Minnie, a Rockwell and a big game

Minnie1951MINNIE MINOSO

Sorry I haven?t blogged in a while.  I was traveling quite a bit.  I did receive a question about why Minnie Minoso wasn?t chosen for the Hall of Fame this year.

I love Minnie Minoso. Minnie has been one of my favorite people. I see him about two or three times a year, usually at Legends Games or sports banquets. He is always looking great and doing great, just as in that 1951 picture to the right here. He was one terrific player. I think the reason he wasn?t voted in during the special election was the fact that he spent many years in the major leagues and has not been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame through the regular process. 

The African American players being inducted this year played primarily in the Negro leagues and would have never had the chance to being inducted into the HOF through the normal channels.

WHAT I?VE BEEN UP TO

It was a very exciting week back here in Baltimore. I own the original Norman Rockwell print of ?Gee, Thanks Brooks.? My wife Connie and I are loaning this wonderful piece of artwork to the Geethanksbrooks
Maryland Science Center for a great exhibit: Rockwell?s America. The exhibit features many of the original Saturday Evening Post covers and other works of Norman Rockwell. The exhibit is interactive so you can sit in a WWII Jeep or at the soda counter that was reconstructed from an original cover. The Becker Group put together this traveling exhibit. I was there for the opening in Nashville. It went to Indianapolis and now it is in my adopted hometown of Baltimore. I?ll be there throughout the summer. You can always check my website at brooksrobinson.com to see when I?ll be there. 

BROOKS ROBINSON ALL-STAR GAME

I?m heading to a press conference today to announce the Maryland High School Seniors who will participate in the Brooks Robinson All-Star Game. Many of the seniors who participate in this game go oTexieranto major league careers. In the past few years Mark Teixeira (Rangers), Gavin Floyd (Phillies) and Mike O’Connor (Nationals) have all made it to the big leagues.

As always, please feel free to leave your comments and questions below.

Brooks

13 comments

  2. John

    As Minnie says “beisbol been bery bery good to me, but the Hall of Fame has not been good to Minnie. As a life long Sox fan he deserves to be in the hall. He has promoted baseball not only in Chicago but world wide. His playing career speaks for itself.

    Check out my MLBlog “Major League Ballhawk” http://theballhawk.mlblogs.com

    Reply
  3. Zack

    Hey, Brooks-

    I have a huge collection of baseballs that I’ve caught as a fan at Major League games (and batting practices). Last year, I decided that my new lifetime goal would be to collect as many baseballs as Pete Rose had hits…and ever since, I’ve been climbing up the career hits leader board.

    Well, guess what…I’m only four short of your outstanding total of 2,848. Just thought you should know.

    🙂

    -The Baseball Collector

    http://snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/

    Reply
  4. Kellia

    Hey Brooks,

    Hope all is well with you. I am writing you this note on June 30th, Ron Swoboda’s birthday. He made an important catch against you in the 1969 World Series. I was a 13 year old New York high school freshman and big Ron Swoboda fan back then, as I wrote on my blog today. I would love to read an account of the play from your perspective.

    Kellia

    http://byrnesblog.mlblogs.com

    Reply
  5. crazychrisb@hotmail.com

    Hello, Mr. Robinson,
    My name is Christian and I am 12 years old. You are most definitely my #1, most favorite, baseball player. You are a HUGE role model. I am a baseball player (its my fav. sport), for little league, and I am an infielder. I was wanting to know if it would be possible for you to sign a baseball if I pay to mail it to you and back to me.

    Sincerely,

    Christian

    P.S. My dad showed me videos of you playing and you were magical! How did you do those unbelievable diving catches?!?

    Reply
  6. callahamt@gmail.com

    I’ve never seen Brooks sign an autograph, but the painting depicts him signing the ball left-handed. I know that Brooks bats and throws with his right hand. Does he write left-handed or is this a discrepancy? Thanks,

    Taylor Callaham

    Reply
  7. christianarchy@gmail.com

    brooks, i’m a new reader to your blog, but your mention of the special vote has me curious. as someone on the inside, could you give some insight into why buck o’neil was left on the outside looking in? and is the process totally finished in such a way that he will now never have an opportunity?

    thanks for your thoughts.

    tuffy

    http://christianarchy.9players.com

    Reply
  8. Tommaso

    Mr. Robinson,

    I had a couple general questions that I’m really interested in what your answer will.

    First, who is your favorite player of today to watch and why? And my second question is who your favorite player to watch all-time was/is?

    I tend to believe knowing who somebody’s favorite player is tells a little bit about another’s personality. Other than that, I’m just interested in what a HOF like yourself will say.

    Thanks,

    Justin Townsend

    – thewildpitch.mlblogs.com

    Reply
  9. ehdee@superchew.com

    Brooks,
    I heard you on the broadcast last night. I happened to agree with all of your comments. We have an online discussion board here ( http://mb3.scout.com/fbaltimoreoriolesfrm1 ) and we end up saying the same things all year round for the last few years. You should drop by some time. There are plenty of fans who grew up watching you there. Many folks like myself grew up with Eddie and Cal but I also idolized you since I was raised in an Os fan family. There’s also a lot of younger generation of fans there too. I feel sorry for those guys since all they know of the Orioles is struggle, but, we older fans try to tell the kids what the Oriole Way was like.

    Anyways, it is great to see you have a blog. And it was a great nice surprise to see you on the broadcast.

    Reply
  10. olzakj@comcast.net

    Brooks,

    years ago you autographed baseballs for my children. However the autographs have since bled and your signature is not longer recognizable.

    Any chance of a warranty touch up on them?

    Thanks

    Reply
  11. sfr@dogfeathers.net

    Brooks,

    I did have occasion to meet you some years ago and it was a pleasure. I becaaame an Oriole fan some years after Washington lost its 2nd team in 1972, I believe. Now that D.C. has a team again, the Orioles are my second favorite team. Sorry.

    Have you seen the Nats young 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman, either on TV or in person? There are those fans who believe he is the next Brooks Robinson. That is very unfair to the young man (he’s only in his second year) but he is the real deal. He makes some terrific plays at third. His average is down this year – about in the high .240’s – but his power numbers are on pace with last year – his rookie year. His demeanor is even keeled, and he’s handling the pressure of being the Nats cornerstone player (as well as the “hot corner :-))very well.

    My wife and I moved to Asheville, NC last year from Hagerstown. We lived there for 11 years after moving from the close-in D.C.suburbs of Maryland, where we both grew up.It was an easy drive to Oriole Park from Hagerstown, not so easy to RFK. Of course, I am a fan of the Asheville Tourists, who play in the same league with both the Delmarva Shorebirds and the Hagerstown Suns, the Nats new farm club in that league.

    I have an Oriole baseball cap with #8 on it and a big tee -shirt honoring Cal Ripken’s career, which I will wear all during Baseball Hall of Fame week. Are you going to be there for Cal’s induction?

    Best to you and your family.

    Steve

    Reply

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