history had spent as many as 23 seasons exclusively with one ballclub; the only player to do so since is Carl Yastrzemski. Robinson reached 18 straight All-Star Games (1960–74) and participated in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...
four times. His AL record of 266 career home runs as a third baseman was broken by Graig Nettles in 1980.


Player profile

Robinson was very animated while waiting to hit. He would grab the top of his helmet, swing his bat with his left hand, and rock forwards and backwards before pitches. Though he was not a fast baserunner, he would swing his arms as he ran the bases, emphasizing the fact that he was running as fast as he could. As a hitter, Robinson's trademark was his custom-made batting helmet with a 1-inch bill that was much shorter than the standard. He would use a hacksaw blade to shorten the bill to keep it from distracting him at the plate. His strong defensive play caused him to be nicknamed the "Human Vacuum Cleaner" and "Mr. Hoover," as he was so skilled at catching balls hit towards third base.Wilson, p. 113 As a fielder, he was always on the move, not typical for third basemen of the time. His arm did not appear to be one of baseball's strongest partly because he was so quick at letting go of the ball. Instead of cocking his arm back before throwing, he would transfer the ball from his glove to his hand and fire it "in one seamless motion," according to Wilson. He had a knack for knowing which play to make, and he was well-known for running towards the plate to field bunts or other slow ground balls. "He didn't have a typical athletic body, he was kind of slump-shouldered, not a real muscular guy, and he didn't appear to have a strong arm," said teammate Chuck Estrada. "But then watching him play, you found out that none of that mattered, because he had great hands, a quick release, and the runner was always out." Robinson's 16 Gold Glove awards at third base are tied with Jim Kaat for the second most won by any player, behind Greg Maddux's 18. Jim Murray of ''
The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' wrote during Robinson's career that "In the future, Brooks Robinson will be the standard every third baseman will be measured by"; writing 40 years later, Wilson said "That statement has withstood the test of time." Casey Stengel and Home Run Baker, each of whom was involved in the game of baseball for over 50 years, both agreed that Robinson was the greatest third baseman they ever witnessed.Patterson, p. 130 Traynor, a great third baseman of the past to whom Robinson was often compared, said, "I once thought of giving him some tips, but dropped the idea. He's just the best there is." Umpire Ed Hurley said, "He came down from a higher league." Robinson was very particular about his glove. He would try the gloves of different players and trade two of his own for theirs if he really wanted it. Once he found one he liked, he would take a year to prepare it. When he felt it was ready for game action, he would use it exclusively during games, using others for batting practice and infield workouts. He was also picky about his bat, though he would use different ones from game to game, sampling those of his teammates and even opposing players before he found one he wanted to utilize. Aside from his playing ability, Robinson endeared himself to the Orioles fans because of his personality. "Other stars had fans," goes a quote in Patterson's book. "Robby made friends." He treated them with patience and kindness while taking an interest in them as well. “When fans ask Brooks Robinson for his autograph,” commented Oriole broadcaster Chuck Thompson, “he complied while finding out how many kids you have, what your dad does, where you live, how old you are, and if you have a dog. … His only failing is that when the game ended, if Brooks belonged to its story – usually he did – you better leave the booth at the end of the eighth inning. … By the time the press got
o the clubhouse O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...
Brooks was in the parking lot signing autographs on his way home." "Never has a player meant more to a franchise and more to a city than Brooks has meant to the Orioles and the city of Baltimore," wrote Patterson.


