Missing number 5 on Opening Day

[Roy Firestone]

It's opening day for my team, the Baltimore Orioles, and I'm so excited.

The team has a new owner, a real Oriole fan who grew up in Baltimore...the club has some fantastic young players and they will be there for a few more years...the ballpark will be filled today..and the fans too will be filled with anticipation of another great year.

But the ONE person who wont be there is the ONE person who would have loved it more than just about anyone.

This is the first year in my baseball life that Brooks Robinson wont be here, and it still weighs heavy in my heart.

Brooks passed last last September 26 at the age of 86.

Everything I loved about the game was embodied by that man.

He was the best the game had to offer.

A man of personal warmth, optimism, incredible skills in the field, congeniality, but also, he represented everything that was good and right about the game.

I'd like to reprise a story I wrote about the time Brooks stayed at my home for a weekend with his son, Brooks David, and another Orioles legend, Jim Palmer.

When Brooks and his son Brooks David came into my house, a house decorated in Orioles memorabilia..I didn't want to embarrass him by making it look like it was a shrine to him, but I also have to be who I am.

I didn't take many things down.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Brooks seemed to look at my collection with wonder and joy.

Brooks Robinson is perhaps the most beloved person I have ever known in my life...and not because he worked at it...but precisely because he DIDN'T.

He didn't "dish".

Didn't do "snark", and would never ever have told stories out of school.

Perhaps most of all, thats why people loved him.

As great a player as he was, with 16 Gold Gloves, he never ever pulled any kind of rank..never ever felt entitled to anything.

Class isn't something you "work at".

You have it, and your manner dictates it...class people never talk about themselves...never use their name as a third person.

In all the years I knew Brooks Robinson, it never occurred to him that he was BROOKS ROBINSON..

I could say so many things about that weekend of his visit, but some thoughts are matters of the heart...mine..so I'll keep most to myself.

But I will share one intimacy.at one point at dinner one night,

It was time to toast my friends, and toasting Palmer was easy and funny...but then I turned to Brooks and said this:

"I want you to know, and you do, how much I love you, and cherish you, and you must know, you are my hero, and always will be".

I then started to cry.

Brooks looked at me and said"I love you too Roy, and always will".

Then Brooks David looked at me and said something that made me feel like a million bucks.

"Roy, I love YOU, because you love my dad."

The weekend was so joyous and warm and wonderful, and Palmer kept it light with hysterical banter.

But the love was everywhere.

We all attended Frank Robinson's memorial on that Sunday, and Brooks was asked to speak about Frank:

'Frank was about winning, and when when we won with him, we won something more than baseball games...we won as people..just knowing him was a win..I'm a better man from having known him", he said.

Then we went back to my house.

Brooks slept in MY bedroom.

I slept in my guest room.

The King gets the best room, the best bed.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

That Sunday, I dropped Brooks and Brooks David off at the airport.

Palmer drove back to his home in his brand new car.

When I returned from the airport, I was left alone in my house, and took a deep breath.

My childhood heroes were my house guests that weekend, and every moment, every second, was cherished by me, and it won't ever be forgotten.

I was introduced to becoming a sportscaster directly because of Brooks.

He was my first interview when I was just 14.

But far more than that, he was an inspiration.

He was a man of character and generosity, and grace, and he specialized in human decency.

I have never met a more decent and beloved person in all my life.

How I carry myself in life came from my parents, and Brooks.

I only hope I served them well.

The house was quiet now, but the weekend my home was alive with memories, laughter, and a ton of love.

As I dropped the Robinson's off a the curb.. we hugged tightly, and Brooks walked away to the counter.

My eyes got misty again as they disappeared.

You never know about life.

You never know how much time you have left with people you dearly love.

Nothing is guaranteed for anyone.

So I was so deeply satisfied and grateful that our time that weekend was so very well spent, and the words were spoken, not kept away or protected.

My God, how wonderful a life I've had. So many joys, so many experiences.

This weekend ranked right near the top.

To borrow Brooks' line about Frank..."Im a better man for having known them".

Rest well, Brooks, I'm not sure about heaven..none of us really are...but if there IS one..you get a pass for eternity.

Watching Opening Day today will be wonderful, but for me, it will be a bit empty and yes, a tad sad.

Its the first Opening Day without Brooks in close to 70 years.

I owe him so much. I will always love and admire and cherish the time we spent together.

There will be other players, maybe even greater ones.

