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Baltimore Orioles: Brooks Robinson’s Birthday & a Home Run

By Kristen Bentley

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 14, 1971: Thirdbaseman Brooks Robinson #5 of the Baltimore Orioles can't handle the ground ball hit by firstbaseman Bob Robertson #7 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning of game five of the World Series on October 14, 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 711014-06 (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 14, 1971: Thirdbaseman Brooks Robinson #5 of the Baltimore Orioles can't handle the ground ball hit by firstbaseman Bob Robertson #7 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning of game five of the World Series on October 14, 1971 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 711014-06 (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /
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The Baltimore Orioles surprised the Hall of Fame third baseman on his 83rd birthday with a surprise birthday. Today also marks the anniversary of an odd Orioles home run.

Several Baltimore Orioles from both past and present teams honored Brooks Robinson via video. As the COVID-19 shut down continues, birthday celebrations have developed into creative moments like this.

Had baseball been in session, the Orioles would have celebrated his birthday at the ballpark. The team was scheduled to play the Twins in Minnesota on the Human Vacuum Cleaner’s birthday, but they would’ve found a way to celebrate it.

The Orioles shared the video of the celebration on Twitter with a teaser that the entire event will be posted on the O’s YouTube page. You can see a moment with Robinson as well as other O’s legends like Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. and Boog Powell.

In other news, today marks an unusual home run from an Orioles pitcher: Billy O’Dell, who played along with Brooks Robinson in the 50s before being traded to the San Francisco Giants.

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O’Dell’s unusual home run happened in 1959 in a game against the White Sox at Memorial Stadium. In his 13-year career, he only hit two home runs. On May 19, 1959, he started the game and pitched seven innings.

In his first at-bat, in the bottom of the 3rd with two outs and Billy Gardner on first after a walk, he hit what should have been an easy out, or at minimum – a single. The ball traveled about 120 feet and hit the right-field foul line. The ball then bounced over the right fielder’s head! Al Smith, then had to chase down the ball as O’Dell and Gardner rounded the bases for a two-run, in-the-park home run.

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The O’s ended up winning the game 2-1, with O’Dell earning the only RBI of the game and he earned the pitching win. O’Dell gave up a run in the 7th when Luis Aparicio hit an RBI single that scored Bubba Phillips. O’Dell was replaced by Jerry Walker who earned the save.

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