Off-the-field occupations, post-retirement

In 1961, Robinson became the part owner of Brooks and Eddie Robinson's Gorsuch House restaurant, located near Memorial Stadium. He started Brooks Robinson Sporting Goods in 1963; the company did a great deal of wholesale business with Baltimore-area teams. By the 1970s, they had established multiple locations in the Baltimore area. They briefly supplied uniforms for the Orioles, then later outfitted the short-lived
Baltimore Claws The Baltimore Claws were an American basketball team which was supposed to appear in the 1975–76 season in the American Basketball Association. The team collapsed before the season started, playing only three exhibition games, all losses, in its ...
of the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
.Wilson, p. 250 In 1974, the company took out a loan to expand to York, Pennsylvania, but delays in construction of the new store ran the company into debt, forcing it to cease operations shortly thereafter. A judge ordered Robinson's house to be sold in the fall of 1976 to pay the company's debt, but Robinson managed to keep the house by paying nearly $180,000 out of his personal savings. He became a spokesman for
Crown Central Petroleum Crown Central Petroleum, commonly known as Crown, is an American oil company that has flourished in Baltimore since the early 20th century until its recent decline due to rebranding. History Crown Central Petroleum Company or Crown, first began ...
in 1968 and spent over 30 years working for them. After the sporting goods business failed, Robinson and Ron Shapiro founded Personal Management Associates, which managed money for athletes. Following his retirement as a player, Brooks began serving as a
color commentator A color commentator or expert commentator is a sports commentator who assists the main ( play-by-play) commentator, typically by filling in when play is not in progress. The phrase "colour commentator" is primarily used in Canadian English and ...
for the Orioles' television broadcasts, travelling to around 50 road games for the Orioles and calling 10 home games as well. He served as a broadcaster until 1993, when he decided to spend more time focusing on his business pursuits. In 1982, Robinson helped start the
Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1982 by former Washington Senators player Chuck Hinton to promote the game of baseball, raise money for charities, inspire and educate ...
, an organization that helps retired players secure benefits, promotes baseball, raises money for charity, and helps retired players interact with each other. He succeeded Kaat as president of the organization in the late 1980s and is still its head. Robinson became a part owner of Opening Day Partners, an organization which owns several minor league teams, in 2005. The group owns four teams in the
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...
, and Robinson played a significant role in establishing the York Revolution. Founded in York, Pennsylvania, in 2007, the team was York's first since 1969; Robinson himself had played minor league ball for the York White Roses in 1955. The team's stadium,
PeoplesBank Park PeoplesBank Park is a 7,500-seat baseball park in York, Pennsylvania. It is the home of the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The park hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 16, 2007, as the Revolutio ...
, is located at 5 Brooks Robinson Way, and the plaza at its entrance is named in his honor. In the 1980s and again in 2006, Robinson helped raise money to restore Lamar Porter Field in his hometown of Little Rock, where he had played baseball while growing up.Wilson, p. 273


Honors

Robinson's jersey number (5) was retired by the Orioles on April 14, 1978.Wilson, p. 262 In 1983, Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, one of 16 players to have been honored on the first ballot since the inaugural class of 1936. Coincidentally, Kell got in the same year. "It was unbelievable that two kids raised just 90 miles apart, and with the same churchgoing backgrounds and the same ideals, would go into the Hall of Fame the same day," Kell said. "You couldn't write the script any better." Brooks and Frank were the first members of the
Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame The Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame is a team Hall of Fame dedicated to representing the most significant contributors to the history of the Baltimore Orioles professional baseball team since the first season of Baltimore baseball in 1954, which has ...
in 1977, and Brooks was selected to the Arkansas Hall of Fame the following year. Robinson and former Baltimore Colts football player Johnny Unitas had plaques in their honor in the lobby of Memorial Stadium. When the Orioles played their last game there on October 6, 1991, Robinson and Unitas were invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitches. Robinson threw a baseball, while Unitas threw a football. After the game, Robinson led 119 former Oriole players in uniform out onto the field, where they took their old positions. In 1999, Robinson ranked Number 80 on ''The Sporting News'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Fans elected Robinson to the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team in 2008; Robinson accumulated the most votes of any player elected. In 2015, Robinson was selected as one of the Orioles Franchise Four, recognizing the four greatest living players in Orioles history, along with Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson, and Cal Ripken Jr. He was the 2020 National Baseball Hall of Fame Recipient of the
Bob Feller Act of Valor Award The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, created in 2013, is a set of awards originally presented annually to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a current Major League Baseball player, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer. In 2015, ...
for his service in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Robinson has won several awards not specifically for baseball players as well. In 1984, he was presented the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. He was awarded the
Silver Beaver Award The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Upon nomination by their local Scout council and with the approval of the National Court of Honor, recipients of this award are registered adu ...
by the
Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded in ...
in 1990. Radio Tower Drive, a road in Pikesville, Maryland, was renamed Brooks Robinson Drive in honor of Robinson's 70th birthday on May 16, 2007. Three statues of Robinson have been created.Wilson, p. 284 The first was placed in the Brooks Robinson Plaza outside
PeoplesBank Park PeoplesBank Park is a 7,500-seat baseball park in York, Pennsylvania. It is the home of the York Revolution of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The park hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 16, 2007, as the Revolutio ...
in York in 2008. On October 22, 2011, the second was unveiled on Washington Boulevard in downtown Baltimore. This statue depicted Robinson preparing to throw out a runner at first base. Present for the unveiling of the statue, Robinson commented that it "gave him more hair than he deserved." The Orioles unveiled a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Robinson at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 29, 2012, as part of the Orioles Legends Celebration Series during the 20th anniversary of the ballpark.


