Abdominal Surgery

Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson was released from the hospital Friday after abdominal surgery Dec. 28. "The surgery was successful, and I anticipate a full recovery," Robinson, 72, said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Diane Hock. "I have assured my wife, Connie, and my doctors that I will take it easy over the next few months. I thank you for the outpouring of prayers, compassion and concern." Hock said Robinson, who returned to his Baltimore home, considered the surgery routine, and that it was not related to the cancer he battled earlier in the year.

Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson was released from the hospital Friday after abdominal surgery Dec. 28. "The surgery was successful, and I anticipate a full recovery," Robinson, 72, said in a statement issued by spokeswoman Diane Hock. "I have assured my wife, Connie, and my doctors that I will take it easy over the next few months. I thank you for the outpouring of prayers, compassion and concern." Hock said Robinson, who returned to his Baltimore home, considered the surgery routine, and that it was not related to the cancer he battled earlier in the year.

Ravens cornerback Gary Baxter underwent abdominal hernia surgery yesterday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Baxter's rehabilitation is expected to last four to eight weeks, which should make him available for the Ravens' first minicamp May 7-9. It was an injury Baxter played through during the final part of the season. Baxter finished third on the team with 106 tackles and intercepted three passes. The injury is the first major one for Baxter since his rookie year of 2001 when a knee problem forced him out of the better part of training camp and the first half of the season.

Hall of Fame Maryland football coach Jerry Claiborne died early yesterday morning at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., after undergoing what was thought to be successful abdominal surgery on Friday. "Dad was walking around on Saturday," Claiborne's son, Jonathan, said yesterday. "We thought things were going to work out. He had some breathing difficulty Saturday night and then his heart stopped at 12:30 Sunday morning. They tried to resuscitate him but couldn't.