nuwmn.Turlrnm.ioWWW l.llJ I IIUMIUIJMM p,l,,W II I LIPW HIBII The Baltimore Evening Sun lavish parties given at the staid old Otesaga Hall of Fame library. skies. Hotel or the beer more blasts held at the Three other inductees former Oriole Always a simple man, he kept his COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. On earthy Glimmerglass Lounge, the occasion George Kell, for- remarks - a warm and Juan Marichal and brief. He thanked the people who hazy and thoroughly magical summer af- was deemed important by all. mer Los Angeles Dodgers Walter furthered his career, ternoon, took The day's formally began with a such as Paul Richards, his first steps activities Alston also were scheduled to join the Hall his former manager. He thanked his parents into baseball's Hall of Fame and dragged an massive noontime seafood brunch at the Ote- of Fame, but this afternoon belonged to Robinson takes and his family, his wife, Connie, and his chil- entire city along with him. saga, a gala affair sponsored by a group of Brooks Robinson. dren. If true that Brooks prominent Baltimore businessmen. It was it's Robinson fell in love an If he stared long and hard into the sea of "I must be the luckiest man the Hall, with Baltimore more than 20 years ago, then event that took more than two years to plan, orange and black uniforms., if he drank in world." honors of in he said with a soft smile. "How could any- Sun- an event thou- that love was returned a thousand times that wined and dined almost a the waves and waves of applause ... if he one man be so fortunate?" O-R-I-O-L-- day. Never was a romance sweeter sand Baltimoreans bent on turning week- could E-S! fo- than the the hear the cheers and Six minutes later, Brooks Baltimore's fans one that showed itself in this tiny central end into a 72-ho-ur party. cus m on the Robinson had elaborate banners that dotted walked into the Hall of Fame, but Baltimore New York village. For those lucky enough to gain entrance, the crowd, Brooks Robinson knew Bal- what refused to let him go. The applause and the The people of Baltimore traveled far to de- there were clams and oysters and lobster timore thought of him this day. cheering would liver a simple, yet tails to feast on, not stop, because Baltimore scripted message: "We salads and desserts, and The banners alone told a story: could never Brooks love you, enough to 5 let Robinson walk awav. Brooks." And the best third base- beer and booze float the Queen "No. is No. 1" Two hours man the game has ever seen returned the Mary. And if all that was not enough, there "Thanks, Brooks" later, the Hall of Fame Library steps were deserted. Yet inside it-- i sentiments. was Brooks Robinson, dressed for the occa- The inductions of Alston (who is recov- the hall salmon-colore- self, a man and a boy through "I think of one other thing today," Robin- sion in a d sports coat. a stared a glass I ering from heart attack and was rep- case at a part of 1 son said at the induction ceremonies, his Over at the Glimmerglass, the feasting resented by his grandson), Kell Brooks Robinson's past. and Mari- Inside the case was glove worn words filtering into the majestic firs and was not as sumptuous, yet was equally fulfil- chal proceeded smoothly, by the by Rob- accompanied inson during the 1974 season. pines that encircle the Hall of Fame. "Some- ling. Bob Pollack was feasting on Budweiser; warm applause. Fittingly, Robinson was the There was a bat he All-St- ar thing be- used in the 1966 Game, one of other players might not appreciate his friend, Bob Catonzaro, was imbibing a final inductee; the moment was left to savor. his ur helmets, a bronze statue pro- cause of the changing structure of the game. Miller Lite. The two had made the seven-ho- And when baseball Commissioner Bowie claiming him as the Baltimore Man-of-the-Dec- ade "And that is Baltimore. That town sup- drive through the harsh Pennslyvania Kuhn glowmglv recited Brooks' 20-ye- ar sta- from 1961-197- 1. ported Brooks Robinson, not just on the good countryside and into the gentle hills of cen- tistics and asked rhetorically "Just how days but on New Yet the boy could not take his eves off the S the bad days, too." tral York, and neither had come away good was he?" jeweled More than 51 busloads of worshipers made disappointed. Hickock belt, the award" Robinson i "The best!" roared the crowd, over and won for being the the seven-hou- r trip to Cooperstown: count- If attention is what Brooks Robinson de- over again. "The best!" athlete of the year in 1970. , "He must have been some'plaver," 3 less more arrived by car; more still jour- served, he was positively swimming in by " said it "You really know how to make it tough on the boy to his neyed by airline and private plane. And the time the induction ceremonies began. A father. 1 a guy," answered Robinson, with a smile "The whether you judged the celebration by the 12,000 best," the man said after a moment record crowd of ringed the steps of the that seemed to cut through the overcast "He was the best"

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