Frank Robinson
Encyclopedia
Frank Robinson is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
and manager
. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds
and the Baltimore Orioles
. He is the only player to win league MVP
honors in both the National and American Leagues. He won the Triple crown
, was a member of two teams that won the World Series
(the 1966
and 1970
Baltimore Orioles), and amassed the fourth-most career home runs at the time of his retirement (he is currently tied for eighth). Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982
.
Robinson was the first African-American hired to serve as manager
in Major League history. He managed the Cleveland Indians
during the last two years of his playing career, compiling a 186–189 record. He went on to manage the San Francisco Giants
, the Baltimore Orioles
, and the Montreal Expos
/Washington Nationals
.
in Oakland, California, where he was a basketball teammate of Bill Russell
. During the off-season while playing for the Reds in the late 1950s, he attended Xavier University
in Cincinnati.
, he split his best years between two teams: the Cincinnati Reds
(1956–1965) and the Baltimore Orioles
(1966–1971). The later years of his career were spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers
(1972), California Angels
(1973–1974) and Cleveland Indians
(1974 – 1976). He is the only player to be named Most Valuable Player
in both leagues, in 1961 with the Reds and again in 1966 with the Orioles.
In his rookie year, 1956, he tied the then-record of 38 home runs by a rookie, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and was named Rookie of the Year
. Although the Reds won the NL pennant in 1961 and Robinson won his first MVP that year, his best offensive year arguably came in 1962, when he hit .342 with 51 doubles, 136 RBI and 134 runs. The Reds
lost the 1961 World Series
to the Yankees
.
Robinson practiced a gutsy batting style, crowding the plate perhaps more than any other player of his time. For this reason, he racked up high HBP (hit-by-pitch) totals, and experienced many knockdowns. Asked by an announcer what his solution to the problem was, he answered simply, "Just stand up and lambast the next pitch", which he often did.
Prior to the 1966 season, Reds owner Bill DeWitt
sent Robinson to Baltimore in exchange for pitcher
Milt Pappas
, pitcher Jack Baldschun
and outfielder Dick Simpson
. The trade is now considered among the most lopsided deals in baseball history. It forever tarnished Dewitt's legacy, and outrage over the deal made it difficult for Pappas to adjust to pitching in Cincinnati (he was traded out of town after only three seasons). DeWitt defended the deal to skeptical Reds fans by claiming that Robinson was "an old 30". There were also rumors that Robinson did not get along well with teammate Vada Pinson. In Robinson's first year in Baltimore, he won the Triple Crown
, leading the American League with a .316 batting average (the lowest ever by a Triple crown winner), 49 home runs (the most ever by a right-handed Triple crown winner) and 122 runs batted in. He also remains the only minority in MLB
history to win the Triple crown for hitting. On May 8, 1966, Robinson became the only player ever to hit a home run completely out of Memorial Stadium
. Until the Orioles' move to Camden Yards
in 1991, a flag labeled "HERE" was flown at the spot where the ball left the stadium.
The Orioles won the 1966 World Series and Robinson was named the Series MVP
. In the Orioles' four-game sweep of the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers
, Robinson hit two home runs—in Game One, which Baltimore won 5–2, and in Game Four, the only run of the game in a 1–0 series-clinching victory. Both home runs were hit off Don Drysdale
.
It was in Baltimore
that he first became active in the civil rights movement. He originally declined membership in the NAACP unless the organization promised not to make him do public appearances. However, after witnessing Baltimore's segregated housing and discriminatory real estate practices, he changed his mind and became an enthusiastic speaker on racial issues.
On June 26, 1970, Robinson hit back-to-back grand slams
(in the fifth and sixth innings) in the Orioles' 12–2 victory over the Washington Senators
at RFK Stadium. The same runners were on base on both home runs—Dave McNally
on third, Don Buford
on second and Paul Blair
on first.
The Orioles won three consecutive pennants between 1969 and 1971, and won the 1970 World Series
over his old club Reds
.
During a 21-year baseball career, he batted
.294 with 586 home run
s, 1,812 runs batted in
, and 2,943 hits
. At his retirement, his 586 career home runs were the fourth-best in history (behind only Henry Aaron
, Babe Ruth
, and Willie Mays
). He is second on Cincinnati's all-time home run leaders list (324) behind Johnny Bench
and is the Reds' all-time leader in slugging percentage (.554).
