Former Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson speaks throughout a ceremony to unveil a statue of him in Baltimore on Sept. 29, 2012. Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy method made him probably the most beloved and completed athletes in Baltimore historical past, has died. Patrick Semansky/AP conceal caption
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Patrick Semansky/AP
Former Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson speaks throughout a ceremony to unveil a statue of him in Baltimore on Sept. 29, 2012. Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy method made him probably the most beloved and completed athletes in Baltimore historical past, has died.
Patrick Semansky/AP
BALTIMORE — Corridor of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy method made him probably the most beloved and completed athletes in Baltimore historical past, has died. He was 86.
The Orioles introduced his dying in a joint assertion with Robinson’s household Tuesday. The assertion didn’t say how Robinson died.
Coming of age earlier than the free agent period, Robinson spent his complete 23-year profession with the Orioles. He virtually single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati within the 1970 World Collection and homered in Sport 1 of the Orioles’ 1966 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers for his or her first crown.
Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Video games, received 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Worthwhile Participant award after batting .318 with 28 dwelling runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs.
“An integral a part of our Orioles Household since 1955, he’ll proceed to go away a long-lasting impression on our membership, our neighborhood, and the game of baseball,” the group stated.
He completed with 268 homers, drove in 1,357 runs and batted a decent .267 in 2,896 profession video games. Not dangerous for ol’ No. 5, the boy from Arkansas.
However he shall be perpetually remembered for his work ethic and the ability he displayed on the sizzling nook, the place he established himself as one of many best fielding third baseman in baseball historical past, whether or not charging gradual rollers or snaring liners down the third-base line.
“Brooks was perhaps the final man to get into the clubhouse the day of the sport, however he could be the primary man on the sector,” former Orioles supervisor Earl Weaver stated. “He’d be taking his groundballs, and we would all go, ‘Why does Brooks need to take any groundballs?’
“I would not anticipate the rest from Brooks. Seeing him work like that meant a number of any younger particular person developing. He was so regular, and he steadied all people else.”
Robinson arrived in Baltimore in September 1955 as an 18-year-old after spending most of his first skilled season in baseball with Class B York. He went 2 for 22 with the Orioles and struck out 10 occasions.
He jockeyed between the majors and minors till July 1959, when he caught round in Baltimore for good.
“Mr. Oriole” was a sports activities hero to Baltimore
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson (5) leaps throughout the infield to congratulate pitcher Dave McNally (19) and Orioles catcher Andy Etchebarren (8) after the ultimate out in a World Collection baseball recreation towards the Los Angeles Dodgers in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 9, 1966. Bob Daugherty/AP conceal caption
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Bob Daugherty/AP
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson (5) leaps throughout the infield to congratulate pitcher Dave McNally (19) and Orioles catcher Andy Etchebarren (8) after the ultimate out in a World Collection baseball recreation towards the Los Angeles Dodgers in Baltimore, Md., on Oct. 9, 1966.
Bob Daugherty/AP
Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was born in Little Rock on Might 18, 1937. He finally made Baltimore his dwelling however by no means actually misplaced his southern twang, which was simply high quality with followers in blue-collar Baltimore, who appreciated his homespun allure and unassuming demeanor.
Dubbed “Mr. Oriole,” he was a sports activities hero in Attraction Metropolis, within the pantheon with former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and Orioles infielder Cal Ripken, who carried out for a special era.
Many Orioles rooters who by no means bought to see Robinson play nonetheless have been capable of get pleasure from his observations as he was a part of group broadcasts.
Ripken was generally known as The Iron Man as a result of he performed in 2,632 consecutive video games, however Robinson wasn’t keen on sitting on the bench, both. From 1960-1975, he performed in a minimum of 152 video games in 14 seasons and in 144 video games the opposite two years.
“I am a man who simply wished to see his identify within the lineup on a regular basis,” he stated. “To me, baseball was a ardour to the purpose of obsession.”
Robinson retired in 1977 after batting solely .149 in 24 video games. His jersey was retired that 12 months.
Robinson’s most memorable efficiency got here as MVP of the 1970 World Collection, when the Orioles bounced again from their gorgeous defeat to the New York Mets the 12 months earlier than and Robinson redeemed himself after batting simply 1 for 19 in that collection. As a result of he was so sensational within the subject throughout Baltimore’s five-game overcome the Reds, few bear in mind he hit .429 and homered twice and drove in six runs — or that he made an error on his first play within the subject.
In Sport 1, Robinson delivered the tiebreaking dwelling run within the seventh inning. One inning earlier, he made a sensational backhanded seize of a tough grounder hit down the road by Lee Might, spun round in foul territory and by some means threw out the runner.
Robinson contributed an RBI single within the second recreation and have become perpetually part of World Collection lore along with his standout efficiency in Sport 3. He made an amazing, leaping seize of a grounder by Tony Perez to start out a first-inning double play; charged a gradual curler within the second inning and threw out Tommy Helms; then capped his memorable afternoon with a diving catch of a liner by Johnny Bench. The Collection ended, fittingly, with a floor out to Robinson in Sport 5, a 9-3 Orioles win.
“I am starting to see Brooks in my sleep,” Reds supervisor Sparky Anderson stated throughout the Collection. “If I dropped this paper plate, he’d decide it up on one hop and throw me out at first.”
Anderson additionally stated, “He can throw his glove on the market and it’ll begin 10 double performs by itself.”
Jim Palmer and different teammates would say that the nation bought to see what Robinson did routinely throughout the common season. Robinson used to blush when requested to recall his heroics in October 1970.
“I inform folks that I performed 23 seasons and I by no means did have 5 video games in a row like I did in that World Collection,” he stated. “It was a as soon as in a lifetime five-game collection for me, and it simply occurred to be in a World Collection.”
His legacy in Maryland continued lengthy after his retirement.
There is a Brooks Robinson Drive in Pikesville, and the annual state highschool All-Star recreation performed at Camden Yards is known as in his honor.
