Elliott: Remembering Brooks Robinson

September 28, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Buck Martinez first squatted behind the Baltimore Orioles hitter -- uniform No. 5 -- on July 30, 1969 at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City.

Brooks Robinson, batting fifth and playing third on his way to Cooperstown, singled in the fourth inning off right-hander Roger Nelson.

The rookie catcher in his 17th big-league start for manager Joe Gordon, went 3-for-4, including a double, facing Dave McNally, who upped his record to 15-0 with the 4-2 win.

“Brooks Robinson treated me like a big-leaguer from the moment I arrived,” said the Blue Jays broadcaster Wednesday night at Rogers Centre. “He was everything you could envision a major-league player to be.”

When a Hall of Famer passes tributes flow. And they are always glowing. Save for maybe Ty Cobb. Some sound as if they are read from a script.

You are about to read some sincere, heartfelt compliments about a great third baseman -- maybe the best with the glove -- a wonderful man with a heart almost the size of Maryland, who died this week at the age of 86.

“Brooks could throw out Bo Jackson or Alejandro Kirk by half a step, he had that special internal clock that not every infielder has,” Martinez said. “A hitter could not run fast enough -- he always threw you out. Brooks Robinson had the same aura as Al Kaline.”

Robinson similar to Kaline ... now, there is as apt a comp as we’ve heard in years. This wasn’t Sparky Anderson saying infielder Chris Pittaro was a “future Hall of Famer.” (Pittaro started 18 games for the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins in 1980s.)

It’s a much, much closer comp than the spring Jays manager Tim Johnson said Shawn Green was going to be the next Ted Williams. Green was a really, really good player. Williams was (Tony the Tiger voice) GREAT, “the greatest living hitter,” at least that’s the way he was always introduced at Fenway Park.

“Brooks couldn’t run fast and didn’t have a strong arm, all he did was make outstanding plays and throw everyone out at first,” Martinez said.

Hall of Famers Johnny Bench,left, the late Brooks Robinson, and George Brett who wore No. 5 to be like Robinson.

Martinez pointed out how his former roomie George Brett with the Royals wore No. 5 because it was Brooks’s number. And when Robinson took over at third base, the Little Rock, Ark. native was firing across the diamond to George Kell of Swifton, Ark. The Jays broadcaster spoke to Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, who gave a moving, tearful tribute “to Brooksie,” after Tuesday’s Oriole game.

* * *

Former Montreal Expo and later an Oriole teammate Ken Singleton said:

“As far as a defensive third baseman, Brooks was the best. He had the quick reflexes that a third baseman needed. He got rid of the ball very quickly to start double plays. Brooks was beloved in Baltimore. He will forever be known as Mr. Oriole. Much in the same way Al Kaline is Mr. Tiger in Detroit and Ernie Banks is Mr. Cub in Chicago.”

* * *

Yankee broadcaster David Cone grew up in Kansas City, so his natural affection was towards Brett, the Royals HOF third baseman.

“I knew Brooks from the Bat Assistant Team (BAT), he always tried to help those who needed help, players or scouts,” said Cone. “It was nice to see such a great player to have such a wonderful personality.

“A lot of people would say Schmidt was the best power hitting third baseman, Brett was the best pure hitter and Robinson was the best defensively.”

* * *

Omar Minaya, the Yankees senior advisor and former Expos general manager, was a youngster growing up in Queens when the New York Mets met Robinson and the Orioles in the 1969 World Series.

“I remember those games, if I remember correctly Curt Gowdy was broadcasting,” Minaya said, outside the Yankee clubhouse.

In Game 1, Rod Gaspar hit a nubber, down the line. Off the bat it looked like a hit. Robinson fielded the ball barehanded and fired across his body to first baseman Boog Powell. Baltimore won 4-1. And in the next game he singled in a run against Jerry Koosman as the O’s lost 2–1.

Down 1–0 in the ninth of Game 4 and facing Tom Seaver with runners on first and third and one out. Robinson drove a ball to right yet Ron Swoboda made a diving grab. Baltimore evened the score on Robinson’s RBI, forcing extras and the Mets won in extras on reliever Pete Richert’s throwing error taking the Series in five games.

“People say Mike Schmidt was the best power hitter and Brooks was mostly a glove man,” Minaya said. “But Brooks was a clutch hitter. He had some important RBIs for the Orioles.”

Minaya asked: “Was there a better left side of an infield than Mark Belanger at short and Robinson at third?” Robinson was a Gold Glove winner 16 straight years (1960-75), while Belanger won eight times.

