Brooks Robinson Appreciation: In Maryland in the 1960s, nobody was like No. 5

By BEN WALKER
Associated Press

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Growing up in Maryland in the 1960s, Brooks Robinson was a god. Every kid wanted to wear his No. 5. Even young lefties like future AP Baseball Writer Ben Walker tried to play third base like him. Kids imitated his aw-shucks Arkansas twang. They copied his relaxed, shoulders-bouncing jog off the field. Walker recalls that if they could’ve worn a short-brimmed batting helmet like he did, we would’ve. A day after Robinson’s death, Walker reflects on the mesmerizing defensive whiz and a play in the 1970 World Series that in some ways, still lives on in Walker’s childhood backyard.