Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr.
(The Human Vacuum Cleaner, Mr. Hoover)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.
- School Little Rock University
- High School Little Rock Central High School
- Debut September 17, 1955
- Final Game August 13, 1977
- Born May 18, 1937 in Little Rock, AR USA
- Died September 26, 2023 in Owings Mills, MD USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1983
Biographical Information[edit]
"I played almost 23 years professionally and I don't think I ever had five games in a row like I had in that World Series. It just happened to be the World Series." - Brooks Robinson on his performance in the 1970 World Series
Considered by many the best defensive third baseman of all-time, Brooks Robinson is the record holder for an infielder with sixteen consecutive Gold Gloves, a total equaled only by pitchers Jim Kaat (16) and Greg Maddux (18). He was named to the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team. He was nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" after stellar defensive performance in the 1970 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. He also is tied with Carl Yastrzemski for the most seasons with the same team (23).
After his playing career ended, Robinson was an Orioles broadcaster. Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 12, 1983 by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He was an inaugural inductee of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 1977 and had his #5 retired on April 5, 1978. In 2012, his statue was erected outside Oriole Park at Camden Yards along with those of other greats in the team's history. Also in 2012, he suffered a bad fall when attending a charity event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. He fell off a 12-foot stage that had no proper guardrail at the back, injuring his head, back and shoulders. Unable to obtain a proper settlement from the Seminole Indian tribe, he threatened in 2014 to sue for $9.9 million over his injuries. At dispute was an agreement between the tribe and the state of Florida that limits the tribe's liability to $200,000.
Brooks is considered one of the classiest ballplayers to ever step on a diamond. His first Baseball Card appearance was in the 1957 Topps set.
"If (Robinson) could run, he would be the perfect ballplayer." Johnny Pesky.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 15-time All-Star (1960-1974)
- AL MVP (1964)
- 1966 All-Star Game MVP
- 1970 World Series MVP
- 16-time AL Gold Glove Winner (1960-1975)
- AL At Bats Leader (1961)
- AL RBI Leader (1964)
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 6 (1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1969 & 1971)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 2 (1964 & 1966)
- Won two World Series with the Baltimore Orioles (1966 & 1970)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1983
| AL MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 1964 | 1965 |
| Elston Howard | Brooks Robinson | Zoilo Versalles |
Records Held[edit]
- Gold Glove awards, 16 (tied)
- Consecutive Gold Glove awards, 16 (tied)
- Seasons with one club, 23 (tied)
- Triple Plays, Batted Into, career, 4
- Games, third baseman, career, 2870
- Assists, third baseman, career, 6205
- Putouts, third baseman, career, 2697
- Double plays, third baseman, career, 618
Further Reading[edit]
- Tom Adelman: Black and Blue: The Golden Arm, the Robinson Boys, and the 1966 World Series that Stunned America, Little, Brown and Company, New York, NY, 2006.
- Chris Haft: "Top 10 moments of Brooks Robinson's career", mlb.com, September 26, 2023. [1]
- Jake Rill: "Brooks Robinson, legendary O's third baseman, dies at 86: Beloved Hall of Famer was one of the greatest defenders in baseball history, winning 16 Gold Gloves", mlb.com, September 26, 2023. [2]
- Brooks Robinson (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, October 1972, pp. 70-72. [3]
- Brooks Robinson (as told to Jack Tobin): Third Base is My Home, Word Books, Waco, TX, 1974.
- Rick Sorci: "Baseball Profile: Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson," Baseball Digest, October 1990, p. 33. [4]
- Fay Vincent: "Brooks Robinson", in We Would Have Played For Nothing, Simon & Schuster, New York, NY, 2008, pp. 229-257. [5]
- Ben Walker (The Associated Press): "Brooks Robinson Appreciation: In Maryland in the 1960s, nobody was like No. 5", Yahoo! Sports, September 27, 2023. [6]
- Doug Wilson: Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York, NY, 2014. ISBN 978-1250033048
We're Social...for Statheads
Every Sports Reference Social Media Account
Site Last Updated:
Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction?
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter
Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE
Your All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database
Do you have a sports website? Or write about sports? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Find out more.