57 Facts About Brooks Robinson

Brooks Robinson became the centerpiece of the team as they posted the best record in the major leagues during the decade from 1965 to 1974, capturing four American League pennants and two World Series titles.

Brooks Robinson led AL third basemen in fielding percentage eleven times and in assists eight times, both major league records, and in putouts and double plays three times each.

Brooks Robinson set franchise records for career games, at bats, hits, runs, RBI, doubles, total bases and home runs by a right-handed hitter, all of which were later broken by Cal Ripken Jr.

Brooks Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 in his first year of eligibility, the first time a third baseman had done so.

Brooks Robinson has remained popular with Oriole fans for his kindness and patience with them.

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Brooks Robinson's father worked for Colonial Bakery in Little Rock and later became a captain with the Little Rock Fire Department.

Brooks Robinson graduated from Little Rock High School on May 27,1955, impressing the University of Arkansas enough with his basketball ability that the school offered him a full scholarship.

Lindsay Deal, who went to Capitol View Methodist Church with Brooks Robinson, had been a teammate of Baltimore Orioles manager Paul Richards on a minor league team, and he wrote a letter to Richards praising Brooks Robinson's ability.

Brooks Robinson ultimately chose to sign with Baltimore because the Orioles had shown the most interest and had the most opportunities for young players to become everyday players on their roster.

In 1956, Brooks Robinson was allowed to stay in spring training with the Orioles until March 21, but Baltimore acquired Bobby Adams to play third base, thinking the 18-year-old Brooks Robinson was not quite ready for the major leagues.

Brooks Robinson competed with future Hall of Famer George Kell to be Baltimore's everyday third baseman in 1957, though Kell happily mentored the younger player.

The errant throw resulted in a mild concussion and a wound above Brooks Robinson's left eye that required 10 stitches, but after five days, the ballplayer was ready to perform again.

Brooks Robinson started the year in the sixth slot in the batting lineup but ascended to third after batting.

Brooks Robinson finished third in AL Most Valuable Player voting, was named the Most Valuable Oriole by sportscasters and sportswriters around Baltimore, and won his first of 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards at third base.

Brooks Robinson got off to an excellent start offensively to the 1963 season, and had hits in both of his at bats in that year's All-Star Game.

Brooks Robinson spent extra time in 1964 spring training practicing offense with hitting coach Gene Woodling.

The coach encouraged Brooks Robinson to stop swinging at bad pitches, and Brooks Robinson started using a slightly heavier bat.

Brooks Robinson led the league with 118 RBI, winning the AL MVP Award.

Brooks Robinson finished second to Frank, that year's Triple Crown winner, in the AL MVP voting; teammate Boog Powell came in third.

Brooks Robinson played all 162 games for the Orioles in 1968, batting.

Brooks Robinson ended the season with 405 assists, tying the major league record set by Harlond Clift in 1937; Graig Nettles broke the record with 412 assists in 1971.

Brooks Robinson made an over-the-head catch of a bouncing ball off of Tony Perez's bat in the first inning of Game 3, outracing Rose to third base and throwing to first to complete a double play.

Brooks Robinson played 50 games in a row without committing an error and received the most votes of AL players in the All-Star Game.

In Game 2, Brooks Robinson had three RBI and reached base safely five times, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Brock as the only other players to do so in a World Series game.

Brooks Robinson served as the Major League Baseball Players Association player's representative for much of his career with the Orioles.

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Brooks Robinson hit two home runs on Opening Day in 1973, but his batting average was under.

Brooks Robinson still made the All-Star Game, but sportswriters observed that his selection had more to do with popularity than it did with his performance that season.

Brooks Robinson requested a trade to a team that would give him more playing time and was nearly sent to the White Sox, but he vetoed the deal because Chicago did not want to give him a contract through 1978.

Brooks Robinson entered as a pinch hitter for Al Bumbry against the left-handed Bob Lacey.

Defensively, Brooks Robinson set an AL record by leading the league in fielding percentage 11 seasons.

Brooks Robinson reached 18 straight All-Star Games and participated in the World Series four times.

Brooks Robinson would grab the top of his helmet, swing his bat with his left hand, and rock forwards and backwards before pitches.

Brooks Robinson's arm did not appear to be one of baseball's strongest partly because he was so quick at letting go of the ball.

Brooks Robinson had a knack for knowing which play to make, and he was well-known for running towards the plate to field bunts or other slow ground balls.

Brooks Robinson would try the gloves of different players and trade two of his own for theirs if he really wanted it.

Brooks Robinson was picky about his bat, though he would use different ones from game to game, sampling those of his teammates and even opposing players before he found one he wanted to utilize.

Brooks Robinson started Brooks Robinson Sporting Goods in 1963; the company did a great deal of wholesale business with Baltimore-area teams.

Brooks Robinson became a spokesman for Crown Central Petroleum in 1968 and spent over 30 years working for them.

Brooks Robinson served as a broadcaster until 1993, when he decided to spend more time focusing on his business pursuits.

In 1982, Brooks Robinson helped start the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, an organization that helps retired players secure benefits, promotes baseball, raises money for charity, and helps retired players interact with each other.

Brooks Robinson succeeded Kaat as president of the organization in the late 1980s and is still its head.

Brooks Robinson became a part owner of Opening Day Partners, an organization which owns several minor league teams, in 2005.

The group owns four teams in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and Brooks Robinson played a significant role in establishing the York Revolution.

In 1983, Brooks Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, one of 16 players to have been honored on the first ballot since the inaugural class of 1936.

In 1999, Brooks Robinson ranked Number 80 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

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In 2015, Brooks Robinson was selected as one of the Orioles Franchise Four, recognizing the four greatest living players in Orioles history, along with Jim Palmer, Frank Brooks Robinson, and Cal Ripken Jr.

Brooks Robinson was the 2020 National Baseball Hall of Fame Recipient of the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award for his service in the Vietnam War.

Brooks Robinson has won several awards not specifically for baseball players as well.

Brooks Robinson was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Boy Scouts of America in 1990.

Radio Tower Drive, a road in Pikesville, Maryland, was renamed Brooks Robinson Drive in honor of Robinson's 70th birthday on May 16,2007.

Brooks Robinson met his future wife, Constance Louise "Connie" Butcher, on an Orioles team flight from Kansas City to Boston in July 1959, where she was working as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

Brooks Robinson was so smitten with her that he kept ordering iced teas from her.

Brooks Robinson was inspired to do so when his son, Brooks David, asked why he always went to a different church than the rest of the family on Sunday mornings.

In deciding to convert, Brooks Robinson sought the advice of family friend Father Martin Schwalenberg, who taught Brooks Robinson about the Catholic faith.

One of Brooks Robinson's biggest hobbies is reading; while he was with the Orioles, he was a part of multiple book clubs.

Brooks Robinson was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009, but it was discovered early, and treatments were successful.

In January 2012, Brooks Robinson attended a charity banquet at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Florida.