Brooks Robinson

This Robinson played Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles until retiring in 1977. Third base, he played, the hot corner as it’s familiarly referred. He was the American Leagues Most Valuable Player in 1964, won 16 consecutive Gold Glove Awards (awarded to the best defensive player at each position), and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bottom line, he was good.

Summer 1978.

Mom Klem noticed a newspaper advertisement that Brooks Robinson was going to be signing baseballs outside the toy store at a nearby shopping mall. ‘Neat,’ I thought. [I was 11, I thought ‘neat.’] Mom dropped me and my two older brothers off to see the baseball hero and obtain autographed balls.

The line was long, I was patient, met the former baseballer, was handed a ball with signature, said thanks, and sat down to wait for mom’s retrieval of us.

Ten minutes passed. Still waiting for mom. Line for ballplayer was now small. I reengaged, waited in line, and got to Brooks Robinson again! He remembered me, “Didn’t I already sign a ball for you,” said Mr. Robinson smiling as he signed and handed me a second orb. I confirmed the suspected previous encounter with an affirmative head nod and reached for the ball.

Two weeks later I gave one signed ball to a friend of mine. It was his birthday. The second ball sat on a shelf in a closet for many years. Over time it was boxed and moved several times and was eventually misplaced.

Fall 2008.

Thirty years after receiving those two baseballs I was cleaning up the back yard after my kids had enjoyed a vigorous 40 minute frolic. Picking up balls (footballs, tennis, golf, Nerf footballs, and a few baseballs) and putting them back in the ball bin in the garage. I noticed one of the balls had an aged water stain and a signature. In clear handwriting Brooks Robinson’s signature adorned the ball. It had been relocated! The ball bin had it all these years!

Seeing how I mishandled this ball so disappointingly I decided to gift it to a friend of mine. We’ll call him Cassidy. He’ll hopefully treat it better than I had.

It was fine to have met the great baseballer that morning long ago. I hope he is well. Thanks, mom, for your astute newspaper perusal and for caring.
-klem