Hall of Fame 3B, Orioles legend Brooks Robinson dies at 86

BALTIMORE — Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft gloves and folksy demeanor made him one of the most popular and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the death of Brooks Robinson, his family and the passing of Brooks Robinson.” Orioles said in a joint statement. “He has been an integral part of our Orioles family since 1955 and will continue to have a lasting impact on our club, our community and the sport of baseball.”

The statement did not say how Robinson died.

The Orioles observed a moment of silence before their game against Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Before the game, fans also gathered around the 9-foot-tall bronze statue of Robinson at Camden Yards.

“I think a lot of guys played with heavy hearts tonight,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said after Baltimore’s 1-0 win. “He is an icon in this game and an icon in this city. There aren’t many of them.”

Robinson came of age before the free agent era and spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series and hit a home run in the Orioles’ first game of 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers for her first crown.

“Great player, great guy on the field, great guy off it,” said Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, overcome with emotion. “Respectful, friendly. And you don’t meet guys like that too often. Brooks was a sincere person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person.”

Robinson appeared in 18 All-Star Games and earned the AL Most Valuable Player award in 1964 after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI. He finished his career with 268 home runs, 1,357 RBIs and a respectable .267 batting average in 2,896 career games.

But he will forever be remembered for his work ethic and the skills he displayed at the hot corner, where he established himself as one of the best fielding third baseman in baseball history, whether rushing slow rollers or liners over the third base line caught.

Known as the “Human Vacuum Cleaner,” Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves – second only to pitcher Greg Maddux (18) in winning the most Gold Gloves at a position. Robinson also ranks third in career defensive WAR with 39.1 behind shortstops Ozzie Smith (44.2) and Mark Belanger (39.5), who was Robinson’s teammate with the Orioles for 13 years.

“Brooks may have been the last person in the clubhouse on game day, but he would be the first on the field,” said former Orioles manager Earl Weaver. “He took his groundballs and we were all like, ‘Why does Brooks have to take any groundballs?’

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from Brooks. Seeing him work like that meant a lot of young people came along. He was so steadfast and he steadied everyone else.”

Houston Astros Manager Dusty Baker recalled Robinson’s friendship in the early years of his career when he folded with Atlanta in the late 1960s.

“I am just sad. Another great one is called to heaven,” Baker said. “They have some All-Stars up there.

“He was really nice to me when I was a rookie with the Braves. We hung out with him all the time and he was a real gentleman. … I never heard anything negative about him. And he was on a team with the Orioles that had a number of African-American players. I think they had 10 or 12. They all loved him. That says a lot. Especially back then.”

Robinson was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1937 and eventually settled in Baltimore, but never really lost his southern touch, which appealed to fans in working-class Baltimore who appreciated his down-to-earth charm and unassuming demeanor.

Nicknamed “Mr. Oriole,” he was a sports hero in Charm City, in the pantheon with former Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and Orioles infielder Cal Ripken, playing for a different generation.

Ripken was known as “The Iron Man” because he played 2,632 consecutive games, but Robinson didn’t like sitting on the bench either. From 1960 to 1975, he played in at least 152 games in 14 seasons and 144 games in the other two years.

“I’m a guy who just wanted to see his name in the lineup every day,” he said. “For me, baseball was a passion to the point of obsession.”

Robinson retired in 1977 after batting just .149 in 24 games. His jersey was retired this year.

“I will always remember Brooks as a true gentleman who represented our game exceptionally well on and off the field throughout his life,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Brooks’ family, his many friends in our game and Orioles fans everywhere.”

Robinson’s most memorable performance came as MVP of the 1970 World Series, as the Orioles rebounded from their stunning World Series loss New York Mets the year before and Robinson redeemed himself after going just 1-for-19 in that series. Because he was so sensational on the field during Baltimore’s five-game triumph over the Reds, few remember that he batted .429, homered twice and drove in six runs – or that he hit the field on his first play Error was made.

In Game 1, Robinson delivered the game-winning home run in the seventh inning. An inning earlier, he made a sensational backhand grab on a hard grounder hit at the line by Lee May, spun around in foul territory and somehow threw the runner out.

Robinson contributed an RBI single in Game 2 and became a part of World Series history forever with his outstanding performance in Game 3. He took a mighty leap to snatch a grounder from Tony Perez to set up a double play in the first inning; attacked a slow roller in the second inning, throwing out Tommy Helms; He then capped his memorable afternoon with a diving catch off a liner from Johnny Bench. The series fittingly ended with a ground out to Robinson in Game 5, a 9-3 victory for the Orioles.

“I’m starting to see Brooks in his sleep,” Reds manager Sparky Anderson said during the series. “If I dropped that paper plate, he would pick it up in a heartbeat and throw me out first.”

Robinson was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1983. In 1999, he was named to baseball’s All-Century Team, which honored the 25 greatest players of the 20th century. His number 5 is one of only six jerseys retired by the Orioles franchise.

Starting in 2009, Robinson was struck by a series of health problems. In 2009 he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, in 2010 he had to undergo abdominal surgery, in 2011 he contracted an infection while recovering from abdominal surgery, and in 2012 his chair fell off the platform at a banquet, forcing him to spend a month in the hospital to spend.

In his later years, Robinson auctioned off almost all of his extensive memorabilia.

“My children, they have everything they ever wanted from my collection,” Robinson said in 2015. “We were very blessed, my whole family, all the years we spent in Baltimore. So it’s time to give something back.”

Robinson said “every penny” of the proceeds should go to the Constance and Brooks Robinson Foundation for distribution to charities.

In July 2018, Robinson was named a special advisor to the Orioles. Robinson said he will focus more on community events.

“I talked to [chair and managing partner] “John Angelos about three weeks ago, and we had lunch,” Robinson said. “I told him, ‘I’ll do anything, but I don’t want to have to make decisions about baseball.’ I missed that, if you want to know the truth.’”

In addition to his role in the Orioles front office, Robinson also served as president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.