OT: RIP Brooks Robinson

RUforJERSEY

All-American
Jul 29, 2001
24,510
9,598
113
R.I.P. B. Robinson. By all accounts he was a good dude who treated all of his teammates equally.
 

rudad02

All-American
Nov 7, 2010
8,853
5,773
0
Kell retired in 1957, just before I started following baseball.

Kell played for five different teams in his 13-year career. That's unusual for a star (remember, there was no such thing as free agency then.) His glory years were with the Tigers from 1946 to 1952.

Robinson had a much longer career. His WAR is much higher, but I think longevity plays a role in that calculation.
Kell actually played full time for 14 yrs & for 1 game the first year he came up--so technically for 15 yrs. A pretty long career.
 

zappaa

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
73,505
89,706
103
Brooks was probably the only 3rd baseman in history who never threw sidearm, even on the slow rolling swinging bunt, his body motion somehow allowed him to get on top of the throw without sacrificing time… pretty amazing
 
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phs73rc77gsm83

All-Conference
Aug 11, 2011
3,050
3,844
83
RIP. Brooks. Damn good third baseman. Clete and Ken Boyer were also great at 3rd and from the same era, as I recall.
 
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Retired711

All-American
Nov 20, 2001
19,664
9,819
58
Interleague has been around so long now that it's hard to remember when it wasn't.
And I am old enough to remember when interleague was so controversial and how much resistance there was to it. Believe it or not, Walter O'Malley, when owning the Dodgers, proposed it in 1960. But his reason was that he wanted each league to have only nine teams so that the L.A. Angels would not be established. Bill Veeck talks about this in his memoir "Veeck as in Wreck."
 
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RUPete

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
26,846
16,117
0
And I am old enough to remember when interleague was so controversial and how much resistance there was to it. Believe it or not, Walter O'Malley, when owning the Dodgers, proposed it in 1960. But his reason was that he wanted each league to have only nine teams so that the L.A. Angels would not be established. Bill Veeck talks about this in his memoir "Veeck as in Wreck."
Interesting. I have a Veeck bio that I have been meaning to read. It may be next.
 

RU#1fan

Heisman
Mar 7, 2003
23,094
11,867
113
His young playing days were at Lamar Porter field in Little Rock, which is still in use today after some renovation. I played there years ago. I wasn’t worth a damn even back then.
Pretty cool you played on the same field as Brooks Robinson.
Any time at that hot corner on 3B ?
 

Southern Gentleman

All-Conference
Aug 10, 2011
7,315
3,928
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Kell actually played full time for 14 yrs & for 1 game the first year he came up--so technically for 15 yrs. A pretty long career.
And, George Kell was from Swifton, Arkansas…….

Yall might be surprised to know that many MLB teams came to Hot Springs, Arkansas for spring training. The night life(full casino’s, hot spring mineral baths, golf, lakes, restaurants, etc) drew several major league teams. There is actually a tour of the players and places where the games took place.
 

yessir321

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
3,313
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I remember being at a baseball card show as a kid many, many years ago and was talking to one of the vendors and he told me Brooks Robinson was one of the nicest people you'll ever want to meet. That always stuck with me - anyway RIP Brooks.
Brooks was that guy.

famously never turned a kid away who wanted an autograph.
 
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yessir321

All-Conference
Sep 26, 2018
3,313
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That is a past life, 20 years ago. Caves is a special place no doubt about it. I was fortunate to work at some amazing facilities. Only problem with Caves is I had to work with 3 guys that went thru the Penn State PGM program.
Lol, annoying indeed, it’s up in owings mills though right so close to the Pa line?
 

greenknight

Heisman
Sep 1, 2001
20,550
12,260
113
Got my Little League 3rd Sack inspiration skills from Brooks & Nettles. Made a ton of diving plays 9, 10 & 11. Took an ungroomed field bounce to the eye & nose diving to 3rd base. Think I needed like 10 stitches under my eye. Fing ball hit a rock 1st bounce kicked dead right never had a chance laid out and said F that CF it is. Brooks was the best
 

zappaa

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
73,505
89,706
103
Got my Little League 3rd Sack inspiration skills from Brooks & Nettles. Made a ton of diving plays 9, 10 & 11. Took an ungroomed field bounce to the eye & nose diving to 3rd base. Think I needed like 10 stitches under my eye. Fing ball hit a rock 1st bounce kicked dead right never had a chance laid out and said F that CF it is. Brooks was the best
You wouldn’t believe what the playing fields look like today in professional baseball…. Especially major league fields.
I’ve been at new ballparks with Bucky Dent, Ozzie Smith, Ryan Sandberg, Larry Bowa… there’s not a bad hop out there.
We were astounded at the conditions compared to when we played.
 