Personal life

Robinson met his future wife, Constance Louise "Connie" Butcher, on an Orioles team flight from Kansas City to Boston in July 1959, where she was working as a
flight attendant A flight attendant, also known as steward/stewardess or air host/air hostess, is a member of the aircrew aboard commercial flights, many business jets and some government aircraft. Collectively called cabin crew, flight attendants are prima ...
for
United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.
. He was so smitten with her that he kept ordering iced teas from her. Some of his teammates encouraged him to go talk to her. After drinking his third glass, he returned it to her in the galley. There he told her: "I want to tell you something. If any of these guys, the Baltimore Orioles, ask you for a date, tell 'em you don't date married men. Understand? I'm the only single guy on the team." Actually, nearly half of the Orioles were single. Before the plane landed in Boston the two had made a date to go out. The two were married in her hometown of
Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...
, Canada on October 8, 1960. They reside in
Owings Mills, Maryland Owings Mills is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Baltimore. Per the 2020 census, the population was 35,674. Owings Mills is home to the northern terminus of ...
, a suburb of
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. They have four children: Brooks David (b. 1961), Chris (b. 1963), Michael (b. 1964), and Diana (b. 1968). Raised a
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
, in 1970 Robinson converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, his wife's faith. He was inspired to do so when his son, Brooks David, asked why he always went to a different church than the rest of the family on Sunday mornings. In deciding to convert, Robinson sought the advice of family friend Father Martin Schwalenberg, who taught Robinson about the Catholic faith. "For me, there is still one absolute–Jesus Christ," Robinson wrote in his 1974 autobiography. "The rest of us are still trying to reach his spiritual perfection, and that's the significant goal, no matter what form our worship takes." He has been a member of the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international non-profit Christian sports ministry founded in 1954 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. It has staff offices located throughout the United States and abroad. History FCA was foun ...
since early in his baseball career. One of Robinson's biggest hobbies is reading; while he was with the Orioles, he was a part of multiple book clubs. "Books about the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
and about
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
especially appeal to me," he wrote in his 1974 autobiography.Robinson and Tobin, p. 179 He also enjoys country western music. Robinson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, but it was discovered early, and treatments were successful.Wilson, p. 282 In 2010, doctors performed a large abdominal operation on Robinson. While recovering from it, he developed an infection on March 31, 2011, and spent nearly a month in the hospital. Even after he was released, further complications with the condition left him weakened the rest of the year. In January 2012, Robinson attended a charity banquet at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Florida. While sitting on the third level of a raised platform on a stage, he leaned backwards, and his chair fell off the platform, resulting in another month-long hospital stay and more rehab.Wilson, pp. 282-83 In April 2014, Robinson and his attorneys sought a $9.9 million settlement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a result of the accident.


See also

* List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders *
List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders Below is the list of the 286 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 2,000 hit milestone during their career in MLB. Pete Rose holds the Major League record for most career hits, with 4,256. Rose and Ty Cobb, second most, are the onl ...
* List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders * List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders * List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders * List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders * List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle *
List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders In baseball, a run batted in (RBI) is awarded to a batter for each runner who scores as a result of the batter's action, including a hit, fielder's choice, sacrifice fly, bases loaded walk, or hit by pitch. A batter is also awarded an RBI ...
* List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise


References


Bibliography

* * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Brooks Robinson archive
at ''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Brooks 1937 births Living people Major League Baseball third basemen Baltimore Orioles players National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees American League All-Stars American League Most Valuable Player Award winners Gold Glove Award winners World Series Most Valuable Player Award winners Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs American League RBI champions Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Baseball players from Arkansas Baseball players from Baltimore San Antonio Missions players American expatriate baseball players in Colombia American expatriate baseball players in Cuba Major League Baseball broadcasters Baltimore Orioles announcers Baltimore Orioles coaches Little Rock Central High School alumni American Roman Catholics Converts to Roman Catholicism from Methodism American sportsmen Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas