April 19, 1977 At memorial stadium Brooks Robinson’s final home run is a three-run walk-off shot to give the Orioles a 6-5 win over the Indians in the 10th. It is the final homerun of his career.

“This was my biggest thrill in a’ long time,” said the 39-year-old Robinson “It’s a day-to-day thing for me I was lucky to get a contract this year; The hit was the 2,842nd and home run No 268 for Robinson in a shining career that extends back to 1959 But it was only his third appearance this season since he has been reduced to part-time status.

“Frank probably looked up and said, ‘Here comes old Brooksie It’s a tailor-made double play,” said Brooks Robinson. But the ball went up and out instead of into the ground, as the Cleveland “They did nothing wrong,!’ said Baltimore Manager Earl Weaver “It was finally missed.”

Brooks At Home

Out in Lutherville, Connie Robinson looked at the clock and began to wonder why her husband was late getting home. Brooks is the greatest of all time at two things – playing third base and getting home quickly after a game. So Connie turned the radio on to see if the ball game was still on. She was startled by the first words she heard. “The count is 3-and-2 on Brooks,” announcer Bill O’Donnell was saying. “Here comes LaRoche’s delivery. Brooks swings. Another foul back.” In all, Brooks fouled off seven pitches, all of them fastballs. The word is that the old man can’t get around on a fastball anymore. Brooks will turn 40 next month. Then he did it. He tore into another fastball, belt-high over the middle of the plate, and the moment he hit it he knew it was going out The ball landed in the left-field seats and the Orioles, miraculously, were 6-5 winners on the 268th home run of Brooks’s career. “Hey, kids, wake up!” Connie Robinson called out to her three children. “Daddy just won the game with a home run!”