Brooks Robinson and the Baltimore Orioles

[roarfrom34]

I know I've posted this AP press photo of Brooks previously that was taken prior to the last home game of the '76 season, when there was speculation that it may indeed be the the last game home of his career.

The reason for the re-post was that a good friend of mine, Bill Stetka who was a long time sportswriter, official scorer and Orioles PR person (and now the team historian) recently shared with me a neat story about this game.

In '76, he was in college and his father's business had Orioles season tickets right behind the visiting team dugout and once it got to be late in the season (and no one wanted to go), he would often go with some buddies.

They were playing the Brewers that night & late in the game when it was Brooks last AB, Bill could hear 1st baseman George Scott whistle at the pitcher a couple times and nodded to him as Brooks approached the plate (less than 9,000 fans in the stands). The pitcher then appeared to groove a pitch to Brooks, who hit the ball to center for a single....Brooks was then replaced by a pinch runner as he tipped his helmet to the remaining fans who were giving him a standing ovation.

Anyway, years go by and one day Bill sees George at Camden Yards (he was then a scout for the Red Sox) and decided to approach him...Knowing that George was not a fan of sportswriters, Bill told him that he had a quick question for him that wasn't for publication, but simply for his own information.

He recounted the 1976 story to George and asked him if he indeed had asked the pitcher to groove the pitch to Brooks, George then shook his head and said "it never happened..." As George was walking away, he turned around and then gave Bill a wink...