The Baltimore Orioles received tragic news on Tuesday. Legendary third baseman Brooks Robinson has passed away. He was 86 years old.
Robinson was truly Mr. Oriole, signing with the team back in 1955, just one year after the franchise moved from St. Louis. While he was not a regular part of their lineup until 1960 due to injuries and time in the minors, he was the first face of the rebooted franchise.
Brooks Robinson used glove to become Baltimore Orioles legend
There was no question that Robinson was ready defensively from the start. He had impressed Yogi Berra with his defense in the beginning of the 1958 campaign, and his three excellent plays later in the year saved Hoyt Wilhelm’s no-hitter. Robinson went on to win 16 Gold Glove awards, the most of any position player in major league history. He was arguably the greatest defensive player in the history of the game, 293 runs saved the most of any MLB player.
He became more than a brilliant defensive player at third. Robinson worked his way into becoming a solid hitter with a bit of pop. He hit 20 or more homers six times in his career, leading the AL with 118 RBI in 1964. His bat took center stage in the 1970 World Series as Robinson had nine hits, including two doubles and two homers, to win MVP honours.
Robinson had the accolades that his career deserved. In addition to those 16 Gold Gloves, he was an 18 time All Star and the 1964 AL MVP. He posted a career .267/.322/.401 batting line, hitting 268 homers and 482 doubles, his 2848 hits ranking 49th all time. It was not a surprise when Robinson was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 1982.
He stayed around the game after his retirement. Robinson called games, primarily appearing on the road as a colour commentator until 1993. He was one of the founders of Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and became the president of the organization in the late 1980s. He was also part owner of Opening Day Partners, owning several minor league and indy ball teams. Baseball was a key part of his life right up to the end.
Baltimore Orioles legend Brooks Robinson has passed away at 86 years old. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family.
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