Ask any baseball expert what it takes to win a World Championship and the answer is invariably the same; great pitching, timely hitting, and superb defense. From 1966-1971, the Baltimore Orioles had all three, and built a baseball dynasty, compiling a combined 582-383 record, with four American League pennants and two World Series Championships in six seasons. With Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, and Mike Cuellar commanding the hill, Baltimore certainly had the pitching, outfielders Frank Robinson and Boog Powell supplied the big sticks, and the defense was led by the greatest fielding third basemen of all-time, Brooks Robinson.
Robinson’s defensive prowess at the “hot corner” was so far ahead of anything ever seen before that he was given the nickname “The Human Vacuum Cleaner.” After a game where he turned in several defensive gems, Umpire Paul Runge commented, "That kid plays third base like he came down from a higher league." When the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds in the 1970 World Series, with Brooks named series MVP for his sparking plays that robbed Cincinnati of several hits, Reds Manager Sparky Anderson said, "I was beginning to see Brooks in my sleep. If I dropped a paper plate, he'd pick it up on one hop and throw me out at first." As awe-inspiring as Robinson was on defense, he carried plenty of stick as well, routinely tallying over 20 homers and 70 RBI per season. In 23 seasons, all with the Orioles, Brooks hit 268 home runs, had over 2,800 hits, won an American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1964, appeared in 15 consecutive All-Star games, and won 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1960-75. In 1983, Brooks Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Offered is an amazing game-used jersey vest, worn by Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson during the Orioles dynasty in 1968. The vintage Wilson size 44 label and team tagged “68-1” white swatch are stitched onto the front left tail, with individual letters “B. Robinson” and bi-colored “5” tackle twill stitched onto the reverse. This flannel button-down vest is in such extraordinary condition that it could pass for a newly-made throwback if not for the small areas of fabric wear from game use. Just one look at this incredible gamer brings back memories of the Baltimore’s famous World Series battles with the Red, Pirates, and “The Amazin’ Mets.” LOA from Mile High Card Co.