The Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday announced the passing one of the best players in franchise history. Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has died at the age of 86.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson. 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 Orioles and Robinson’s family said in a joint statement.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Robinson signed with the Orioles as a free agent in 1955. He played all 23 MLB seasons in Baltimore, earning 18 All-Star appearances to go with 16 Gold Glove Awards, two World Series titles and an American League MVP. In fact, he won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves and made 15 straight All-Star starts.
As the AL MVP winner in 1964, Robinson hit .317 with 118 RBI. His career was defined by great defense at the hot corner and clutch hitting. He was named MVP of the 1970 World Series after hitting .429 with two homers in a series win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Starting back in 2009, Robinson began to deal with a ton of health issues. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009 and had abdominal surgery in 2010.
Brooks Robinson is survived by his long-time wife, Constance Louise “Connie” Butcher, and their four children, Brooks David, Chris, Michael and Diana. Brooks and Constance met in 1959 when she was serving as a flight attendant for United Airlines during an Orioles team flight from Kansas City to Boston.