Brooks Robinson

Baltimore Orioles

Brooks Robinson began his professional career on June 3, 1955, as a second baseman for the York White Roses at Bob Hoffman Stadium. Three months later, on September 17, 1955, he debuted with the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium against the Washington Senators, hitting sixth in the order. He went two-for-four, with his first hit a single off Chuck Stobbs in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the eighth of a 3-1 win. He then went 0-for-18 before sitting out the final two games.

After the season, the Orioles sent him to the Willard Blues in the Colombian winter league. In 1956, Baltimore acquired Bobby Adams to play third base, believing the 18-year-old Robinson needed more development. He spent most of the year with the Class AA San Antonio Missions, where he tore cartilage in his right knee sliding into a base in August; rest and heat treatments prevented surgery, and he missed only a few games. Promoted to Baltimore after the minor league season, he played 15 games, displaying impressive fielding skills but batting just .227.

Player profile

While waiting to hit, Robinson was very animated: he would grab the top of his helmet, swing his bat with his left hand, and rock forwards and backwards before pitches. Though not a fast baserunner, he swung his arms as he ran the bases to emphasize his effort. His trademark was a custom-made batting helmet with a 1-inch bill, shortened with a hacksaw blade to avoid distraction. His strong defensive play earned him the nicknames "Human Vacuum Cleaner" and "Mr. Hoover."

As a fielder, he was always moving, unlike typical third basemen of the time. His arm did not appear especially strong partly because he released the ball so quickly; instead of cocking his arm back, he transferred the ball from glove to hand and fired it in one seamless motion. He had a knack for knowing which play to make and was known for charging the plate to field bunts or slow ground balls. Teammate Chuck Estrada noted that Robinson lacked a typical athletic build and did not appear to have a strong arm, but his great hands, quick release, and accuracy meant the runner was always out.

Robinson's 16 Gold Glove awards at third base are tied with pitcher Jim Kaat for the second most won by any player, behind Greg Maddux's 18. Jim Murray of The Los Angeles Times wrote that Robinson would be the standard by which every third baseman is measured, a statement that held up decades later. Casey Stengel, Home Run Baker, and Pie Traynor all considered him the greatest third baseman they had seen.

Off-the-field occupations, post-retirement

In 1961, Robinson became part owner of Brooks and Eddie Robinson's Gorsuch House restaurant near Memorial Stadium. He started Brooks Robinson Sporting Goods in 1963, which did wholesale business with Baltimore-area teams and later supplied uniforms for the Orioles and the Baltimore Claws of the American Basketball Association. In 1974, the company took out a loan to expand to York, Pennsylvania, but construction delays drove it into debt, forcing it to cease operations.

A judge ordered Robinson's house sold in fall 1976 to pay the debt, but Robinson kept it by paying nearly $180,000 from personal savings. He became a spokesman for Crown Central Petroleum in 1968 and worked for them for over 30 years. After the sporting goods business failed, he and Ron Shapiro founded Personal Management Associates, which managed money for athletes. Following his playing career, Robinson served as a color commentator for Orioles television broadcasts, traveling to about 50 road games and calling 10 home games.

In 1982, when WMAR-TV was struck by AFTRA, Robinson refused to cross the picket line, and the strike ended the next day. He continued broadcasting until 1993. In 1982, he helped found the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, became its president in 1989, and remained president until February 2023. The MLBPAA's Brooks Robinson Community Service Award is named for him.

Personal life

Robinson met Constance Louise "Connie" Butcher on an Orioles team flight from Kansas City to Boston in July 1959, where she worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines. He kept ordering iced teas from her, and after his third glass he returned it to her in the galley, telling her that if any Orioles asked her for a date, she should say she did not date married men, claiming he was the only single player on the team—though nearly half the Orioles were single.

They made a date before the plane landed, and married in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on October 8, 1960. They lived in Owings Mills, Maryland, and had four children: Brooks David (b. 1961), Chris (b. 1963), Michael (b.

1964), and Diana (b. 1968). Raised a Methodist, Robinson converted to Catholicism in 1970, his wife's faith, after his son Brooks David asked why he went to a different church. He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

His hobbies included reading, especially books about the Civil War and World War II, and country western music. Robinson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009; it was discovered early, and he underwent successful emergency surgery and treatments. In 2010, doctors performed another emergency surgery for a large abdominal growth; while recovering, he developed an infection on March 31, 2011, and spent nearly a month in the hospital, with further complications leaving him weakened the rest of the year.

Did You Know?

• As a teenager, Robinson delivered the Arkansas Gazette on his bicycle and operated the scoreboard and sold soft drinks at Lamar Porter Field.
• Robinson rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals as a child; Stan Musial was his favorite player.