Eddie Brinkman--1973
Looking a lot like a scared turtle
popping his head out of his shell,
Eddie Brinkman was the epitome of
the “good-field, no-hit” shortstops
of the 1960s. With a batting
average that meandered around a
non-existent Mendoza line,
Brinkman was a grinder in the field.
Never a flashy glove man, Brinkman
was known as “Steady Eddie” for
his consistent play in the skin. A
Gold Glover in 1972 with the AL
East Champion Tigers, Brinkman
set an American League record for
shortstops with 72 consecutive
error- less games--- a mark that in
1990 would be broken by Cal
Ripken.
As remarkable as that record may
seem, upon closer examination of
the stats, one will find an absurd
number---zero. In ’72, when
Brinkman committed just seven
errors in 156 games, he erred six
times while fielding the ball and
once on a catch. Amazingly, not
once did any of his 495 throws on
assists stray from their target.
Every throw was catchable; from
the tosses to Dick McAuliffe at
second base on double plays, to
the long throws from the hole to first
baseman Norm Cash. Hurried
throws found the glove. Off-balance
tosses after charging slow rollers
landed in leather. The perfection
with his arm was incredible.
And while Brinkman may have been
meek at the plate; he stood tall with
his glove--- especially in 1972.
Editor’s note: Brinkman’s two best
seasons with the bat came in 1969
and 1970, when under the watchful
eye of Senator Manager and iconic
swinger Ted Williams, the shortstop
logged averages of .266 and .262
respectively. He was also known for
being teammate of Pete Rose at
Cincinnati’s Western Hills High
School.
(3/27/10)
popping his head out of his shell,
Eddie Brinkman was the epitome of
the “good-field, no-hit” shortstops
of the 1960s. With a batting
average that meandered around a
non-existent Mendoza line,
Brinkman was a grinder in the field.
Never a flashy glove man, Brinkman
was known as “Steady Eddie” for
his consistent play in the skin. A
Gold Glover in 1972 with the AL
East Champion Tigers, Brinkman
set an American League record for
shortstops with 72 consecutive
error- less games--- a mark that in
1990 would be broken by Cal
Ripken.
As remarkable as that record may
seem, upon closer examination of
the stats, one will find an absurd
number---zero. In ’72, when
Brinkman committed just seven
errors in 156 games, he erred six
times while fielding the ball and
once on a catch. Amazingly, not
once did any of his 495 throws on
assists stray from their target.
Every throw was catchable; from
the tosses to Dick McAuliffe at
second base on double plays, to
the long throws from the hole to first
baseman Norm Cash. Hurried
throws found the glove. Off-balance
tosses after charging slow rollers
landed in leather. The perfection
with his arm was incredible.
And while Brinkman may have been
meek at the plate; he stood tall with
his glove--- especially in 1972.
Editor’s note: Brinkman’s two best
seasons with the bat came in 1969
and 1970, when under the watchful
eye of Senator Manager and iconic
swinger Ted Williams, the shortstop
logged averages of .266 and .262
respectively. He was also known for
being teammate of Pete Rose at
Cincinnati’s Western Hills High
School.
(3/27/10)
