(Baltimore) Brooks Robinson, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer whose brilliant defensive play at third base and unassuming, humble demeanor made him one of Baltimore’s most revered and accomplished athletes, has died. He was 86 years old.
Orioles officials and Robinson’s family announced the news in a joint statement Tuesday. The statement did not specify the cause of death.
A player who developed and rose to prominence before the era of autonomy in major league baseball, Robinson spent his entire 23-season career with the Orioles.
Almost single-handedly, he allowed the Orioles to defeat the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series. In 1966, he hit a home run in the first game of the fall classic against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Orioles swept the series in four games for the first title in their history.
Throughout his career, Robinson appeared in 18 All-Star Games, won the American League Gold Glove in 16 consecutive seasons and was voted American League Most Valuable Player in 1964. This That season he posted a .318 batting average with 28 home runs and 118 RBIs.