Hall of Fame third baseman and Orioles legend Brooks Robinson has died at 86 years old.
The team announced his death Tuesday in a joint statement with Robinson’s family. The cause of death was not announced.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson,” the statement read. “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.”
The Orioles, who retired the 18-time All-Star’s number in 1978, honored “Mr. Oriole” with a brief moment of remembrance and silence at Camden Yards on Tuesday night before a game against the Nationals.
Robinson, who was born in Little Rock, Ark., on May 18, 1937, spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles.
He is recognized as one of the greatest defensive third basemen of all time and was nicknamed the “Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his stellar fielding at the hot corner.
Brooks Robinson has died at 86 years old. Bettmann ArchiveHe won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves starting in 1960 and set a major league record for most games played at third base with 2,870.
Robinson won the American League MVP Award in 1964 after hitting .317 with 28 home runs and a league-best 118 RBIs.
His career peak arguably came in the 1970 World Series, when he made a number of sparkling defensive plays and hit .429 with two home runs as the Orioles defeated the powerhouse Reds in five games.
Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson makes a diving catch of a line drive by Cincinnati’s Johnny Bench in the 5th inning of the 3rd World Series game. The Orioles won, 9-3, giving them a 3-0 lead in the series. Bettmann Archive“I’m beginning to see Brooks in my sleep,” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said during that World Series, according to the Associated Press. “If I dropped this paper plate, he’d pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first.”
He finished with 268 homers, drove in 1,357 runs and batted a respectable .267 in 2,896 career games.
From 1960-1975, Robinson played in at least 152 games in 14 seasons and in 144 games the other two years.
Brooks Robinson #5 of the Baltimore Orioles batting against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1971 World Series. Getty Images“I’m a guy who just wanted to see his name in the lineup everyday,” he said. “To me, baseball was a passion to the point of obsession.”
“He was a model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement Tuesday. “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.”
Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, and following his playing career, he served as an Orioles TV broadcaster from 1978-1993.
A statue in his honor was unveiled at Camden Yards in 2012.
— With AP