But there will never be a greater human being than Brooks Robinson.

I am blessed to have called him "friend"

Oriole fans were always his friends too.

Heres what I said when Brooks asked me to introduce his statue at Camden Yards.

 

https://youtu.be/Pz9iiXNRado?si=gQbXnnfzITeelNie

 

 

Edited March 28 by Roy Firestone

[BRobinsonfan]

9 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

It's opening day for my team, the Baltimore Orioles, and I'm so excited.

The team has a new owner, a real Oriole fan who grew up in Baltimore...the club has some fantastic young players and they will be there for a few more years...the ballpark will be filled today..and the fans too will be filled with anticipation of another great year.

But the ONE person who wont be there is the ONE person who would have loved it more than just about anyone.

This is the first year in my baseball life that Brooks Robinson wont be here, and it still weighs heavy in my heart.

Brooks passed last last September 26 at the age of 86.

Everything I loved about the game was embodied by that man.

He was the best the game had to offer.

A man of personal warmth, optimism, incredible skills in the field, congeniality, but also, he represented everything that was good and right about the game.

I'd like to reprise a story I wrote about the time Brooks stayed at my home for a weekend with his son, Brooks David, and another Orioles legend, Jim Palmer.

When Brooks and his son Brooks David came into my house, a house decorated in Orioles memorabilia..I didn't want to embarrass him by making it look like it was a shrine to him, but I also have to be who I am.

I didn't take many things down.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Brooks seemed to look at my collection with wonder and joy.

Brooks Robinson is perhaps the most beloved person I have ever known in my life...and not because he worked at it...but precisely because he DIDN'T.

He didn't "dish".

Didn't do "snark", and would never ever have told stories out of school.

Perhaps most of all, thats why people loved him.

As great a player as he was, with 16 Gold Gloves, he never ever pulled any kind of rank..never ever felt entitled to anything.

Class isn't something you "work at".

You have it, and your manner dictates it...class people never talk about themselves...never use their name as a third person.

In all the years I knew Brooks Robinson, it never occurred to him that he was BROOKS ROBINSON..

I could say so many things about that weekend of his visit, but some thoughts are matters of the heart...mine..so I'll keep most to myself.

But I will share one intimacy.at one point at dinner one night,

It was time to toast my friends, and toasting Palmer was easy and funny...but then I turned to Brooks and said this:

"I want you to know, and you do, how much I love you, and cherish you, and you must know, you are my hero, and always will be".

I then started to cry.

Brooks looked at me and said"I love you too Roy, and always will".

Then Brooks David looked at me and said something that made me feel like a million bucks.

"Roy, I love YOU, because you love my dad."

The weekend was so joyous and warm and wonderful, and Palmer kept it light with hysterical banter.

But the love was everywhere.

We all attended Frank Robinson's memorial on that Sunday, and Brooks was asked to speak about Frank:

'Frank was about winning, and when when we won with him, we won something more than baseball games...we won as people..just knowing him was a win..I'm a better man from having known him", he said.

Then we went back to my house.

Brooks slept in MY bedroom.

I slept in my guest room.

The King gets the best room, the best bed.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

That Sunday, I dropped Brooks and Brooks David off at the airport.

Palmer drove back to his home in his brand new car.

When I returned from the airport, I was left alone in my house, and took a deep breath.

My childhood heroes were my house guests that weekend, and every moment, every second, was cherished by me, and it won't ever be forgotten.

I was introduced to becoming a sportscaster directly because of Brooks.

He was my first interview when I was just 14.

But far more than that, he was an inspiration.

He was a man of character and generosity, and grace, and he specialized in human decency.

I have never met a more decent and beloved person in all my life.

How I carry myself in life came from my parents, and Brooks.

I only hope I served them well.

The house was quiet now, but the weekend my home was alive with memories, laughter, and a ton of love.

As I dropped the Robinson's off a the curb.. we hugged tightly, and Brooks walked away to the counter.

My eyes got misty again as they disappeared.

You never know about life.

You never know how much time you have left with people you dearly love.

Nothing is guaranteed for anyone.

So I was so deeply satisfied and grateful that our time that weekend was so very well spent, and the words were spoken, not kept away or protected.

My God, how wonderful a life I've had. So many joys, so many experiences.

This weekend ranked right near the top.

To borrow Brooks' line about Frank..."Im a better man for having known them".

Rest well, Brooks, I'm not sure about heaven..none of us really are...but if there IS one..you get a pass for eternity.

