So long, Brooks; say hello, Ted
Brooks Robinson takes a victory lap during "Thanks, Brooks" day in 1977
Nearly a month after he retires and more than three months since his last hit for the Orioles, Brooks Robinson is the guest of honor 47 years ago today for “Thanks, Brooks” day at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium.
With a Sunday afternoon crowd of 51,798 watching every move of the most beloved player in franchise history, Robinson – who actually wants donations to charity rather than gifts – is presented with a new car, a trip to Hawaii and 16 new Gold Gloves to replace the ones he previously wins but donates to charity.
He also receives third base, which Doug DeCinces uproots from the ground to give to the legend he is replacing.
Brooks Robinson during the 1970 World Series
Robinson, the first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1983 known as “The Human Vacuum Cleaner” for his 23 seasons of exemplary work at third base, also receives a used Hoover vacuum cleaner from Orioles teammate Lee May, who with Cincinnati during the 1970 World Series is one of the Reds hitters Robinson regularly robs with highlight reel plays at third base.
“Everything we hit (in 1970), you sucked it up,” May jokes with the 40-year-old Robinson while presenting him with a slightly used Hoover during the pregame ceremony.
“And you’ll notice, Brooks, that just like you, this machine has a lot of miles on it.”
The fuzzy pregame moments soon enough melt into the actual game, which does not go well for the Orioles as they lose 10-4 to the Boston Red Sox.
While Robinson is the star of the day, the star of the game is Ted Cox, also a third baseman by trade who is making his major league debut as Boston’s designated hitter.
All Cox does in his first game is go 4-for-4 with three singles and a double.
Ted Cox after his 1977 debut with Boston
Cox then picks up two more singles in his first two at-bats the following night during a 6-3 victory the New York Yankees in Boston to become the first play in history to start his major league career with six hits in as many at-bats.
Alas, for Cox, he never again enjoys anything close to that kind of success as he quickly finds himself getting traded after the 1977 season to Cleveland.
Cox spends fewer than five seasons in the major leagues, finishing with Toronto in 1981 and leaving the game with a .245 lifetime batting average, 10 home runs in 272 career games and one unforgettable afternoon in which he steals some of the spotlight from Baltimore’s most memorable player, who also happens to be Cox’s childhood idol.
“Brooks Robinson came over to the clubhouse after the game to congratulate me on my fast start,” Cox later tells author Darl DeVault.
“It was a day of big thrills, but I almost passed out when he shook my hand, wished me luck and playfully thanked me for ‘ruining his big day.’ ”