RIP Brooks Robinson, 1937-2023

[G-Fafif]

The standard for thitd base defense has died at age 86.

[metirish]

Statement from the Baltimore

[Edgy MD]

I wouldn't have guessed 86. He looked good the last time I saw him.



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I think I've seen no less than five statues and monuments dedicated to him. All the representational ones depict him on defense, because hitting well was something he did, but fielding excellently was who he was.



"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. I could argue with that, and I might even be right, but it's still an awfully credible statement.



Hit .303 in 156 post-season plate appearances, despite taking a 1-for-19 hammering against the Mets in the 1969 World Series.



Still managed to drive in two runs, though.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: "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.

I suppose the genesis of that argument could be that B. Robby, more so than F. Robby for instance, was Baltimore's first home grown hero in the same way that that

other Willie M. was considered by many to be SF's favorite son even above the superior one who had made his name before importing his stardom from the east coast.

Coming up in 1955 just after the perennially bad Browns moved east in '54, Brooks was also Bal'mer's first MVP ('64) and had his career span the era from those early

years to the glory days of the '60s and '70s after being joined by the likes of Palmer and Boog and Blair and Davey et al.

iow, more a spiritual importance and meaning than it was a purely statistical one.

[ashie62]

My first baseball glove had Brooks Robinson's name on it

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy MD wrote: "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. I suppose the genesis of that argument could be that B. Robby, more so than F. Robby for instance, was Baltimore's first home grown hero in the same way that that other Willie M. was considered by many to be SF's favorite son even above the superior one who had made his name before importing his stardom from the east coast. Coming up in 1955 just after the perennially bad Browns moved east in '54, Brooks was also Bal'mer's first MVP ('64) and had his career span the era from those early years to the glory days of the '60s and '70s after being joined by the likes of Palmer and Boog and Blair and Davey et al. iow, more a spiritual importance and meaning than it was a purely statistical one.

Sure.



The obvious rejoinder, I think, would be Tom Seaver. But among living guys, anyhow, Brooks was perhaps the most franchise-identifying. And yeah, he was born with the team, never played for another, and road from the stink into the glory years.

[Edgy MD]

And really, how many living dudes out there were the subject of a Rockwell?



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[Frayed Knot]

Did Brooks write lefty?





One thing I thought about since the news was how he often referred to himself as 'Mr. Bad Body' as an explanation for why the hot shots that he blocked

always seemed to fall right at his feet for an 'easy' pick and throw for an out. His immediate replacement was Lenn Sakata who had one of those lean,

compact gymnastics-type of build and, despite how much he tried to absorb what Brooks was trying to teach him, the ricochets off his much firmer torso

were going every which way but down.

[Edgy MD]

Frayed Knot wrote: Did Brooks write lefty?

That seems to be the exact sort of thing Rockwell — who was known to work with stand-in models along with photos of his subject — might mess up, but apparently, Brooks indeed did write lefthanded.



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[smg58]

Edgy MD wrote: "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. I could argue with that, and I might even be right, but it's still an awfully credible statement.

Maybe I'm just a young whippersnapper whose memory of Brooks Robinson as an active major leaguer is limited to a 1976 Topps card, but I'm not sure you would even have to leave Baltimore to make a counter-argument.



Having said that, he was/is certainly revered by people older than me.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy MD wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: Did Brooks write lefty? That seems to be the exact sort of thing Rockwell — who was known to work with stand-in models along with photos of his subject — might mess up, but apparently, Brooks indeed did write lefthanded. [FIMG=500]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0DRBQ-ptsSM/hqdefault.jpg[/FIMG]

That sort of mixed dominance thing fascinates me, and especially so when it comes to athletics.

The righty-throwing Richard Todd wrote left-handed as well.

[Edgy MD]

There's a pretty large club of middle-aged Baltimoreans — probably more women than men — given the name "Brooks" in his honor, and a meaningful handful of "Robinsons" also.



Also sharing that honor is Twins first base prospect Brooks Lee and Washington Capitals center Brooks Laich, despite the former being from California and the latter from Saskatchewan. I haven't seen anything that says that Brooks Raley was named for him, but I haven't seen anything that says he wasn't. And in fact, since his dad was a minor league player, I'm just going to go ahead and assume that he was.

[G-Fafif]

There was a son born to man of a Mid-Atlantic background a few years ago. That tyke's name is Brooks Wright.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

Lefty swinger, too.



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