1961 Topps #10, Brooks Robinson

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Brooks Robinson's 1961 Topps card #10 is shown
here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/010-Robinson.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/010-Robinson-b.jpg

"He was the best defensive player at any position. I
used to stand in the outfield like a fan and watch him
make play after play. I used to think WOW, I can't
believe this." - Frank Robinson

Well, there you go, and this coming from a fellow
Hall Of Famer, as well as team mate.

Brooks came up with Baltimore at the end of the
1955 season, and played for the Orioles until his
retirement in 1977.

He was renowned for his glove, but he could also
hit the ball. Brooks hit over .300 in 1962 and 1964.
In '64 he was voted the American League's Most
Valuable Player.

This was not his only award. He won the Gold
Glove Award 16 times, from 1960 through 1975. He
was voted to the All-Star team 15 times, from 1960
through 1974, and he was the 1970 World Series
MVP, after his stellar defensive work in that series.

While his offensive numbers are good, those alone
would not have gotten Brooks into the Hall Of Fame,
but he is probably the best defensive third baseman
to ever play the game, and that's reason enough
for him to have received 344 of the 374 ballots cast
for the Hall in 1983.

See his Hall Of Fame plaque he

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/ho...son_brooks.htm

Brooks is one of the genuinely nice guys, and was
beloved during his playing days around Baltimore.
His jersey number "5" was retired by the Orioles,
it would be presumptuous for another Oriole to wear
it, but George Brett, a fellow Hall Of Famer, chose
his uniform number 5 because of his hero, Brooks
Robinson. (Now, of course, number 5 has also been
retired by the Royals.)

Perhaps the best quote about Brooks, and one he
himself would probably like, is quoted below, and I'll
end with it...

"There's not a man who knows him who wouldn't
swear for his integrity and honesty and give testimony
to his consideration of others. He's an extraordinary
human being, which is important, and the world's
greatest third baseman of all time, which is incidental."
- John Steadman of The News American
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Wade

Rich Davis wrote:

I'd rather have Pie Traynor, Home Run Baker, Eddie Matthews, Mike Schmidt,
or George Brett at 3rd, but Brooks was really something to watch in the
field.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's interesting that Bill James, in his book"...Historical
Baseball Abstract" puts Brooks Robinson as the 7th
best third baseman of all time, behind (from 1 to 6)
Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, Wade
Boggs, Home Run Baker, and Ron Santo.

This is using his "Win Shares" formulae to evaluate
players, which I haven't studied enough to understand.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Wade

I'd rather have Pie Traynor, Home Run Baker, Eddie Matthews, Mike Schmidt,
or George Brett at 3rd, but Brooks was really something to watch in the
field.


"John Wade" wrote in message
...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
Brooks Robinson's 1961 Topps card #10 is shown
here, both front and back:

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/010-Robinson.jpg

http://home.triad.rr.com/ovis/images/010-Robinson-b.jpg

"He was the best defensive player at any position. I
used to stand in the outfield like a fan and watch him
make play after play. I used to think WOW, I can't
believe this." - Frank Robinson

Well, there you go, and this coming from a fellow
Hall Of Famer, as well as team mate.

Brooks came up with Baltimore at the end of the
1955 season, and played for the Orioles until his
retirement in 1977.

He was renowned for his glove, but he could also
hit the ball. Brooks hit over .300 in 1962 and 1964.
In '64 he was voted the American League's Most
Valuable Player.

This was not his only award. He won the Gold
Glove Award 16 times, from 1960 through 1975. He
was voted to the All-Star team 15 times, from 1960
through 1974, and he was the 1970 World Series
MVP, after his stellar defensive work in that series.

While his offensive numbers are good, those alone
would not have gotten Brooks into the Hall Of Fame,
but he is probably the best defensive third baseman
to ever play the game, and that's reason enough
for him to have received 344 of the 374 ballots cast
for the Hall in 1983.

See his Hall Of Fame plaque he


http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/ho...son_brooks.htm

Brooks is one of the genuinely nice guys, and was
beloved during his playing days around Baltimore.
His jersey number "5" was retired by the Orioles,
it would be presumptuous for another Oriole to wear
it, but George Brett, a fellow Hall Of Famer, chose
his uniform number 5 because of his hero, Brooks
Robinson. (Now, of course, number 5 has also been
retired by the Royals.)

Perhaps the best quote about Brooks, and one he
himself would probably like, is quoted below, and I'll
end with it...

"There's not a man who knows him who wouldn't
swear for his integrity and honesty and give testimony
to his consideration of others. He's an extraordinary
human being, which is important, and the world's
greatest third baseman of all time, which is incidental."
- John Steadman of The News American
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
John Wade

It's interesting that Bill James, in his book"...Historical
Baseball Abstract" puts Brooks Robinson as the 7th
best third baseman of all time, behind (from 1 to 6)
Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, Wade
Boggs, Home Run Baker, and Ron Santo.

I might rate Wade Boggs a bit higher than Brooks, but not Ron Santo

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 20:35:51 -0800, "Rich Davis"
wrote:

John Wade wrote:

It's interesting that Bill James, in his book"...Historical
Baseball Abstract" puts Brooks Robinson as the 7th
best third baseman of all time, behind (from 1 to 6)
Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, Wade
Boggs, Home Run Baker, and Ron Santo.

Rich Davis replied:

I might rate Wade Boggs a bit higher than Brooks, but not Ron Santo

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The rest of Bill James's top-10 third basemen of all time
a

08. Paul Molitor
09. Stan Hack
10. Darrell Evans

The other player on your earlier list, Pie Traynor, he lists
at #15.
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John Wade