Yea for York
Lack of Brooks statue here is monumental blunder
by Rick Maese, April 5, 2008
He still remembers the first professional uniform he ever wore. He was
18 years old, fresh off the bus from Arkansas. The jersey said White
Roses across the chest. In his first pro game, the public address
announcer in York, Pa., announced the team's new second baseman as Bob
Robinson.
The image of Brooks Robinson in a uniform that says anything other
than " Orioles" or "Baltimore" is a foreign one, but one that will now
be preserved for years to come. A life-size bronze statue of a young
Robinson, donning that first pro uniform, will be unveiled at a
ceremony today in York.
"Going from Bob Robinson to this statue is a pretty big leap,"
Robinson says with a laugh.
It's quite an honor, and the York Revolution, an independent baseball
team owned by a group that includes Robinson, should be commended. But
I know what you're thinking.
You're thinking about the Stan Musial statue in St. Louis. And the
Tony Gwynn statue in San Diego. And the Ernie Banks statue unveiled
this week in Chicago. And Willie Mays and Willie McCovey in San
Francisco. And Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner and Willie Stargell in
Pittsburgh. And ... well, you get the idea.
Why is Robinson being bronzed in York, where his career was born, but
not in Baltimore, where his legacy was formed, carefully crafted,
dipped in gold and deserving of preservation until the end of days?
The short answer you might find frustrating, and the long one,
maddening. It's the kind of travesty that only seems to happen in this
city and with this franchise. Before we get to the Baltimore part of
the story, let's start where Brooks did - in York.
"He's just beloved there," says Peter Kirk, chairman of Opening Day
Partners, which owns and operates three teams, including the
Revolution. "He played his first professional game as an 18-year-old,
and even though he was only there for a few months, he became part of
the community."
When Robinson was brought on board as part of the owner****p group this
spring, plans were already under way to construct a statue that would
serve as the centerpiece to the newly named Brooks Robinson Plaza, a
stone's throw away from Brooks Robinson Way.
Kirk says the Revolution certainly wasn't trying to upstage Baltimore.
In truth, the team was simply filling the void, doing what should've
been done around here long ago. But why hasn't it? Surely someone has
thought before about honoring Robinson. After all, there's a Babe Ruth
statue outside of Camden Yards, and a Johnny Unitas statue outside M&T
Bank Stadium.
It should come as no surprise that there has actually been a concerted
effort to memorialize Robinson with a statue in Baltimore. There's a
small group of businessmen, philanthropists and baseball fans who
raised all the funds, who had the sketch work done for a 16-foot
statue, who even had a miniature model made. This was three years ago.
The plans were shared with the Maryland Stadium Authority, which
oversees Camden Yards, and with the Orioles, who would have to approve
such an addition. "The only thing we're waiting on is Peter Angelos,"
one of the group members told me. "All we have to do is get the green
light, and we're ready to go."
An Orioles spokesman said that though he's not aware of any pending
plans to honor Robinson or any other players with statues, the
organization is sup****tive of York's efforts and "thrilled" for
Robinson.
"Brooks Robinson is Mr. Oriole," said Greg Bader, the Orioles'
director of communications. "Like the other great Oriole Hall of
Famers, he is honored with the display of his retired number as part
of our retired number statues. This has been a tradition since Camden
Yards opened to honor Oriole greats in this manner." In addition to
the 5-foot statues of retired numbers, former Orioles players are also
honored with plaques along Eutaw Street and in a display in the S****ts
Legends Museum.
Robinson is plenty familiar with the plan for a Baltimore statue. He
would never raise a fuss, though, over who chooses to honor him and
who doesn't.
"You know, they already honor us. We have the numbers out there,"
Robinson said. "I don't think Peter's really made up his mind with
what he wants to do. There's been talk of having something like the
Yankees do in center field, honoring the six numbers that have been
retired. That's fine with me."
Of course it's fine with Robinson. But it shouldn't be with everyone
else. He deserves more. Today's unveiling of the York statue should
impress upon Orioles owner****p the dire need to right this wrong.
It's one thing to sell fans 10 years of losing baseball, but it's
utterly embarrassing that an independent team 50 miles up the road has
to pick up the slack and honor a treasured piece of Orioles history.
Baseball fans in Baltimore are proud of Robinson; the ballclub should
be, too.
Robinson was told about the York statue several months ago. He had
tears in his eyes, and in turn, so did everyone nearby. He seems
humbled by the honor.
Robinson fondly remembers his brief stint in York, where he first
played third base. He recalls his father taking the bus to watch him
play, an exhibition game between the White Roses and the Orioles. The
White Roses won, 13-1, aided by a three-run home run by Robinson.
"I had a wonderful time in York, a wonderful manager, George Staller,
so many nice things happened," he said.
He also remembers that September call-up, a teenager going from York
to Baltimore - a short trip but a gigantic leap - for his major league
debut. "I remember going back to the hotel after I got two hits,
called my mom and dad. I said, 'Guess what? Two-for-4 today, knocked
in a big run. I don't know what the hell I was doing at York. I should
be here in the big leagues,' " Robinson says. "Then I went 0-for-18,
struck out 10 times. I knew I had a long way to go."
Kirk, the Revolution owner, says the York statue - modeled off the
famed Norman Rockwell painting - honors an 18-year-old Robinson.
Though the statue wears a No. 5 uniform, it doesn't pur****t to depict
an Oriole. This means there's plenty of room for another statue.
"We're honoring Brooks at the very beginning of his career," Kirk
says. "There have been a number of people who have talked about trying
to honor Brooks with a statue in Baltimore. Perhaps what we're doing
in York will help push that project over the top and finally give
Brooks the recognition in Baltimore that he really deserves."
It's an honor long overdue, an idea that should stand tall and proud
near the stadium gates, not lie ignored, collecting dust on a
warehouse desk. For the Orioles, who are thankfully finally rebuilding
from the ground up, the future cannot arrive soon enough. But it
should never come at the expense of the past.
In Baltimore, it's not that Robinson will ever be forgotten. He just
deserves to be remembered properly.
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