NEWSLETTER
Whenever someone referenced a quality defensive third baseman, at least in the decades I’ve been watching baseball, it always came back to Brooks Robinson. That was the comparison, either for the play or the overall body of defensive work, and it seems like it always came up short. Robinson was something else.
He was also uniformly regarded as a good teammate and person, too, and that is certainly remembered by many.
The long-time Baltimore Oriole and baseball Hall of Famer has passed away at age 86.
From the Commissioner’s Office:
“All of us at Major League Baseball are saddened by the loss of Brooks Robinson, one of the greats of our National Pastime and a legend of the Baltimore Orioles,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Brooks stood among the greatest defensive players who have ever lived. He was a two-time World Series Champion, the 1964 American League MVP, and the winner of 16 consecutive Gold Gloves at third base. He was a model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles. After his playing career, he continued to make contributions to the game by working with the MLB Players Alumni Association.
“I will always remember Brooks as a true gentleman who represented our game extraordinarily well on and off the field all his life. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to Brooks??? family, his many friends across our game, and Orioles fans everywhere.”
From the Baltimore Orioles:
And the baseball Hall of Fame:
Fergie Jenkins offered his thoughts and heartbreak on the news of the passing:
He was incredible:
