R.I.P. Brooks Robinson

[Orioles1954]

Word leaking from Baltimore is that the legendary Brooks Robinson has passed away. The greatest third baseman of all-time. An even better human!

[Lucas00]

Rip To the Human Vacuum.
I know his following here is immense, a sad day for sure.

[GeoPoto]

Earl Weaver once said: "Brooks was the only player I ever managed that didn't blame me at the end."

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[clydepepper]

Arguably, the greatest fielding third baseman ever.


I believe this is the first HOFer we've lost (please correct me if I'm wrong) since that terrible year+ we lost 9 or 10 (beginning with Kaline, ending with Aaron).



.

[robw1959]

Oh my gosh! My favorite baseball guy ever.

[bmattioli]

Always a respected player. RIP..

[Andy Sandler]

A great player and a class act!

[icollectDCsports]

Sad to hear it. Great player and guy. RIP, Brooks.

[BioCRN]

Crew's back together again...

[JollyElm]

1972brooksrobinson06.jpg

Met him at one of the first card shows I ever attended on Long Island in the 80's, and man was he nice to everyone (even though the Orioles were the enemies of BOTH Mets and Yankees fans alike) with that southern drawl emanating joy and a polite and gracious nature. A memory (along with him signing my cards left-handed) that's forever happily burned into my mind.


brooksrobinson.jpg


Rest in peace, Number 5.

[DodgerMike22]

RIP Brooks

[Chris-Counts]

When I was a kid in the early 1970s, just about everybody I knew wore a Brooks Robinson model Rawlings glove — especially after his performance in the 1970 World Series. On baseball fields everywhere, whenever an infielder made a a great play, it was compared to one Brooks would have made (at least until Ozzie Smith showed up). I recall meeting him as a teenager — with a big grin, he asked ME if I wanted HIS autograph. I hated watching him shut down my beloved Reds with his diving plays, but I respected him as a player and a person. It's going be tougher than ever today to hit a ball down the third base line in Heaven.

[michael3322]

“I still respect him to this day as much as I ever have,” Bench said. “I called him the other day, just to check on him, just, ‘How you doing? How you feeling?'”

Bench said when they see each other they always flash an open hand, signifying the No. 5 — their uniform numbers in their playing days. Bench said one of his favorite photos throughout his storied life occurred while three guys were chatting at a table during a gathering in Cooperstown, N.Y.: Bench, Robinson and fellow Hall of Famer George Brett.

“When you get to sit around with Brooks, he is even classier. Him and Connie have been really close friends to me. And we love to hold up our No. 5 when we see each other,” Bench said. “In fact, I have a great picture of Brett, myself and Brooks at the Hall of Fame, before we went out to an induction, and we are sitting at the table and we are all holding up 5.”

From: ‘I still respect him’: More stories of Brooks Robinson and the 1970 World Series. The Athletic.

[MikeGarcia]

[IMG]httpimagehost.vendio.com/a/2042957/view/1957BROOKSTRIFECTA_NEW.JPG[/IMG]

[Harliduck]

Definitely a favorite...sad day for sure. Even respected today, my daughter who played 3rd in college and Team USA would constantly watch youtube video's of him in action and was her favorite player for obvious reasons. We lost one of the greats!

[Peter_Spaeth]

I was at the home games of the 1970 WS sitting on the third base side, didn't get any better than that.

[gabrinus]

Brooks was somebody everybody from Arkansas could be proud of...Jerry

[ValKehl]

Below is a clip from an online piece in the Wash. Post re Brooks' passing. Here's the link to this piece, but there may be a firewall: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obitu...-orioles-dead/

“Of all the game’s greats, perhaps Robinson has been least cursed by his own fame,” Washington Post sports columnist Thomas Boswell wrote in 1977, when Mr. Robinson retired. “He had great talent and never abused it. He received adulation, and reciprocated with common decency. While other players dressed like kings and acted like royalty, Robinson arrived at the park dressed like a cabdriver. Other stars had fans. Robinson made friends.”

[Peter_Spaeth]

As best I could tell, Ripken was very much in that tradition as well.

[ClementeFanOh]

Rest in Peace- Trent King

[The Detroit Collector]

R.I.P to the great Brooks Robinson

[Rickyy]

RIP Great Player and from all accounts an even better person.

Ricky Y

[commishbob]

I'm just heartbroken tonight. My baseball hero is gone. He'd been looking so frail lately I think I knew this day was coming, but it still is a sad evening.

My aunt, an Orioles fan in Baltimore called Brooks' office at Crown Petroleum when my daughter was born in 1987 and told his secretary that his biggest fan had had a daughter. Brooks himself called her and got my mailing address. Soon this photo arrived unsolicited.

IMG (2).jpg


Here's Brooks with my son Brooks Robinson Andrews at a Houston show in 1998.

brooks_0022.jpg


RIP Brooksie

[Orioles1954]

About 10 years ago I met Brooks at a signing near Baltimore. I'm from Arkansas and was wearing my University of Arkansas Razorbacks cap. He told me 1964 was special to the Robinson family not only because of the MVP, but because Brooks' little brother was on the U of A football team, the year of their only national title. After the show we talked Arkansas college football for 10-15 minutes and we went over each game during that season. It felt like I was talking to a buddy. Such a true gentleman -

Heaven got richer today!

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by gabrinus

Brooks was somebody everybody from Arkansas could be proud of...Jerry

I humbly request to edit "Arkansas" to "the entire world".

An even greater success as a human being than a ballplayer. Just a rare, rare bird.

[Hankphenom]

OMG, what a sweet guy Brooksie was! My joke about talking to Brooks was after a while you felt like you had to excuse yourself before he gave you his car! In the late 80s, me and my buddy went to see the Russian national baseball team play the U. of MD team and Brooks was a special guest. After the game, we went down and had a long chat with him. Some time later, as we were heading for the parking lot, we hear a car horn and look over to see Brooks waving at us as he drove out of the lot. He was way over on the passenger side looking out that window, barely hanging onto the steering wheel, and almost drove off the road. Swear to God. I was lucky enough to have had several opportunities to talk to him at length over the years and my gosh, what a wonderful human being he was. R.I.P. Brooks, if ever there was someone who deserves it, it's you.

[robw1959]

[QUOTE=clydepepper;2376095]Arguably, the greatest fielding third baseman ever.


16 gold gloves says it isn't arguable. And with the modern, manicured infields player perform on these days, we will never get to see fielding like that ever again.

Brooks will be missed as a player and as a human being. A buddy of mine told me that he ran into Steve Garvey at a Hastings Book store about seven years ago and asked him, "Aren't you Steve Garvey?" Steve deadpanned, "Yes," without even lifting his eyes from the magazine he was perusing. Now I have nothing against Steve Garvey whatsoever. But if that had been Brooks in the store, he would have probably pulled out a 3 X 5 personal glossy photo and autographed it for my buddy on the spot, and likely would have engaged him in some conversation as well. To Brooks, all fans were friends.

[bigfanNY]

I met Mr Robinson at a show where he was signing with Bob Feller. I never met two nicer ball players before or since. And watching him play it was very clear to me what a hall of fame 3rd baseman looked like. This is one of my favorite cards of Mr. Robinson.

[G1911]

Shame, one of the few folks nobody can ever find something to criticize.

[p1ayba11]

He was the guy I wanted to be as a kid playing 3rd base…

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by Chris Counts

When I was a kid in the early 1970s, just about everybody I knew wore a Brooks Robinson model Rawlings glove — especially after his performance in the 1970 World Series. On baseball fields everywhere, whenever an infielder made a a great play, it was compared to one Brooks would have made (at least until Ozzie Smith showed up). I recall meeting him as a teenager — with a big grin, he asked ME if I wanted HIS autograph. I hated watching him shut down my beloved Reds with his diving plays, but I respected him as a player and a person. It's going be a tougher than ever today to hit a ball down the third base line in Heaven.

Awesome post. I feel the exact same.

RIP Brooksie.

[campyfan39]

Probably the nicest person I ever got an autograph from at a show. Classic signature too.

[Touch'EmAll]

The tidbits posted are all nice. He was the best.

