Brooks Robinson, 1937-2023

Brooks Robinson, arguably the greatest third baseman in the history of Major League Baseball, passed away today. No cause of death was released although his longtime Baltimore Orioles teammate Jim Palmer noted that Robinson had been ill for some time. Robinson was 86.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Robinson signed with the Orioles right out of high school in 1955 and would make his big-league debut with the team that September. However, Robinson didn't begin to make an impact until 1960 when he won the first of 16 consecutive Gold Gloves at third base. His next closest competition in that department are Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado who each have 10 Gold Gloves at the hot corner. 

Robinson would win the American League MVP in 1964 while finishing third in AL MVP balloting in 1965 and runner up in 1966 behind teammate Frank Robinson en route to the Orioles' first World Series title when they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games. He was a central part of an Orioles team which won three consecutive AL pennants between 1969 and 1971. Of those three years, the O's would only prevail in 1970. But it would be Robinson who almost singlehandedly subdued the upstart Cincinnati Reds hitting .429 with 2 HR and 6 RBIs and vacuuming up anything hit anywhere near him. The Orioles would win the Fall Classic in five games and Robinson would be named World Series MVP.

In all, Robinson would spend his entire 23-year MLB career with the Orioles. While many of his offensive achievements would be supplanted by Cal Ripken, Jr., Robinson finished his career in 1977 with 2,848 hits for a lifetime batting average of .267 with 268 HR and 1357 along with 16 Gold Gloves and 18 AL All-Star appearances. Robinson would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1983 with 92% of the vote. 

While Robinson's passing will cast a pall over the Orioles organization, it will give the team an extra spark. The Orioles have reached the post-season for the first time since 2016 and will likely win the AL East. The O's are seeking to win their first World Series title since 1983, the year Robinson was inducted into Cooperstown. With that, I leave you with his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. R.I.P.