Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has died at the age of 86.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson,” his family and the Baltimore Orioles said in a joint statement. “An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball.”
Robinson made 18 All-Star appearances over a 23-year career spent exclusively in Baltimore, and was a member of the franchise’s 1966 and 1970 World Series championship teams.
Signed in 1955 as a free agent, the Arkansas native originally was a second baseman before the Orioles moved him to third base, a position he excelled at over his career.
Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves (1960-75) and started 15 straight All-Star Games at third base (1960-74). He was known as the “Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his adept play at the hot corner. His 16 Gold Gloves are second only to pitcher Greg Maddux’s (18) for most won by a player at one position.
Robinson was also one of the best clutch hitters of his time, amassing 2,848 hits, 268 home runs and 1,357 RBIs. He was named AL MVP in 1964 after hitting .317 with 118 RBIs — both career highs.
Robinson was at his best in the biggest games. He was named the MVP of the 1970 World Series by hitting .429 with two homers against the Cincinnati Reds and arguably had the greatest defensive performance in World Series history.
Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson heaped praise on Robinson following his team’s 4-1 series defeat.
“Brooks Robinson belongs in heaven, not here on the ground, because of the way he plays third base,” Anderson said.
The praise for Robinson’s World Series wizardry didn’t end there, as former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent recalled the third baseman’s play in 2006.
“Nobody is going to show me plays at third base that will equal what Brooks Robinson did in that Series,” Vincent said.
Robinson is third in career defensive WAR at 39.1 behind shortstops Ozzie Smith (44.2) and Mark Belanger (39.5), who was Robinson’s teammate for 13 years with the Orioles.
Robinson retired after the 1977 season and was elected into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1983. In 1999, he was named to baseball’s All-Century team, which honored the best 25 players of the 20th century. His No. 5 is one of six jerseys retired by the Orioles franchise.
Starting in 2009, Robinson was beset by a string of health scares. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, had abdominal surgery in 2010, developed an infection while recovering from the abdominal surgery in 2011 and in 2012 his chair fell off a platform at a banquet, forcing him to spend a month in the hospital.
In his later years, Robinson auctioned off nearly all of his vast memorabilia.
“My children, they have everything they ever wanted from my collection,” Robinson said in 2015. “We’ve been very blessed, my whole family, all the years we’ve been in Baltimore. So it’s time to give back.”
Robinson said “every cent” of the proceeds was to go to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Foundation for distribution to worthy causes.
In July 2018, Robinson was announced as the Orioles’ special adviser, with Robinson saying he’ll be more focused on community events.
“I talked to [chair and managing partner] John Angelos about three weeks ago, and we had lunch,” Robinson said. “I told him, ‘I’ll do anything, but I don’t want to have to make any decisions about baseball. That’s passed me by, if you want to know the truth.'”
In addition to his role in the Orioles’ front office, Robinson also served as president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.