Watching Opening Day today will be wonderful, but for me, it will be a bit empty and yes, a tad sad.

Its the first Opening Day without Brooks in close to 70 years.

I owe him so much. I will always love and admire and cherish the time we spent together.

There will be other players, maybe even greater ones.

But there will never be a greater human being than Brooks Robinson.

I am blessed to have called him "friend"

Oriole fans were always his friends too.

Heres what I said when Brooks asked me to introduce his statue at Camden Yards.

 

https://youtu.be/Pz9iiXNRado?si=gQbXnnfzITeelNie

 

 

Beautifully written Roy.  Your words speak for a lot of us who were touched by his kindness and inspired by his example.  He was one in a million and there will never be another quite like him.  

[Frobby]

It’s a bittersweet day, for sure. But I’m glad Brooks lived to see most of the 2023 season.  Now hopefully the team can make some new memories for the younger generation of fans.   

[Roy Firestone]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It’s a bittersweet day, for sure. But I’m glad Brooks lived to see most of the 2023 season.  Now hopefully the team can make some new memories for the younger generation of fans.   

I think The Orioles  need to wear the #5 patch ALL season...last year they wore it for only a couple of weeks...to me, he's the most important Oriole of them all. Remember him always.

[Hank Scorpio]

[Yossarian]

Thank you for sharing this, Roy.  Very well said. 

Go O's!!

[gretzkyscores]

Very well-said Roy. I honestly think that Brooks was about as nice of a person as the world has ever seen. I got to meet him in Bel Air to get his autograph on his poster back in 1968. He was incredibly nice and even signed to me as a wanna-be Harlem Globetrotter back then (that phase of mine lasted about a month but getting Brooks autograph was right in the middle of that month). What a nice human being. 

[gretzkyscores]

3 minutes ago, gretzkyscores said:

Very well-said Roy. I honestly think that Brooks was about as nice of a person as the world has ever seen. I got to meet him in Bel Air to get his autograph on his poster back in 1968. He was incredibly nice and even signed to me as a wanna-be Harlem Globetrotter back then (that phase of mine lasted about a month but getting Brooks autograph was right in the middle of that month). What a nice human being. 

...and in every sport I ever played which was year-round through high school, my brother or I always requested to wear #5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Roy Firestone]

Somewhere, Brooks is smiling today...

[25 Nuggets]

1 minute ago, Roy Firestone said:

Somewhere, Brooks is smiling today...

There is a lot of feeling of transition today, between those that are gone and those that have arrived.  Not to mention the fresh team Elias has constructed.

[Gurgi]

8 hours ago, Roy Firestone said:

It's opening day for my team, the Baltimore Orioles, and I'm so excited.

The team has a new owner, a real Oriole fan who grew up in Baltimore...the club has some fantastic young players and they will be there for a few more years...the ballpark will be filled today..and the fans too will be filled with anticipation of another great year.

But the ONE person who wont be there is the ONE person who would have loved it more than just about anyone.

This is the first year in my baseball life that Brooks Robinson wont be here, and it still weighs heavy in my heart.

Brooks passed last last September 26 at the age of 86.

Everything I loved about the game was embodied by that man.

He was the best the game had to offer.

A man of personal warmth, optimism, incredible skills in the field, congeniality, but also, he represented everything that was good and right about the game.

I'd like to reprise a story I wrote about the time Brooks stayed at my home for a weekend with his son, Brooks David, and another Orioles legend, Jim Palmer.

When Brooks and his son Brooks David came into my house, a house decorated in Orioles memorabilia..I didn't want to embarrass him by making it look like it was a shrine to him, but I also have to be who I am.

I didn't take many things down.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Brooks seemed to look at my collection with wonder and joy.

Brooks Robinson is perhaps the most beloved person I have ever known in my life...and not because he worked at it...but precisely because he DIDN'T.

He didn't "dish".

Didn't do "snark", and would never ever have told stories out of school.

Perhaps most of all, thats why people loved him.

As great a player as he was, with 16 Gold Gloves, he never ever pulled any kind of rank..never ever felt entitled to anything.

Class isn't something you "work at".

You have it, and your manner dictates it...class people never talk about themselves...never use their name as a third person.

In all the years I knew Brooks Robinson, it never occurred to him that he was BROOKS ROBINSON..

I could say so many things about that weekend of his visit, but some thoughts are matters of the heart...mine..so I'll keep most to myself.

