Brooks Robinson has died at the age of 86:
He was one of the greatest defensive players ever at any position. He was a decent hitter, too. He won an MVP award in 1964, and was on two World Series champion teams.
Goodbye, Hoover.
I had the Brooks Robinson mitt when I was in Little League.
Passed at 86. One of, if not THE best to play 3rd base in the majors.
Merged duplicate threads
Robinson was such a good fielder it caused problems among his teammates:
From Jim Palmer’s Wikipedia article:
In 1981, Palmer got into a feud with Doug DeCinces after DeCinces missed a line drive hit by Alan Trammell in a game against the Tigers. According to DeCinces, Palmer “was cussing me out and throwing his hands in the air” after the play. “Those balls have to be caught,” Palmer told a paper. “Doug is reluctant to get in front of a ball.” “I’d like to know where Jim Palmer gets off criticizing others,” DeCinces responded. “Ask anybody–they’re all sick of it. We’re a twenty-four man team–and one prima donna. He thinks it’s always someone else’s fault.”…
Palmer ultimately blamed Brooks Robinson for the dispute: “If Brooks hadn’t been the best third-baseman of all time, the rest of the Orioles wouldn’t have taken it for granted that any ball hit anywhere within the same county as Brooks would be judged perfectly, fielded perfectly, and thrown perfectly, nailing (perfectly) what seemed like every single opposing batter.”
I always thought the perfect defensive infield would include:
Brooks Robinson at third
Ozzie Smith at shortstop
Keith Hernandez at first
Can you imagine Robinson and Hernandez playing together? You wouldn’t dare bunt.
I was privileged to have a few minutes with him during a remote radio broadcast maybe 30 years ago. An easy-going, good-humored gentleman, he acted like my interview was the most important thing in the world, and he graciously autographed a baseball for me. Yeah, as a lifelong Orioles fan, meeting Brooks Robinson is one of my favorite memories of my time behind the mike. It isn’t often you get to meet a legend.
Brooks was amazing.
Always fun to watch him, even when he was stealing hits from my team.
Sorry I never saw him in person. He played 18 games every year against the Yankees when I was growing up, 9 of them at Yankee Stadium, and I always thought when the O’s were in town I might go out to the park just to see him field. But I never did. My loss.
I did see him in person. Once. Sort of. It was June of '76, and it was Orioles vs. Sox at Comiskey–the first time I’d seen Baltimore, and the only time for many years after that.
Robinson was at the tail end of his career, and Doug DeCinces was getting most of the playing time. DeCinces started this game, but with two out in the bottom of the ninth he got hurt and Robinson came in to play third. The game ended one batter later. So I never saw him make a play, or swing a bat. But I saw him, by golly!
Too many of these guys are dying, if you ask me.
I was once at a game where Brooks made 3 errors on 2 plays! I grew up in that area so seeing Brooks, Frank Robinson, Palmer, the Blade, Boog, etc is old hat for me.
Who’s manning second? For me it would be Randolph, but I’m biased.
Who’s manning second? For me it would be Randolph, but I’m biased.
I couldn’t think of any real standout fielders at second base. There are a number of good hitters who played there (Charlie Gehringer probably being at the top). But it’s not a flashy position, it calls for consistency and being able to pivot / throw to first for the double play. I grew up a Mets fan, so I’ll pencil in Wally Bachman.
As for catcher, there are a few to choose from: Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Tony Pena. I’ll say Bench because Carter yelled at me once when I was a reporter. 
Sorry I never got to see Brooks play. But I enjoy watching old baseball on YouTube, and he certainly was amazing there at third.
As a Yankee fan born in 1967, and a baseball junkie in the 70s, my respect for Brooks was baseball-general and similar to guys like Musial and Williams, who I never saw play. My touchstone for 3rd-base brilliance was Craig Nettles in the '78 series. I’ve heard Robinson was even more brilliant in '70. That must have been something.
Mazeroski
When Robinson was (justly) being picked year after year as the All-Star 3d baseman for the AL, the Yankees had a guy at 3d named Cletis Boyer. Boyer could get to the ball about as well as Robinson, and unlike Robinson, who threw overhead (which is a little awkward for an infielder, given how little time they have to make a play), Boyer could sling the ball off his hip with remarkable speed and accuracy. He never hit as well as Robinson, though, so as an overall 3d baseman, Robinson was unchallenged in those years.
Brooks was amazing.
A couple of those Gold Glove awards should have gone to Boyer. I see he finally got one in the National league with Atanta.
Was that maybe his brother Ken? Ken was more of an all-rounder than Clete. (Can you imagine the family backyard ballgames in that household?)
I saw him during his last few years. I have vivid memory of him hitting a a pinch hit walk off homer in extra innings one night. I wonder if that actually happened.
Holy crap, I just googled it. It did happen and it was his last homerun. And I was at that game!
Don’t you mean What’s on second?