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Orioles' legend talks Crabs
Part-owner tells of his confidence in playoff success
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
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As the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs opened their quest for the Atlantic League Championship Thursday evening, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson chatted with the Maryland Independent about the quality of independent league baseball, fan attendance, the state of his former team and more. The following is excerpted from Robinson's conversation with staff writer Alan Brody.
Q: What has been the key to the Blue Crabs' success this year?
A: Manager Butch Hobson, as far as I'm concerned is the best manager in the whole league. I'm excited that he's had such a great season. There's a lot of [major league] teams that are missing the boat by not taking a look at hiring Butch.
Q: What have you learned most being in the front office as compared to on the field or in the broadcast booth?
A: It's been interesting. I've learned a lot just talking to [Opening Day Partners Chairman] Peter Kirk and [ODP President] Jon Danos. Independent baseball is here to stay. I keep telling people that outside the Orioles, it's the best brand of baseball in the state of Maryland. I think it's a great brand of baseball and people find that it's a great night out.
Q: Your ownership group, Opening Day Partners, also owns two Atlantic League teams in Pennsylvania and another in New Jersey. How often do you attend games?
A: I get to three, four or five games at every ballpark in York, Pa., Lancaster, Pa., and Southern Maryland. I have made it to Camden [Yards] a couple times.
Q: What impact has the economy had on the Blue Crabs this year?
A: We've been drawing fairly well, I guess, but we're hoping we have a big turnout for the playoffs this year.
I just have a positive outlook on baseball in Southern Maryland. Everyone is being hurt by the economy, not only minor league baseball, but the big leagues also. I think when it's all said and done, our league will draw as many people as ever.
Q: As a veteran of postseason baseball, what would be your advice to the Blue Crabs players as they embark on their championship quest?
A: I don't have to say a thing to them. Butch is a good motivator. He not only runs the game, but he knows how to motivate the players. I'm just going to watch and pull for them.
Q: What if one of the players sought your counsel on how to deal with playoff pressure?
A: I felt fantastic when we were playing the [New York] Mets in [the 1969 World Series] but I only got one hit in the entire series [Robinson went 1-for-19 as the Orioles lost in five games]. The next year, we played Cincinnati and their pitching was a little less potent. [Robinson hit .429 – 9-for-21 with two home runs – and shone defensively as the Orioles beat the Reds in five games].
If you play enough baseball, that when these games get here, you play it like a regular game.
When you get in situations like this — playing in the All-Star Game or the playoffs — I think your concentration is a little better. During the season, I gave away so many at-bats because of a lack of concentration.
Q: What have been your impressions of the quality of play in the Atlantic League?
A: I didn't think the caliber of baseball was going to be that good when I first got involved here.
It was initially described to me as Double-A pitching and Triple-A hitting. I really think the pitcher has been upgraded. In talking to some of the general managers and managers, they think the quality of play is Triple-A.
Q: How do you think the community and fans have responded to having an unaffiliated team play in Southern Maryland?
A: That's one of the humps that we had to get over when we went to Lancaster. There were a lot of people who wanted to know why they couldn't be a Philadelphia franchise, but there are certain location rights and factors that prevent you from doing that. Baseball is baseball. The price is nice and it's good family entertainment. When kids come out, they want to have a good time. This league is more entertainment than anything else, and when fans leave the park, we hope they have a good time. To kids, a baseball game is a baseball game.
Q: Southern Maryland ranks fifth in the Atlantic League in attendance in just its second year and some games have had very sparse crowds. Before the season, you said you had high hopes for big attendance numbers. Are you concerned that the initial excitement surrounding the team has faded? How confident are you that the community will continue to support the Blue Crabs in the future and that independent league baseball as a whole can survive in a crowded market?
A: There's plenty of room for independent teams to do very well. The thing that I enjoy most when I do come to Southern Maryland and when the fans recognize me is to see them wearing Blue Crabs hats and Blue Crabs T-shirts.
That's great to see. It is part of the fabric down there and I think it's just going to get better.
I just think that there's always going to be a place for independent baseball. Major league baseball ought to be happy as heck that we have independent baseball. In 13 years, the Atlantic League has had about 550 players sign with major league organizations.
There are always players who think they're going to make it back to the big leagues. And there are always scouts in the stands seeing where they can make their organizations better.
Q: After your playing career, you spent some time in the broadcast booth and had some opportunities to manage, but decided not to pursue them. Do you have any regrets and would you consider it now if given the chance?
A: Maybe Butch will let me sit on the bench with him one night.
Q: The Orioles are mired in last place this season and are guaranteed to finish with a below-.500 average for the 12th consecutive year. As you see it, are there any hopes on the horizon that fans can look forward to?
A: I think there's some bright sunshine in the future. The big problem with the O's is they have had no continuity in the last 12 to 15 years. You can't win when you have five or six general managers or five or six managers because they each have their own philosophy and they each bring in their own personnel [Since 1998, the Orioles have had six general managers and five managers]. I do think they have the right mix now. [Owner Peter] Angelos has never trusted anyone who he hired as GM, but I do think they have the right guy in there now with Andy MacPhail.
On the field, they're just experimenting right now. Even though they're going to lose 90-plus games, I think they're in a better position right now than they have been in recent years. They have several good young ballplayers in catcher Matt Wieters, second baseman Brian Roberts, and three or four outfielders that are going to be there for a long time [Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold, who started for the majority of the season in the outfield, are no older than 25 years-old].
Their main need is a big right-handed power hitter. They've got some good young pitching arms and hopefully they can make some improvements. I think they're headed in the right direction, even though they're in their 12th straight losing season.
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