But I will share one intimacy.at one point at dinner one night,

It was time to toast my friends, and toasting Palmer was easy and funny...but then I turned to Brooks and said this:

"I want you to know, and you do, how much I love you, and cherish you, and you must know, you are my hero, and always will be".

I then started to cry.

Brooks looked at me and said"I love you too Roy, and always will".

Then Brooks David looked at me and said something that made me feel like a million bucks.

"Roy, I love YOU, because you love my dad."

The weekend was so joyous and warm and wonderful, and Palmer kept it light with hysterical banter.

But the love was everywhere.

We all attended Frank Robinson's memorial on that Sunday, and Brooks was asked to speak about Frank:

'Frank was about winning, and when when we won with him, we won something more than baseball games...we won as people..just knowing him was a win..I'm a better man from having known him", he said.

Then we went back to my house.

Brooks slept in MY bedroom.

I slept in my guest room.

The King gets the best room, the best bed.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

That Sunday, I dropped Brooks and Brooks David off at the airport.

Palmer drove back to his home in his brand new car.

When I returned from the airport, I was left alone in my house, and took a deep breath.

My childhood heroes were my house guests that weekend, and every moment, every second, was cherished by me, and it won't ever be forgotten.

I was introduced to becoming a sportscaster directly because of Brooks.

He was my first interview when I was just 14.

But far more than that, he was an inspiration.

He was a man of character and generosity, and grace, and he specialized in human decency.

I have never met a more decent and beloved person in all my life.

How I carry myself in life came from my parents, and Brooks.

I only hope I served them well.

The house was quiet now, but the weekend my home was alive with memories, laughter, and a ton of love.

As I dropped the Robinson's off a the curb.. we hugged tightly, and Brooks walked away to the counter.

My eyes got misty again as they disappeared.

You never know about life.

You never know how much time you have left with people you dearly love.

Nothing is guaranteed for anyone.

So I was so deeply satisfied and grateful that our time that weekend was so very well spent, and the words were spoken, not kept away or protected.

My God, how wonderful a life I've had. So many joys, so many experiences.

This weekend ranked right near the top.

To borrow Brooks' line about Frank..."Im a better man for having known them".

Rest well, Brooks, I'm not sure about heaven..none of us really are...but if there IS one..you get a pass for eternity.

Watching Opening Day today will be wonderful, but for me, it will be a bit empty and yes, a tad sad.

Its the first Opening Day without Brooks in close to 70 years.

I owe him so much. I will always love and admire and cherish the time we spent together.

There will be other players, maybe even greater ones.

But there will never be a greater human being than Brooks Robinson.

I am blessed to have called him "friend"

Oriole fans were always his friends too.

Heres what I said when Brooks asked me to introduce his statue at Camden Yards.

 

https://youtu.be/Pz9iiXNRado?si=gQbXnnfzITeelNie

 

 

Damn it your making me cry.  Not kidding.  Thanks for sharing 

[yark14]

Thanks for sharing, Roy.

I have a similar sentimental story...the app for my Shark robot vacuum requires me to give the vacuum a name.  I named it Brooks Robinson.  That vacuum picks up everything.

[24fps]

25 minutes ago, yark14 said:

Thanks for sharing, Roy.

I have a similar sentimental story...the app for my Shark robot vacuum requires me to give the vacuum a name.  I named it Brooks Robinson.  That vacuum picks up everything.

Icing on the cake right here....

[HOF33]

Beautifully said Roy. You've captured what so many of us feel. I don't know a time when Brooks was not part of the Orioles in one way or another. The older we become, the more we look back on influences and events that shaped our lives. I remember living and dying (still do) with the Orioles from the late 1950s onward. My dad brought me to games through the early 1960s until we moved from Maryland. Remembering Brooksie brings back so many great memories of simpler times, kinder times, and of family and friends who are no longer here. Brooks was a true hero in every sense of the word, and we, Orioles fans, are so incredibly fortunate. As Jim Palmer said, Brooks was "the best." Thank you very much Roy. 

[oriolediehard]

11 hours ago, Roy Firestone said:

It's opening day for my team, the Baltimore Orioles, and I'm so excited.

The team has a new owner, a real Oriole fan who grew up in Baltimore...the club has some fantastic young players and they will be there for a few more years...the ballpark will be filled today..and the fans too will be filled with anticipation of another great year.

But the ONE person who wont be there is the ONE person who would have loved it more than just about anyone.