“When you look at it (deciding the best left side) you start with the best shortstops and that would be Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel,” Minaya said. Smith won the honour 13 times (1980-1992) and Vizquel (1993–2001 in the AL, 2005–2006 in the NL) is second among shortstops with 11.

Smith played alongside Aurelio Rodriguez and Luis Salazar with the Padres the first two years he won and then moving to the St. Louis Cardinals he was with third basemen Ken Oberkfell, Terry Pendleton and Todd Zeile. Total Gold Gloves at third -- Three, all by Pendleton. (Rodriguez won in 1976 with the Detroit Tigers.)

Vizquel manned the same side of the infield as Mike Blowers in Seattle, Jim Thome, Matt Williams and Travis Fryman in Cleveland as well as Edgardo Alfonzo and Pedro Feliz. Total Gold Gloves at third -- Two, one each by Williams (who also had three with the San Franciso Giants) and Fryman. Looks like Minaya nailed it. Although some might argue the combination of Derek Jeter (2004-2006, 2009-2010) and third baseman Alex Rodriguez, but A-Rod never won in New York (he had two at short with the Texas Rangers). Or Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa (two gold gloves) and Schmidt (10) were in the argument.

“I worked with Frank Robinson a lot (Expos, Washington Nationals) and he always had good things to say about Brooks Robinson,” said Minaya.

* * *

Robinson’s best World Series came in 1970 against the Cincinnati Reds. After batting .583 with two RBIs helping the Orioles sweep the Twins, Robinson showed his gold glove on the national stage.

In Game 1 of the Series, with the score 3–3 in the sixth, Lee May hit a one-hopper past third. Showing his quick first step, he backhanded the ball in foul ground, did a spinarama -- as Danny Gallivan would have said -- and bounced a one-hopper to Powell beating May in a bang-bang play.

The next inning, Robinson’s solo home run, off Gary Nolan, gave the Birds a 4-3 victory. Then, in the first inning of Game 2 Robinson roamed far to his left, fielding a Bobby Tolan grounder and threw to second for the force. Two innings later, he grabbed a hard liner from May, turned and fired to second starting an inning-ending double play as Baltimore won 6–5.

In Game 3, the third baseman made an over-the-head catch of a Tony Perez bouncer, bounced off the bag like a trampoline for the force and threw to first for the 5-3 double play. And in the sixth he robbed Johnny Bench of a hit grabbing a hard liner, in a 9-3 Orioles’ triumph.

In Game 4, he had four hits, including a homer as the Reds won 6–5. And in Game 5, he made a diving back-handed catch of a Bench rocket in the ninth, and fielded a routine grounder for the final out, as Baltimore won 9–3 and the Series in five games. Robinson batted .429 with two homers, started two double plays and fielded 23 chances many of them ‘and put a star on that one’ variety to earn the Series MVP honour.

Brooks Robinson (5) jumps for joy in celebration as he heads towards Dave McNally and Andy Etchevarren.

* * *

Yankee manager Aaron Boone told reporters after reading some Robinson tributes that the third baseman was “someone (who was) grace personified.”

“Really kind, nice, has given back a lot,” said Boone. “He was my manager at the Pepsi All-Star game I was on, one winter, and a really, really nice man. And when you think of great defence, he’s one of the first guys that pops into your head, right?”

* * *

In 1999, as head of the Baseball Writers Association of America I had to speak for a few of minutes from the stage at Cooperstown during induction day. Next, I had to read the inscription for San Francisco Chronicle writer Bob Stevens and then give him the BBWAA Career Excellence award.

Back stage Blue Jays president Paul Beeston approached with a pep talk: “You better not screw this up -- there are 50,000 people out there. It’s on ESPN, TSN ... all over. Your office won’t let you back through customs if you mess this up and embarrass the whole country.”

It was a big class: umpire Nestor Chylak, Orlando Cepeda, Robin Yount, Nolan Ryan and George Brett, who gave the best speech. And the crowd was estimated at 50,000.

ESPN’s Timmy Kurkjian walked by and exclaimed as he sometimes does, “Bobby! What’s wrong with you. You are pale. You look like you are going to be sick to your stomach.”

I mumbled through the speech part. Success.

All I now had to do was read the inscription ... and the final graph began Bob Stevens was a “fair and accurate reporter ...

I said “... a fair an act-u-tat ...”

Then, “... a fair and ACT-u-lat ...”

Then, “... a fair an ah, ah ... axe-A-tate ...”

Finally, I said “ah, I just have to know how to spell it.”

After the pictures, I was headed to my seat alongside Harmon Killabrew and Bob Feller when Robinson called me over.