greenknight

Heisman
Sep 1, 2001
20,550
12,260
113
You wouldn’t believe what the playing fields look like today in professional baseball…. Especially major league fields.
I’ve been at new ballparks with Bucky Dent, Ozzie Smith, Ryan Sandberg, Larry Bowa… there’s not a bad hop out there.
We were astounded at the conditions compared to when we played.
Your not kidding. Dragging the field non existent, footprints in dried mud still there, rocks galore. You just tried to smooth things out around you. Took a couple nut shots as well. Funny story played South Plainfield in HS my senior year long moved to OF. Their field was hand groomed. There was actually a guy on his hands & knees cutting blades of grass with hand clippers around IF. We were in warmups and every single guy on our team missed ground balls in IF & OF as the field was perfect we were so used to bad bounces and got accustomed to them. By far best HS field I ever stepped on. Played at Trenton Thunder Stadium Coors Light National Softball Tourney Regionals that was real nice field as well except for bare patches where OF'ers regularly stood
 

greenknight

Heisman
Sep 1, 2001
20,550
12,260
113
You wouldn’t believe what the playing fields look like today in professional baseball…. Especially major league fields.
I’ve been at new ballparks with Bucky Dent, Ozzie Smith, Ryan Sandberg, Larry Bowa… there’s not a bad hop out there.
We were astounded at the conditions compared to when we playe
You wouldn’t believe what the playing fields look like today in professional baseball…. Especially major league fields.
I’ve been at new ballparks with Bucky Dent, Ozzie Smith, Ryan Sandberg, Larry Bowa… there’s not a bad hop out there.
We were astounded at the conditions compared to when we played.
Zap I will say this you learned quick hands fast in LL back in the day Played on artificial turf softball for 1st time like 7 yrs ago and had lasers hit at me at 50 by 20yr olds and wasnt worried in the least. The only thing you had to worry about at night with damp field was that initial skip could get handcuffed real easy. Think the 1st one took off the chest got up on me faster than I anticipated. (Yes it hurt like a MF'er had the welt for like a week) Took it like a champ never show weakness on field saved that for the beers afterward. Would love to play on today's fields
 

greenknight

Heisman
Sep 1, 2001
20,550
12,260
113
Oddly enough my older sister was the big Brooks fan. She hot me hooked on him not either of my brothers..probably because she had the hots for Jim Palmer like every other girl
 

Retired711

All-American
Nov 20, 2001
19,664
9,819
58
You wouldn’t believe what the playing fields look like today in professional baseball…. Especially major league fields.
I’ve been at new ballparks with Bucky Dent, Ozzie Smith, Ryan Sandberg, Larry Bowa… there’s not a bad hop out there.
We were astounded at the conditions compared to when we played.
Very old-time fans know that the Washington Senators won their only World Series in 1924 when a grounder hit a pebble and bounced over the third baseman's head to drive in the winning run in the 7th game in extra innings. The third baseman, btw, was Freddie Lindstrom, who is in the Hall of Fame.
 
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Southern Gentleman

All-Conference
Aug 10, 2011
7,315
3,928
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Interesting that both Kell & Robinson, two of the best 3rd baseman ever, both came from Arkansas.
There wasn’t much to do sports-wise in Arkansas back in those days; many will say that is still true today. Poverty was everywhere and all its effects. Baseball was fun and provided an opportunity for these men to move forward in life. I am proud that they were from Arkansas.
 
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e5fdny

Heisman
Nov 11, 2002
113,726
52,384
102
Yeah, but I can't remember if I've put bread in the toaster!
Or how to get to Morristown…

Meme Reaction GIF by Travis


🙂
 
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