YORK, Pa. — The baseball world continues to mourn the loss of one of the greatest Orioles players in history .. Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson.
Often referred to as Mr. Oriole, Robinson played all 23 of his big league seasons with Baltimore. He's a founding member of the York Revolution and the White Rose City is where Robinson’s professional career started seven decades ago.
It all started in 1955 – as a member of the York White Roses. It wasn’t long until he was called up by the O's, but the White Rose City was always a special place to Robinson.
Half a century later, he helped bring professional baseball back to York.
“For someone who started off here and they were able to come back, later on in life and give back to the community. That’s very honorable," said Josh Jacobs from East York.
Robinson is the only major league player to have his jersey retired and never play an inning for the Revolution. His involvement in the local community is a legacy of its own.
Robinson won 16 consecutive Golden Gloves at third base for the O's. In 2007, he was named the greatest Defensive Player of All-Time. He chose to have the award presented to him not in Camden Yards, but in York during the first year of the franchise.
That makes the Revs the only minor league ballpark to host a major league Golden Glove ceremony.
“He’d say, 'I was given the gift and I have to pay it back.' He viewed himself as being gifted the talent and he really wanted to reciprocate and wanted to give back and that’s, what I think, really drove him," said Eric Menzer, the York Revolution's president.
Rev's groundskeeper Chris Carbaugh drew the number five to shine bright in the infield, right on the hot corner, the exact location Robinson helped break ground for the ballpark.
“He went out there to that very spot and took a ground ball from a little league kid from York and fielded it, as a part of the groundbreaking ceremonies for the ballpark," said Menzer.
Fans remember Robinson as one-of-a-kind.
“[He taught ] how to be a good person, a team player. How to be honest and true and play your heart out. [How to] celebrate the good times and stick with your friends through the bad times," said York County fan Jake Jacobs.
There are tributes to Robinson all over the grounds… and a very special one shows his true character.
“There’s a young Brooks Robinson, in his York White Roses jersey and he’s signing for two York kids. One has a Dallastown jersey, the other had a York jersey, a boy and a girl. It really represents the man he was. Not just the ball player he was," Menzer explained.
Brooks Robinson will always be an Orioles legend and will always be appreciated for where his road started in professional baseball. Robinson also helped start the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs organizations in addition to the York Revolution.