Hall of Famer, Orioles legend Brooks Robinson dies at 86

Brooks Robinson, a Baltimore Orioles legend and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, has died. He was 86 years old.

Considered by many to be the best defensive third baseman in baseball history, Robinson played his entire 23-year career in Baltimore, leading the team to two World Series titles. He was an 18-time All-Star, 16-time Gold Glove winner and 1964 MVP.

Robinson, was born May 18, 1937, in Little Rock, Ark., was also named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Mike Schmidt was the only other third baseman to make the list.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson,” the Orioles and the Robinson family said in a joint statement. “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.”

His 16 gold gloves were all won in consecutive seasons, the first and only position player to achieve such an honor. His play at the hot corner earned him the iconic nickname of “the Human Vacuum Cleaner.”

But he was also a solid hitter, finishing his career with a .267 batting average and 268 home runs. He also had 2,848 career hits, good for 49th in the history of MLB.During his 1964 MVP campaign, Robinson hit .317 with a .361 on-base percentage, 28 home runs, 35 doubles, a league-leading 118 RBIs and 84 runs scored.

In addition to his MVP award, Robinson finished in the top five of the voting four different times.

Robinson was first called up to the majors at 18 years old in 1955, and retired at the age of 40 in 1977. His No. 5 jersey was retired by the Orioles in 1978.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983 alongside manager Walter Alston, fellow third baseman George Kell and right-handed pitcher Juan Marichal. It was his first time on the ballot.

“[I] saw him perform all during his career and – like everyone else – marveled at the way he played the game,” one-time Orioles general manager Hank Peters said, according to a story from the Baseball Hall of Fame on the 1983 class. “Brooks will always be the yardstick by which third basemen are gauged, and that’s the mark of a true champion.”

His 18 All-Star appearances mark the most of any primary third baseman in history. He is also seventh among all third basemen in WAR, according to Baseball Reference.