Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.Photo:Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty

Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson during pregame ceremonies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1966 World Series championship team.

Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty

Baseball Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson has died at the age of 86.

His family and his former team The Orioles announced his death in ajoint statementTuesday shared on the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) website.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Brooks Robinson,” they wrote. “An integral part of our Orioles Family since 1955, he will continue to leave a lasting impact on our club, our community, and the sport of baseball.”

After Baltimore’s 1-0 victory against the Nationals, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters, perESPN, that he thought a lot of the team members “played with a heavy heart” following the news of Robinson’s death.

“He’s an icon in this game and an icon in this city,” he added. “There’s not many of those.”

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also regarded Robinson as “one of the greats of our National Pastime,” according to the AP. He also described Robinson as a “model of excellence, durability, loyalty and winning baseball for the Orioles.”

Brooks Robinson during spring training.SPX/Diamond Images via Getty

Brooks Robinson Baltimore Orioles portrait during spring training. Brooks Robinson played for 21 years all with the Baltimore Orioles and was a 16-time All-Star, American League MVP in 1964, and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

SPX/Diamond Images via Getty

Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1937 with big dreams of playing professional baseball. He impressed scouts from several teams and ultimately took an offer to play professional baseball from the Baltimore Orioles, perReuters.

He was a member for the team from 1955 to 1977, and made several memorable plays during that time as a third baseman, including almost single-handedly helping Baltimore defeat Cincinnati in the 1970 World Series.

Brooks Robinson poses before a MLB game.Focus on Sport/Getty

Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles poses for this photo before a Major League Baseball game circa 1970.

Focus on Sport/Getty

He ended his career with 268 home runs, 1,357 runs batted in (RBI) and a .267 batting average within 2,896 career games, according to ESPN.

Six years after he announced his retirement, he was elected into theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1983. According to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson is the all-time leader among third baseman in putouts, assists and double plays, and no other player besides him has played in more games at third base.

He later went on to become a director of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and a member of the Pension Committee. He also served as president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni in his later years.

Former Baltimore Orioles Brooks Robinson in 2022.G Fiume/Getty

Former Baltimore Orioles Brooks Robinson walks on the field before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 06, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland.

G Fiume/Getty

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Fellow Orioles Hall of Famer Jim Palmer recalled that Robinson was a “great player, great guy on the field, great guy off,” per the AP. He also noted that he was always “respectful” and “kind.”

“You don’t meet too many guys like that. Brooks was a genuine person. There was no acting. Brooks was just a genuine person,” he added.

source: people.com