[Trublubrucru]

I picked up this 1968-71 Brooks gamer about 35 years ago coming out of a card show and stopping a guy who was going in to sell it. It was my 2nd or 3rd bat I ever bought, and after 200+ more I obtained, this is still my favorite.

In 2002 at an All-Star game appearance at a Milwaukee bar he was signing for free. When I got to the front of the line a sign said NO BATS. Brooks saw me and the bat, waived off the attendant, gave my bat a good grip and half swing and then signed it with a smile. He was the Best

[seanofjapan]

I got his autograph at a show in 1991 and he was just the nicest guy imaginable. I'm quite sad to see him go.

[bk400]

First Team, All Class. Not sure they make them like him anymore.

[Snowman]

Sad day for baseball fans. One of the most under rated players from his era, yet still a legendary player. His defensive prowess may never be met. Here are a couple of my favorite Brooks Robinson cards.

...

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Hard to think of Brooks as underrated, but I guess you have a point. At least he's never underrated when discussing third basemen. But is his material undervalued? Most assuredly.

[LincolnVT]

An all time great for sure!

[JimmyC]

Brooks was the best.....on and off the field....have tons of signed cards that I obtained through the mail over the years.....my '74 Topps Brooks signed card is one of my favorites! RIP Brooks....

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by LincolnVT

An all time great for sure!

That ‘58 Topps is definitely one of the worst expressions on a card. EVER.

[h2oya311]

Loving all the info about what a stand-up guy he was. Love that. We need more of those types of humans in our lives. Here’s my contribution of Brooksie (RIP) “rookies”:

[LincolnVT]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

That ‘58 Topps is definitely one of the worst expressions on a card. EVER.

Haha! I agree, but I love the early signature.

[prestigecollectibles]

RIP Mr. Robinson

[mouschi]

I posted this on facebook, but I saw this thread, so I'll post here too.

I can't believe it. I was commissioned to create these Brooks Robinson pieces to be signed. One was received at his home, and the other was to be sent on his way to him the very day he passed away (yesterday).

My very first memory of Brooks was when I was nine in 1989 - I was at a friend's house who had some 1971 Topps cards. I fawned over them for being so old (18 years at the time ... that'd be like getting googly eyed over 2008 Topps nowadays!)

One of them was a 1971 Topps Brooks Robinson. It was all bent to heck, but I just thought it, along with the equally as battered Bob Gibson cards were so cool. I was fortunate enough to have found another '71 Topps Brooks Robinson in a collection I picked up recently. So many memories attached to it.

[Exhibitman]

Such a nice man! I met him in 1970 when I was a little kid. My mother worked in advertising and took me to a commercial shoot for some product he was endorsing. He took time to sign a ball for me and talk about baseball, at least as much as he could with a six-year-old. The sport needs more like him. RIP

[Corporal Lance Boil]

I do not collect autographs, but my mother in law met him once at an event and got him to sign a photo of himself for me, knowing I love baseball. She was absolutely impressed by him and his demeanor.

In this day and age, what a refreshing thing to see! Everything I've ever heard about Mr. Robinson is he was truly that nice of a person, maybe the Mr. Rogers of baseball.

I will toast to his memory tonight.

[kcohen]

As we age, more and more of our boyhood heroes pass on. Such is life. I had the great pleasure of meeting and having a nice conversation with Mr. Robinson a couple of times. Sometimes such encounters reveal a true gentleman of such decency that, upon hearing of his passing, it’s almost like losing a friend.

And, oh yea, he was a pretty good ball player too.

[e6phillips]

He brought a lot of joy to the game.

This is one of my favorite Miller Lite ads:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOz9JIPjAMk

And one of my favorite Topps ads:

[stkuhl]

1983 Brooks was scheduled to attend an autograph session at Engel Stadium, home of the Chattanooga Lookouts. Didn't make it for whatever reason. Fast forward a few years. I was at an autograph session in Baltimore and mentioned to Brooks that he let down a lot of us in Chattanooga in 1983. He was very, very apologetic. I told him things come up and I understand. Best autograph signer I ever dealt with. RIP Brooks