“Oh-oh,” I thought, “he’s going to drop a big-league line on me ... maybe ‘no wonder you couldn’t pronounce it -- you’re never accurate,’ but instead he shook my hand and said:

“Great job son.”

* * *

Martinez thought he might some day be an Oriole. He hit seven home runs for Cangrejeros de Santurce in 1970-71 season during winter ball in Puerto Rico. He helped the team and manager Frank Robinson, future manager and Orioles Hall of Famer win the league championship. And he was right, it just took a few decades.

From 2003 until 2009, he was in the Orioles booth as a broadcaster for Mid-Atlantic Sports Network after his days managing the Blue Jays.

His most memorable night in Maryland came during an ESPN Game of the Week telecast as he and Chris Berman worked Cal Ripken’s record-breaking consecutive-game streak game Sept. 6, 1995.

The office sent me to Baltimore to write about Ripken for the Sunday game against the Seattle Mariners and the three-game Angels series. To me, Ripken’s streak was not in the same league as covering Nolan Ryan’s run at 300 wins, Pete Rose chasing 4,000 hits, Don Mattingly’s attempt to homer in nine consecutive games, Paul Molitor chasing 3,000 or even Barry Bonds hunting down the single-season home run record.

“What’s the big deal? Ripken is going to run out on the field when the game becomes official and everyone will go crazy?”

Well, the folks at Camden Yards did just that. And boy was I wrong. I was glad I was there. Orioles P.R. whiz John Maroon and his staff came up with a moving ceremony. Each night. Every time the game became official (after 4 1/2 if the Orioles were winning, after five if they were losing) a single digit would be added to the consecutive-game total displayed in huge numbers on the warehouse in right field until he passed the Iron Horse (and he didn’t stop there).

In the fourth inning, he homered to left off Anaheim Angels right-hander Shawn Boskie and took a curtain call. Mike Mussina popped up Damion Easley to end the top of the fifth. With the Orioles leading 3-1 the game was official.

The stirring John Tesh music entitled ‘Day One’ began and reached a crescendo as all eyes looked at the warehouse. The number changed, a new digit dropped. Black and orange balloons were released. Firecrackers went off. Confetti showered down. It was great theatre.

After the record breaker, Ripken waved to the fans. In the seats, fans held signs that read “Thanks Cal for saving baseball,” and “Ripken’s Believe it or Not: 2,131” and “The House That Cal Built.”

Ripken picked up his son, hugged his daughter, kissed his wife and gave her the No. 8 jersey off his back. His father, also named Cal, former manager Earl Weaver and the great DiMaggio all watched. Ripken came out of the dugout with a fresh uniform top.

Fans continued to clap and chanted repeatedly, “We want Cal!” Again, he took the field, waved, touched his heart, and returned to the dugout. Repeat and rinse. Finally, after half a dozen curtain calls or so, Bobby Bonilla and Rafael Palmeiro pushed Ripken onto the field. He slowly strolled down the right-field line shaking hands with fans and circled the warning track.

Passing the Angels dugout, he was met with applause -- from most players -- and hugs -- from Hall of Famer Rod Carew, the Angels hitting instructor and ex-teammate Rene Gonzales.

In the efforts of full disclosure on what I thought was a “dumb idea,” I cried each night I was there and for the finale I was blubbering. I looked up, wiped my tears to see a hand-held camera on me. Yikes. And they didn’t get my good side.

* * *

Martinez and Berman were praised in every paper the next day for their coverage of the event. They stayed silent and let the pictures tell the story for over 20 minutes.

I phoned Martinez to congratulate him and wrote a piece. He explained to me (since I was at the game and didn’t see the telecast) how in-game guests included President Clinton and Ford C. Frick winner Jon Miller, the Orioles broadcaster.

“There was a reason we didn’t say anything for long,” said Martinez. “We couldn’t. We were all crying.

“And for the fifth inning we had Brooksie in the booth with us.”

Shadowing the Jays: Scout Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.) of the Houston Astros was in town following the Blue Jays in the event there is a post-season match up. Stevenson coached the Leaside juniors first in 1985-86, helped Howie Birnie with juveniles in 1988 and had that group the next three years. Stevenson lost his mother three months ago. Deepest sympathies are extended. Also in house are scouts from the Tampa Bay Rays and the Texas Rangers.

Old teammates: Todd Betts (Scarborough, Ont.) was at Wednesday’s game to catch up with former mate Sean Casey, the new New York Yankees hitting coach. They were together with the double-A Akron Aeros in 1997. Casey hit .386 with 10 homers, 66 RBIs and a 1.046 OPS in 62 games, while Betts batted .246 with 20 homers, 69 RBIs and a .769 OPS in 128 games.