MLB: Top 100 Players in Baseball History (70-61)
By David Hill
70. Brooks Robinson
If ever the Gold Glove award for third basemen was to be named for a player, Baltimore Orioles star Brooks Robinson would be the only logical choice.
Throughout the 1960’s and into the middle of the 1970’s, there were few players that could compare to Robinson. However, unlike most players, his star came from his amazing defensive ability. Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Glove awards, the most of any position player in MLB history. He is the all time leader at third in putouts (2,697), assists (6,205), double plays (618) and runs saved (293). Overall, Robinson ranks third with a 38.8 career defensive WAR. Robinson was certainly without peer with the glove at third.
While Robinson may be recalled for his stellar defense, that is not to say that he was not an offensive threat. Although his overall batting line of .267/.322/.401 may not be overly impressive, he still managed to 268 home runs and get 2,848 hits. Robinson led the American League with 118 RBI in 1964, when he was named the MVP. He finished in the top ten in the MVP seven other times, and made 15 All-Star Games.
With a bit of pop in his bat, having hit twenty or more home runs five times in his career, Robinson was more than just a defensive wizard. In fact, Johnny Pesky once said that if Robinson could run, he would have been the perfect ballplayer. As it was, Robinson was a first ballot Hall of Famer, and perhaps the greatest defensive player ever to play his position.
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