Baltimore Orioles history: Counting down Brooks Robinson’s 10 greatest games

Brooks Robinson, who died this week at age 86, was known as perhaps the premier defensive player of his position during his Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Orioles.

As a third baseman across 23 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles, Robinson won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves between 1960 and 1975. He was the 1964 Most Valuable Player, playing in 18 All-Star games.

As an offensive threat, Robinson was good but not great. He hit .267 in a generally pitching-dominant era. He hit 268 home runs and drove in 1,357 runs with 100-plus seasons in 1964 (118) and 1966 (100).

He played on World Series winners in 1966 and 1970, when he was the World Series MVP with a .429 batting average and a fielding display that is still talked about.

He was a career .303 postseason hitter in 39 games with five home runs and 22 RBI. He won election to the Hall of Fame in 1983, his first year of eligibility, with 92 percent of the vote.

We are not yet able to calculate Defensive Runs Saved for players of Robinson’s era, but the stats we do have testify to his defensive brilliance. He had a .971 career fielding average across nearly 2,900 games as an Oriole third baseman. He had a Defensive War of 39.1, representing nearly half of his career 78.4 WAR. That’s extraordinary.

This is a look at the 10 best games of Brooks Robinson’s career with the Baltimore Orioles based on the Win Probability Added of each of those games.

It’s an eclectic group of games, spanning 17 seasons and culminating with the last home run Robinson ever hit. It was a game-winner.

10. April 10, 1970, Orioles 3, Detroit Tigers 2. A back-and-forth pitching duel between Tiger starter Mickey Lolich and three Baltimore pitchers entered extra innings deadlocked at 2-2. Lolich made the mistake of walking Frank Robinson to start the bottom of the 10th. A groundout and fly ball later, Brooks came up with Frank in scoring position. Brooks’ line single into right-center was deep enough to score frank with the winning run. Win Probability Added: +0.478.

9. June 13, 1963, Orioles 5, New York Yankees 4. Facing Whitey Ford at Yankee Stadium, Robinson was hitless in his first two at-bats. But when Joe Gaines and Jim Gentile both singled with one out in the sixth and Robinson came up a third time, Ford was replaced by Bill Kunkel. Wrong move; Robinson lined a single to left, scoring Al Smith, who had reached on a fielder’s choice.

One inning later, his team trailing by a run with the bases full and Kunkel still on the mound, Robinson lined a single that scored Gaines and Luis Aparicio, giving Baltimore just enough margin to hold on for the victory. Win Probability Added: +0.485.

8. July 9, 1975, California Angels 3, Orioles 2. At age 38, Robinson remained a fixture at third base as the Orioles met Frank Tanana and the Angels in Anaheim. California led 1-0 when the eighth inning opened with two quick outs. But Don Baylor walked and Paul Blair reached second as Tanana’s third strike sailed wild. Given a chance, Robinson cashed in the opportunity with a line single that scored both baserunners and put Baltimore ahead 2-1.

This lead, however, would not hold up. In the bottom of the eighth Dave Collins tripled home the tying and winning runs, and Tanana with help from Don Kirkwood closed out the victory. Win Probability Added: +0.491.

7. August 25, 1962, Orioles 4, New York Yankees 3. After the Yanks scored three runs in the top of the first at Memorial Stadium, Robinson’s second-inning home run got Baltimore on the board. In the sixth, his double scored Jackie Brandt and pulled the Orioles within a run.

Two innings later, Robinson came to bat with Brandt at third, having doubled and advanced on an infield out. His infield hit handcuffing Tom Tresh scored the tying run. He did not have a hand in the winning run, which scored on a walkoff Russ Snyder hit. Win Probability Added: +0.523.

6. July 17, 1969, Orioles 3, Cleveland Indians 2. The Orioles were coasting to the AL East division title when they faced Steve Hargan, but they trailed 2-0 entering the seventh. Brooks opened that inning with a single, advanced on Elrod Hendricks’ base hit and a sacrifice, and came home on an infield grounder.

One inning later, facing reliever Stan Williams with Boog Powell on base, Robinson turned the game around with a home run over the left-center field fence. Win Probability Added: 0.552.