Immortalized

Orioles hall of famer Brooks Robinson to live on forever as bobblehead

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

It's about the only baseball accomplishment the Baltimore Orioles legend does not boast on his resume, as only one other time has the hall of famer achieved bobblehead status.

So the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs figured their minority owner was due for a makeover in the form of the popular collectible doll, complete with the bobbling head during his heyday as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" at third base for the Baltimore Orioles. No other major leaguer has spent more years with his ballclub than Robinson's 23 in an Orioles uniform.

The Blue Crabs will feature the Robinson bobblehead giveaway July 17 at Regency Furniture Stadium when they clash with Camden to kick off a seven-game homestand.

"If you get a bobblehead, you've arrived," Robinson said with his trademark upbeat tone and laugh. "I hope they got my best picture for that. I think that's great."

The bobblehead depicts Robinson on one knee in the on-deck circle with his impressive 16 Gold Gloves scattered around him. No other position player in major league history has boasted more Gold Gloves than Robinson. Only pitcher Greg Maddux's 18 Gold Gloves rank above Robinson's stalwart defensive output at baseball's hot corner.

Robinson noted that he probably would not be in attendance for his bobblehead giveaway, but the former American League and World Series MVP will be on hand for the Blue Crabs' opening night Thursday when they begin their second season in front of the home fans. The atmosphere promises to be enthusiastic with it being the first season opener hosted by the Blue Crabs. Last year, they commenced their inaugural season on the road.

Pregame festivities will build up to the 7:05 p.m. start on opening night.

Iconic former Orioles manager Earl Weaver will accompany Robinson in greeting the expected packed house before the first pitch. A year ago, the Blue Crabs first home opener drew 7,180 fans — the biggest home crowd in the franchise's short history.

"I think people recognize Earl Weaver just as much as Brooks Robinson," said Robinson, who played for the Orioles hall-of-fame manager from 1968 until Robinson retired in 1977. "I look forward to thanking everyone for their support."

The opening-night opponent is rival Long Island, which beat out the Blue Crabs by just one game in the second half of last year to win the Liberty Division and subsequently earn a playoff berth.

The Blue Crabs celebrated their first campaign last season by matching Atlantic League champion Somerset with the best overall record of 74-66.

Crustacean Nation, however, was unable to see the memorable season continue into the playoffs, because the Blue Crabs failed to win the division during either half of the year, finishing in the runner-up position both times.

"I think it will be better," Robinson said about the Blue Crabs improving this season. "The Blue Crabs were tied for the most wins last year, and [Manager] Butch Hobson has gotten a number of guys for this year that he couldn't get last year. Butch has been doing this a long time, and he has a lot of contacts and knows people that he wants to be on the team. He has a lot more insight this year than last year.

"I talked to [Blue Crabs hitting coach] Andy Etchebarren, and he seemed pretty optimistic."

Etchebarren spent all 12 of his Major League seasons with the Orioles as a teammate of Robinson's.

"Butch will be disappointed [if the Blue Crabs don't make the playoffs]. He wants to win, and I would like to see him win too," Robinson added. "Winning breeds more people to the ballpark. I think we've gotten over the hump with people that we're not an affiliated team. I don't know how the economy is going to affect us in one way or another. We'll have to wait and see.

"Attendance-wise, I'm looking forward to [the Blue Crabs' second season]."

That's because Robinson is confident in the product the Blue Crabs and the league are putting out on the diamond. The increase in Blue Crabs promotions for their home games, such as the Robinson bobblehead, combined with the affordability of the tickets also make for a fan-friendly atmosphere.

"It's a great brand of baseball," Robinson said of the league. "It's often described as Double-A pitching versus Triple-A hitting. I think that's pretty good baseball. I'm surprised how good of a caliber of baseball there is in the Atlantic League. It's far exceeded anything I thought about in an independent league.

"We've got some great managers in the league with Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Tommy John and Sparky Lyle. I think the league, respectability-wise, is the best in the country."

Robinson plans to take in about a handful of Blue Crabs games in person.

"Most of the time when I come, it's a spur of the moment and I take a couple of the grandkids with me," he said.

As an investor in Opening Day Partners, which owns the Blue Crabs along with the league's Camden, Lancaster and York franchises, Robinson keeps to a busy schedule that only allows for limited time to make it out to the ballparks of the teams he holds interests in.

"I don't favor one over the other," Robinson said when asked if he feels a closer connection to the Blue Crabs since he's a Maryland man. "I turned the first shovel in all three stadiums [that ODP recently built]. York is where I broke in [as a professional baseball player]. When I went there, it was a terrific place to play. That market was the hardest sell to get them to start baseball [in the Atlantic League]."