Last week, in the dead of winter, the Redmen Association of Wareham honored one of the town's most decorated boys of summer.

Known as "Mr. Baseball," Stevie Robbins spent many of his 97 years playing the game in Wareham. In November, Robbins' dedication to the game and to the Wareham Gatemen garnered him a spot in the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame. And on Saturday, January 22, Al Mestieri, one of Robbins’ former players, was joined by Redmen Richard Souza, John LaChance, and Steven Curry, to present Robbins with a plaque and an honorary lifetime Redmen membership for his contributions to the game.

"It's about recognition," said Redmen member Steven Curry. "Not just for baseball, but for what he has done for the town."

Born in 1913, Robbins grew up in what was known as South Wareham. After graduating from Wareham High School in 1931, he stayed in town pursuing what he calls the three passions of his life: church, family, and baseball.

Robbins day-lighted as a postal worker, but never gave up his favorite pastime. As a third baseman for the Gatemen, which participated in the Wareham Twilight League, the town's adult baseball league, before joining the Cape Cod Baseball League, Robbins' energy and skill earned him the nickname “Mr. Baseball of Wareham," a name that has stuck for more than 80 years.

In 1946, Robbins successfully lobbied to get the Wareham Gatemen into the folds of the Cape League. As the team's general manager, he led the franchise through lean years, often dipping into his own pocket to afford equipment.

The investment paid off in 1957 when the Gatemen took home its first championship, and again in 1961 when lights and dugouts were installed at Wareham High School's baseball field.

His achievements are something Mestieri will never forget. For the past several years, he has championed Robbins’ impact on the community. Last year, he wrote the recommendation letter that contributed to Robbins’ hall of fame induction.

“He has done so much for the game and so much for me,” said Mestieri.

Of the additional honor from the Redmen, Robbins said: “This comes as a surprise ... I was just doing what I thought was the right thing to do.”

Today, Robbins stays true to his three passions. Every Sunday, he attends Wesley United Methodist Church in Wareham with his nephew, the same church he has worshiped at since he was a boy.

Now legally blind and hard of hearing, Robbins still stays up to date with the latest Red Sox news. After Saturday's ceremony, the five men gathered around to talk about the upcoming season and reminiscence about the good old days of baseball.