He still remembers the first professional uniform he ever wore. He was 18 years old, fresh off the bus from Arkansas. The jersey said White Roses across the chest. In his first pro game, the public address announcer in York, Pa., announced the team's new second baseman as Bob Robinson.
The image of Brooks Robinson in a uniform that says anything other than "Orioles" or "Baltimore" is a foreign one, but one that will now be preserved for years to come. A life-size bronze statue of a young Robinson, donning that first pro uniform, will be unveiled at a ceremony today in York.
"Going from Bob Robinson to this statue is a pretty big leap," Robinson says with a laugh.
It's quite an honor, and the York Revolution, an independent baseball team owned by a group that includes Robinson, should be commended. But I know what you're thinking.
You're thinking about the Stan Musial statue in St. Louis. And the Tony Gwynn statue in San Diego. And the Ernie Banks statue unveiled this week in Chicago. And Willie Mays and Willie McCovey in San Francisco. And Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner and Willie Stargell in Pittsburgh. And ... well, you get the idea.
Why is Robinson being bronzed in York, where his career was born, but not in Baltimore, where his legacy was formed, carefully crafted, dipped in gold and deserving of preservation until the end of days?
The short answer you might find frustrating, and the long one, maddening. It's the kind of travesty that only seems to happen in this city and with this franchise. Before we get to the Baltimore part of the story, let's start where Brooks did - in York.
"He's just beloved there," says Peter Kirk, chairman of Opening Day Partners, which owns and operates three teams, including the Revolution. "He played his first professional game as an 18-year-old, and even though he was only there for a few months, he became part of the community."
When Robinson was brought on board as part of the ownership group this spring, plans were already under way to construct a statue that would serve as the centerpiece to the newly named Brooks Robinson Plaza, a stone's throw away from Brooks Robinson Way.
Kirk says the Revolution certainly wasn't trying to upstage Baltimore. In truth, the team was simply filling the void, doing what should've been done around here long ago. But why hasn't it? Surely someone has thought before about honoring Robinson. After all, there's a Babe Ruth statue outside of Camden Yards, and a Johnny Unitas statue outside M&T Bank Stadium.
