Brooks Robinson

For many, Brooks Robinson's most lasting achievement seems less the 16 Gold Gloves and two World Series titles he won as a player than the unshakable courtesy with which he won them. The O's legend displayed a rock-solid decency that seemed, somehow, as quintessentially American as the national pastime itself. If Brooks Robinson didn't exist, in fact, it might have been necessary for Norman Rockwell to invent him. If you go Rockwell's America: Celebrating the Art of Norman Rockwell will be on display at the Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., through January.

Just past the receptionist's desk in the Baltimore CFLs' offices at Memorial Stadium, visitors are greeted by a three-foot-high bronze plaque with John Unitas' bust on top and his football accomplishments at the bottom.If it looks familiar, it should. It is the same plaque that once hung with Brooks Robinson's in the main concourse of the stadium.Now, some three weeks after the plaque was propped up against a wall, unsecured, John Unitas Jr. is asking the team to move it back to its rightful place -- in the main concourse.

We reporters are pretty predictable. The obvious story line rarely escapes us. So when Manny Machado, the Orioles' 20-year-old rookie third baseman hits a game-winning homer in the seventh and makes two good plays on defense on the night the franchise honors the best defensive third baseman in the history of baseball, Brooks Robinson, well, we couldn't let that rest. But I give Machado a whole lot of credit. It was kind of a loaded question, asking him whether it was fitting for him to come up big on Brooks Robinson statue night.

Brooks Robinson can't believe this is the 25th year of the high school all-star baseball game that was renamed in his honor three years ago when he helped keep it alive. All the seniors who will play in the Brooks Robinson All-Star Game on June 25 at Camden Yards are glad he did. The event started in 1982 as the Crown All-Star Game at the urging of the former Orioles great, but Crown dropped its sponsorship after the 2003 game. "It sure does mean a lot to me, and I've had a lot of fun with this," said Robinson, who attended a news conference yesterday at Camden Yards to introduce the 30 players who will play in the game that will follow an Orioles-Washington Nationals game.

I couldn't help but compare the September 20, 2012 front page picture of high-flying Nate McLouth, Adam Jones and Lew Ford to the now famous picture of airborne Brooks Robinson after the last pitch of the 1966 World Series. Nobody thought the 1966 Birds had a chance against the Dodgers; likewise, who would have thought the 2012 Birds would be giving the Yankees a run for their money! Go O's! D. Morris, Edgewood

Fans have voted Cal Ripken as the Orioles' Major League Baseball Hometown Hero. The first 10 "winners" were revealed on ESPN as Ripken, Hank Aaron for Atlanta, Frank Thomas for the White Sox, Dontrelle Willis for Florida, Babe Ruth for the Yankees, Reggie Jackson for Oakland, Mike Schmidt for Philadelphia, Wade Boggs for Tampa Bay, Joe Carter for Toronto and Gary Carter for Washington. I would have assumed Jeff Conine for the Marlins, but, whatever. Anyone think Brooks Robinson was more deserving than Ripken?

Hoping to allow more fans to honor late manager Earl Weaver, the Orioles are pushing back their "A Celebration of Earl" to 6 p.m. on Saturday April 20. The event, to be held at Camden Yards, had initially been scheduled to start at 2 p.m. that day. The celebration will include a video tribute and a collection of guest speakers, including fellow Hall of Famers Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson. Current manager Buck Showalter is also scheduled to speak at the event, as will National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson and Earl's son Mike.

On Brooks' sideThis letter is in response to one by George W. Schruefer, which appeared in The Sun Nov. 3. He was upset about the Colts band and Johnny Unitas participating in the last game at Memorial Stadium.Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this a farewell program to a stadium where both baseball and football were played? It's hard to forget all of the thrills John Unitas gave this city while participating in the world's largest outdoor insane asylum.What really irked me about Schruefer's letter was his referring to Brooks Robinson as a "jerk."

The Hall of Fame features one glass case devoted to the Orioles' powerhouses of the 1960s and 1970s, and it proved a favorite gathering spot for Baltimore fans yesterday as they streamed into town for the induction. It was hard to move 3 feet anywhere in the museum without bumping into a person in orange. But traffic was thicker at the case, where scores of fans stopped to gawk and point digital cameras at jerseys of Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray, Earl Weaver and Jim Palmer.

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Mike Schmidt will be inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame on Sunday and assume -- in the minds of millions of fans -- that place in baseball history reserved for the game's greatest third baseman.And why not? The guy hit 548 home runs during his 18-year major-league career. He ranks among the all-time leaders in virtually every relevant power and run-production category. He was named National League Most Valuable Player three times. He led the league in home runs eight times.