Legendary Baltimore Orioles Third Baseman Brooks Robinson Dies at Age 86
Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has died, the Baltimore Orioles and Robinson's family announced in a joint statement Tuesday evening. He was 86 years old.
"We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson," the statement read. "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.”
Robinson joined the Orioles as an 18-year-old rookie in 1955. He developed into an All-Star and MVP candidate by 1960, and he would remain so through the 1970s.
From 1960 to 1974, Robinson made 15 consecutive All-Star appearances.
Robinson rarely missed a game in his prime, routinely appearing in all 162 games. By the time he retired at the age of 40 in 1977, Robinson had played in 2,896 games, which still stands as the 16th-most in MLB history. The 2,870 games he played at third base are the most ever by any player at any single position.
On top of that, Robinson was a .267 career hitter with 2,848 hits, 268 home runs and 1,357 RBI.
Robinson won AL MVP in 1964, finished runner-up in 1966 and placed third in the voting in 1960 and 1965. Over the course of his 23-year career, Robinson racked up the 19th-highest MVP voting share in baseball history.
But beyond all of his success at the plate, Robinson set himself apart in the hot corner.
Robinson is widely regarded as one of the best fielders in baseball history, as his 16 Gold Gloves are a record among position players. The third baseman ranks No. 3 in career defensive WAR at 39.1, which nearly approaches his career offensive WAR of 47.7.
When he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, Robinson earned the 10th-highest share of the vote out of any player to that point with 92.0%. At the time, he was one of just 16 players to make it in on their first year on the ballot.
The Orioles retired Robinson's No. 5 jersey in 1978, honoring the man who had just finished the longest tenure with a single team in MLB history.
Robinson was a member of the MLB All-Century Team, and he is one of the keystone members of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. He guided the Orioles to World Series championships in 1966 and 1970.
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