May 18, 2009 10:00 pm US/Eastern
Orioles Icon Brooks Robinson Faces Prostate Cancer
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Baltimore baseball hero Brooks Robinson is fighting a tougher opponent than he ever faced in professional baseball. He's battling prostate cancer with the same grace, dignity and good humor he showed on the field.
AP
Baltimore baseball hero Brooks Robinson is fighting a tougher opponent than he ever faced in professional baseball. He's battling prostate cancer with the same grace, dignity and good humor he showed on the field.
Denise Koch recently sat down with Brooks and is happy to report he's doing well.
A local icon and a baseball legend, at times Brooks Robinson seemed invincible. The World Series MVP and lifelong Oriole sure could put on a show on third base; he battled the best in baseball for more than two decades.
But sixteen Golden Gloves were little help preparing Brooks for the diagnosis he received in November.
"I knew the doctor would be calling here sooner or later and he called and he said, `Well, we found some cancer cells.' And that kind of shocked me, you know," Robinson said.
At age 71, our beloved hero would take on prostate cancer.
"Any time you say cancer, it scares you to death. And it scared me to death, too," he said. "I knew several doctors down at Hopkins, actually, so we decided to go ahead with the radiation. I just wanted to get it done, get the cancer cells out of my body."
For two months, he visited Hopkins five days a week for radiation.
"After about four or five weeks, there's a little psychological thing that people say, `Boy, I wish this was over,'" he said.
There, he shared his journey with other patients, who could connect with a legend.
"I was very popular down there. I signed baseballs, I signed pictures," Robinson said.
His appeal goes beyond the baseball diamond. He's been active in the community for decades, never too busy to lend a hand.
Just a few weeks out of treatment, he's already back in action. We caught up with him shooting local TV commercials.
"In baseball, you play 162 games. Some games you're going to do well, other games you're not, but you just gotta keep going," Robinson said. "You just gotta be vigilant about it go have a check up."
Like the Big Red Machine in the '70 World Series, he believes he'll beat cancer, too.
"The fact that my PSA was non-detectable, that's a good sign. I've been a pretty positive guy my whole life and I just think that the best days are okay," Robinson said. "I feel good. I really do."
He just finished his last treatment and will be rechecked in June. Monday, he celebrated his 72nd birthday with his four children and 10 grandchildren.
Robinson urges all men to get prostate screenings.
As part of our community commitment,
WJZ sponsors the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. Saturday, a free screening is offered at Milford Mill Academy between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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