This is the first year in my baseball life that Brooks Robinson wont be here, and it still weighs heavy in my heart.

Brooks passed last last September 26 at the age of 86.

Everything I loved about the game was embodied by that man.

He was the best the game had to offer.

A man of personal warmth, optimism, incredible skills in the field, congeniality, but also, he represented everything that was good and right about the game.

I'd like to reprise a story I wrote about the time Brooks stayed at my home for a weekend with his son, Brooks David, and another Orioles legend, Jim Palmer.

When Brooks and his son Brooks David came into my house, a house decorated in Orioles memorabilia..I didn't want to embarrass him by making it look like it was a shrine to him, but I also have to be who I am.

I didn't take many things down.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, Brooks seemed to look at my collection with wonder and joy.

Brooks Robinson is perhaps the most beloved person I have ever known in my life...and not because he worked at it...but precisely because he DIDN'T.

He didn't "dish".

Didn't do "snark", and would never ever have told stories out of school.

Perhaps most of all, thats why people loved him.

As great a player as he was, with 16 Gold Gloves, he never ever pulled any kind of rank..never ever felt entitled to anything.

Class isn't something you "work at".

You have it, and your manner dictates it...class people never talk about themselves...never use their name as a third person.

In all the years I knew Brooks Robinson, it never occurred to him that he was BROOKS ROBINSON..

I could say so many things about that weekend of his visit, but some thoughts are matters of the heart...mine..so I'll keep most to myself.

But I will share one intimacy.at one point at dinner one night,

It was time to toast my friends, and toasting Palmer was easy and funny...but then I turned to Brooks and said this:

"I want you to know, and you do, how much I love you, and cherish you, and you must know, you are my hero, and always will be".

I then started to cry.

Brooks looked at me and said"I love you too Roy, and always will".

Then Brooks David looked at me and said something that made me feel like a million bucks.

"Roy, I love YOU, because you love my dad."

The weekend was so joyous and warm and wonderful, and Palmer kept it light with hysterical banter.

But the love was everywhere.

We all attended Frank Robinson's memorial on that Sunday, and Brooks was asked to speak about Frank:

'Frank was about winning, and when when we won with him, we won something more than baseball games...we won as people..just knowing him was a win..I'm a better man from having known him", he said.

Then we went back to my house.

Brooks slept in MY bedroom.

I slept in my guest room.

The King gets the best room, the best bed.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

That Sunday, I dropped Brooks and Brooks David off at the airport.

Palmer drove back to his home in his brand new car.

When I returned from the airport, I was left alone in my house, and took a deep breath.

My childhood heroes were my house guests that weekend, and every moment, every second, was cherished by me, and it won't ever be forgotten.

I was introduced to becoming a sportscaster directly because of Brooks.

He was my first interview when I was just 14.

But far more than that, he was an inspiration.

He was a man of character and generosity, and grace, and he specialized in human decency.

I have never met a more decent and beloved person in all my life.

How I carry myself in life came from my parents, and Brooks.

I only hope I served them well.

The house was quiet now, but the weekend my home was alive with memories, laughter, and a ton of love.

As I dropped the Robinson's off a the curb.. we hugged tightly, and Brooks walked away to the counter.

My eyes got misty again as they disappeared.

You never know about life.

You never know how much time you have left with people you dearly love.

Nothing is guaranteed for anyone.

So I was so deeply satisfied and grateful that our time that weekend was so very well spent, and the words were spoken, not kept away or protected.

My God, how wonderful a life I've had. So many joys, so many experiences.

This weekend ranked right near the top.

To borrow Brooks' line about Frank..."Im a better man for having known them".

Rest well, Brooks, I'm not sure about heaven..none of us really are...but if there IS one..you get a pass for eternity.

Watching Opening Day today will be wonderful, but for me, it will be a bit empty and yes, a tad sad.

Its the first Opening Day without Brooks in close to 70 years.

I owe him so much. I will always love and admire and cherish the time we spent together.

There will be other players, maybe even greater ones.

But there will never be a greater human being than Brooks Robinson.

I am blessed to have called him "friend"

Oriole fans were always his friends too.

Heres what I said when Brooks asked me to introduce his statue at Camden Yards.

 

https://youtu.be/Pz9iiXNRado?si=gQbXnnfzITeelNie

 

 

You were so fortunate to have that experience with Brooks and also Frank / Jim Palmer.