Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose deft glovework and folksy manner made him one of the most beloved and accomplished athletes in Baltimore history, has died. He was 86. The Orioles announced his death in a joint statement with Robinson's family Tuesday, the AP reports. The statement did not say how Robinson died. The Orioles held a moment of silence before their game against the Washington Nationals, and the teams lined up outside their dugouts to pay their respects. Also before the game, fans gathered around the 9-foot bronze statue of Robinson inside Camden Yards.
"Great player, great guy on the field, great guy off," said fellow Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who was overcome with emotion. "Respectful, kind. And you don't meet too many guys like that. Brooks was a genuine person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person." Coming of age before the free agent era, Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Orioles. He almost single-handedly helped Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series and homered in Game 1 of the Orioles' 1966 sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first crown.
Robinson participated in 18 All-Star Games, won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and earned the 1964 AL Most Valuable Player award after batting .318 with 28 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBIs. "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 team said. He finished with 268 homers, drove in 1,357 runs and batted a respectable .267 in 2,896 career games. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred described Robinson as "one of the greats of our National Pastime," calling him a "model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles." (More on the sports hero dubbed "Mr. Oriole" here.)
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