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Baltimore Orioles Greats: The Mount Rushmore of Birdland

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Hall of fame player and former Baltimore Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. stands next to the statue of him that was unvieled before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 6, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Hall of fame player and former Baltimore Orioles Cal Ripken Jr. stands next to the statue of him that was unvieled before the start of the Orioles and New York Yankees game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 6, 2012 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 27: Hall of Fame member Brooks Robinson hits balls to waiting fans during the Play Ball with Ozzie Smith Clinic held at Doubleday Field on July 27, 2007 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
COOPERSTOWN, NY – JULY 27: Hall of Fame member Brooks Robinson hits balls to waiting fans during the Play Ball with Ozzie Smith Clinic held at Doubleday Field on July 27, 2007 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) /

The other easy pick was Brooks Robinson, who sits in second place under Ripken when it comes to overall team statistics. At one point, there were two Robinsons on the team, but Brooks had better stats than Frank Robinson – at least when it involved the Orioles. And, if I pick players that cover different decades, Brooks is the better choice and belongs on the Orioles Mount Rushmore.

Robinson was known as the Human Vacuum Cleaner because he could stop anything that came his way at the hot corner. For younger fans, he was a defensive wiz like Manny Machado as he could make the toughest plays looks easy.

And, like Ripken, Robinson played a serious number of games, all in an Orioles uniform. He played 2896 games, ranking him 14th overall. He accomplished this goal by playing between 1955 and 1977.

According to the article about him on the BBWAA Hall of Fame website:

"“He was so beloved in Baltimore that sports writer Gordon Beard wrote ‘Brooks (Robinson) never asked anyone to name a candy bar after him. In Baltimore, people named their children after him.’”"

Brooks Robinson: Second face of Baltimore Orioles Mount Birdmore

  • Position: Third Baseman
  • Seasons with Orioles: 1955- 1977
  • Batted/threw: Right/right
  • Born: May. 18, 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas
  • MLB debut: Sept. 17, 1955 with Orioles
  • Last MLB appearance: Aug. 13, 1977 with Orioles
  • Nickname: “Human Vacuum Cleaner” or “Mr. Impossible”
  • All-Star Game appearances: 18
  • World Series rings: 2
  • Gold Glove awards: 16
  • Silver Slugger awards: 0
  • MVP awards: 1
  • Rookie of the Year: No.
  • BBWAA Hall of Fame: Yes. Class of 1983.

Robinson’s career stats

  • Games: 2896
  • Batting average: .267
  • Hits: 2858
  • At bats: 10,654
  • Home runs: 268
  • RBIs: 1357
  • Runs: 1232
  • Doubles: 482
  • Stolen bases: 28
  • OBP: .322
  • SLG: .401
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