There’s been a collective feeling around Baltimore since the news broke that Brooks Robinson died that we now have this guardian angel above the clouds, doing what he can to make things better.

And yes, in the immediate days since Brooks died, the Orioles clinched their first American League Eastern Division championship in nine years and their first 100-win season in 43 seasons.

In addition, the club’s management signed a long-awaited lease extension to stay in Baltimore for the next 30 years.

So, yeah, you could make the argument that the great third baseman is already working the heavenly umpires on behalf of the Birds.

But I would submit that the legacy of Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. extends far beyond any mere baseball team or season.

That’s because Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was and is the greatest force for good this city has ever seen.

His stature as an elite athlete here is beyond reproach, but just in case, here’s a refresher: Brooks was the Most Valuable Player in the World Series, the American League playoffs and regular season and played in 18 straight All-Star games.

And he is the greatest third baseman in the long history of the greatest game God ever invented. Some put the qualifier defensive in front of that description.

They say that his .267 career batting average and 268 home runs pale in comparison to other third basemen, namely Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt, who hit more than twice as many homers as Brooks.

Well, to that, I would say that Brooks’ defense – evidenced by his 16 Gold Gloves, and his status as the all-time leader in four defensive categories, put him above Schmidt or any other guy who played the hot corner. But where Brooks Robinson really excelled was in his humanity. There isn’t a single person who ever came in contact with him who left with a bad experience.

Think about that for a moment. How many people who aren’t in the public eye are that genuinely good, that unfailingly decent? Not many, and I would argue that number decreases by the day, thanks to the increasing isolation we feel and the coarseness of our society. We seem encouraged to separate ourselves from each other and too many of us take the bait.

Now, take that to a public level. Imagine what it must be like to have to be on all the time whenever you step out of your home, never being able to flip someone off who cut you off in

traffic or mutter a curse word to a demanding slob who thinks you owe him or his kid an autograph just because.

Now you know what life for Brooks Robinson was like, here and everywhere. And yet, he was just that decent, just that good to everyone.

The late sports writer Gordon Beard observed that in New York, people named candy bars after Reggie Jackson, but in Baltimore, people named their kids after Brooks Robinson.

So, yes, these Orioles may do amazing things on their own this October, but you’d better believe they will have a heavenly assist from the best there ever was in black and orange.

And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on Threads and X, formerly known as Twitter, at Sports at Large.

Until next week, for all of us here, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.

There’s been a collective feeling around Baltimore since the news broke that Brooks Robinson died that we now have this guardian angel above the clouds, doing what he can to make things better.
And yes, in the immediate days since Brooks died, the Orioles clinched their first American League Eastern Division championship in nine years and their first 100-win season in 43 seasons.
In addition, the club’s management signed a long-awaited lease extension to stay in Baltimore for the next 30 years.
So, yeah, you could make the argument that the great third baseman is already working the heavenly umpires on behalf of the Birds.
But I would submit that the legacy of Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. extends far beyond any mere baseball team or season.
That’s because Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was and is the greatest force for good this city has ever seen.
His stature as an elite athlete here is beyond reproach, but just in case, here’s a refresher: Brooks was the Most Valuable Player in the World Series, the American League playoffs and regular season and played in 18 straight All-Star games.
And he is the greatest third baseman in the long history of the greatest game God ever invented. Some put the qualifier defensive in front of that description.
They say that his .267 career batting average and 268 home runs pale in comparison to other third basemen, namely Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt, who hit more than twice as many homers as Brooks.
Well, to that, I would say that Brooks’ defense – evidenced by his 16 Gold Gloves, and his status as the all-time leader in four defensive categories, put him above Schmidt or any other guy who played the hot corner. But where Brooks Robinson really excelled was in his humanity. There isn’t a single person who ever came in contact with him who left with a bad experience.
Think about that for a moment. How many people who aren’t in the public eye are that genuinely good, that unfailingly decent? Not many, and I would argue that number decreases by the day, thanks to the increasing isolation we feel and the coarseness of our society. We seem encouraged to separate ourselves from each other and too many of us take the bait.
Now, take that to a public level. Imagine what it must be like to have to be on all the time whenever you step out of your home, never being able to flip someone off who cut you off in
traffic or mutter a curse word to a demanding slob who thinks you owe him or his kid an autograph just because.
Now you know what life for Brooks Robinson was like, here and everywhere. And yet, he was just that decent, just that good to everyone.
The late sports writer Gordon Beard observed that in New York, people named candy bars after Reggie Jackson, but in Baltimore, people named their kids after Brooks Robinson.
So, yes, these Orioles may do amazing things on their own this October, but you’d better believe they will have a heavenly assist from the best there ever was in black and orange.
And that’s how I see it for this week. You can reach us via email with your questions and comments at Sports at Large at gmail.com. And follow me on Threads and X, formerly known as Twitter, at Sports at Large.
Until next week, for all of us here, I’m Milton Kent. Thanks for listening and enjoy the games.

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.----

Sports at Large

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.

Sports at Large is a weekly exploration of the issues and people who play and watch sports. SaL goes behind the headlines and stats to find the how and why, and the ways in which sports intersect with and influence our daily lives. SaL features interviews and commentaries from professionals and fans a like to tell a more complete story. One person described it as ----a thinking fan's guide to sports.

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