Brooks Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) played 23 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles (1955–1977), the longest career spent with a single team in MLB history (tied with Carl Yastrzemski). Robinson batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr. Hoover", he is considered the greatest defensive third baseman in major league history.
Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, Robinson attracted the notice of MLB scouts while playing American Legion Baseball. Signed by the Orioles in 1955, he debuted with them that same year. He was Baltimore's Opening Day third baseman in 1957, and became the team's full-time third baseman in the second half of the 1959 season. In 1960, he was selected to the first of 18 straight All-Star Games. That year, he won the first of 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, tied with Jim Kaat for the second-most for any player at any position (behind Greg Maddux's 18).
Starting in 1960, Robinson helped the Orioles contend for their first American League pennant since the team moved to Baltimore in 1954, and they remained in contention until late in the 1960, 1961, and 1964 seasons. Third in MVP voting in 1960, Robinson won the award in 1964, one of his finest seasons. In 1966, he finished second in MVP voting to teammate Frank Robinson as the Orioles won the AL pennant, then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers for their first ever World Series title. With his 193rd home run in 1969, Robinson broke Al Rosen's record for AL third basemen. In the 1970 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, Robinson drew the attention of baseball fans around the United States with his strong defensive play against the Reds, time after time robbing the Cincinnati players of base hits. His performance won him the World Series MVP Award as Baltimore defeated the Reds in five games. He became one of just 12 players to earn over $100,000 annually in 1971, and played until retiring during the 1977 season.
Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 in his first year of eligibility. Following his career, he served as a broadcaster for the Orioles and also joined Opening Day Partners, which owns several minor league teams. Robinson was popular with the Oriole fans for his kindness and patience with them. "Never has a player meant more to a franchise and more to a city than Brooks has meant to the Orioles and the city of Baltimore," said Oriole historian Ted Patterson.
