Happy Birthday Brooks!

[BRobinsonfan]

Happy 82nd birthday to Brooks Robinson, the greatest Oriole ever!  When I was a kid my Dad was stationed at Fort Meade Maryland so naturally the Orioles were my team. And just as naturally Brooks Robinson was my favorite player. Every year my family would send Brooks a box of cookies on his birthday.  This continued after my Dad got orders for overseas and we were stationed in Kaiserslautern, Germany.  Years later, long after Brooks retired, I was living in Raleigh, NC when Brooks made an appearance at a Durham Bulls games to sign autographs.  Of course I went to the game and stood in line to get his autograph (no charge).  When it was my turn to meet him I stammered through my story about my family sending him cookies and, of course, he was every bit as nice as I imagined he would be.  While I'm sure he received tons of things in the mail he told me he remembered getting them how much he appreciated them.  He shook my hand and told me to be sure to thank my Mom and Dad for the cookies.  What an amazing player and what a great human being.  Thanks for all the memories Brooks!

[TonySoprano]

While waiting to meet Cal at a book signing yesterday, someone told me another great story about Brooks.  Several years ago at Oriole Park, Brooks was signing free autographs, and the line was huge.   An older woman in a wheelchair was way back in line and was worried she would never get to Brooks.   Brooks walked in, and one of his people told him about the woman.   He went up to the woman, talked to her, asked how she was, and handed her a signed bat and baseball, and said, "Now, you don't have to wait in line."  The old woman was moved to tears.

There are countless other stories like that.  Love ya' Brooks.

[LA2]

Yes, Happy Birthday to Brooks, indeed!

I met him just once, when I was about 11 years old. I was standing in line with my mother at a ticket counter at Friendship International Airport when Brooks went running by clad in a tennis outfit with his kids to catch their plane. I turned and whispered to my mother, "That's Brooks Robinson!" He had already begun to turn the corner of the corridor and couldn't have heard me, but darned if he didn't stop in mid-stride, look back over his right shoulder, and come rushing all the way back to where we were standing. Despite being out of hearing range, he had somehow known that I'd recognized him and sensed my excitement. He came right up to me, leaned down, and said in a very folksy (Brooksie) tone while shaking my hand, "Hi, I'm Brooks Robinson! What is your name?" "Walter," I replied, to which he said, "Hi, Walter--nice to meet you! I'd love to stay and talk with you and your mom, but I've got a plane to catch!" and with an apologetic look on his face pointed over to where his daughter was jumping up and down yelling at him to hurry up. Then he said Bye and sprinted off.

It was an indelible experience. When I lived in New York, I used to tell it all the time to old Yankees and Mets fans and they had no problem believing it, they knew of his reputation. They would always shake their head and say that that's the way it should be.

[mdbdotcom]

When I was a kid, the only Orioles jersey-type product I remember was a t-shirt with Orioles on it and a number 5. That's really the only one they need today, as far as I'm concerned.

Happy birthday, Brooksie!

[rudyrooster]

I guess I was about 6 years old growing up in a very small town in Arkansas.  One Saturday I was lying on the floor in front of the ol' black and white TV watching the Game of the Week on the TV.  The announcer said (paraphrasing) "Now coming to bat for the Orioles is the pride of Little Rock, Arkansas--Brooks Robinson.  At that moment Brooks became my sports hero and the Orioles beacame my team.  Fifty plus years later and I'm still a die-hard O's fan and Brooks is still my hero.  Happy Birthday Brooks!!  A great ballplayer and even greater person.  You've never disappointed me.