Robinson finished his playing career with brief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers
, California Angels
and Cleveland Indians
.
In 1975, the Cleveland Indians named him player-manager, giving him distinction of being the first black manager in the Majors. In his first at bat as player/manager of the Indians, he homered at Cleveland Stadium off New York pitcher Doc Medich.
His managing career would go on to include Cleveland (1975–1977), San Francisco Giants
(1981–1984), Baltimore Orioles
(1988–1991) and Montreal Expos
/ Washington Nationals
(2002–2006).
In addition to being the first black manager in the major leagues with the American League's Cleveland Indians, upon joining the San Francisco Giants, he also became the first black manager in the National League.
He was awarded the American League Manager of the Year Award
in 1989 for leading the Baltimore Orioles to an 87–75 record, a turnaround from their previous season in which they went 54–107. After Robinson had spent some years known in baseball as the Director of Discipline, he was chosen by Major League Baseball in 2002 to manage the Expos, which MLB owned at that time. The 2002 Expos performed surprisingly well, finishing 2nd in the NL East, and posting a 19-game improvement over 2001.
In 2005, the Montreal Gazette's Stephanie Myles reported that Robinson had devoted much time playing golf during his years in Montreal, sometimes spending 16-hour days between the course and the games at night. Some journalists have questioned his disregard of statistics to determine pitching match-ups with his hitting line-ups. Robinson defended his style of managing by saying that he goes by his "gut feeling".
In a June 2005 Sports Illustrated
poll of 450 MLB players, Robinson was selected the worst manager in baseball, along with Buck Showalter
, then manager of the Texas Rangers. In the August 2006 poll, he again was voted worst manager with 17% of the vote and 37.7% of the NL East vote.
In 2005, one of Robinson's Nationals players asked him if he had ever played in the majors. This was reported on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
as an illustration of how little some current players are aware of the history of the game.
On Thursday, April 20, 2006, with the Nationals winning 10–4 against the Philadelphia Phillies
, Robinson got his 1000th win, becoming the 53rd manager to reach that milestone. He had earned his 1000th loss two seasons earlier.
During a game against the Houston Astros
on May 25, 2006, Robinson pulled Nationals catcher
Matt LeCroy during the middle of the 7th inning, violating an unwritten rule that managers do not remove position players in the middle of an inning
. Instead, managers are supposed to discreetly switch position players in between innings. However, LeCroy, the third-string catcher, had allowed Houston Astros baserunners to steal
seven bases over seven innings and had committed two throwing errors
. Although the Nationals won the game 8–5, Robinson found the decision so difficult to make on a player he respected so much, he broke down crying during the post-game interviews.
On September 30, 2006, the Nationals' management declined to renew Robinson's contract for the 2007 season, though they stated he was welcome to come to spring training in an unspecified role. Robinson, who wanted either a front office job or a consultancy, declined. On October 1, 2006, he managed his final game, a 6–2 loss to the Mets
, and prior to the game addressed the fans at RFK Stadium.
Robinson's record as a manager stands as (1065–1176).
In addition to his two Most Valuable Player
awards (1961 and 1966) and his World Series Most Valuable Player award (1966), Robinson was honored in 1966 with the Hickok Belt
as the top professional athlete of the year in any sport.
In 1982, Frank Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
as a Baltimore Oriole. Robinson is also a charter member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (along with Brooks Robinson
), and a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, being inducted into both in 1978. Both the Reds and the Orioles have retired his uniform number 20.
In 1999, he ranked Number 22 on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
.
In 2003, the Reds dedicated a bronze statue of Robinson at Great American Ball Park
.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
on November 9, 2005, by President George W. Bush. On April 13, 2007 Robinson was rewarded the first Jackie Robinson Society Community Recognition Award at George Washington University
.
In his career, he held several Major League Records. In his rookie season, he tied Wally Berger
's record for home runs by a rookie (38). (The current record would be set by Mark McGwire
in 1987.) Robinson still holds the record for home runs on opening day (8), which includes a home run in his first at bat as a player-manager. Robinson won the American League Triple Crown (.316 BA, 49 HR, 122 RBI) – only one player (Carl Yastrzemski
) has since won the award in either league – and the two MVP awards, which made him the first player in baseball history to earn the title in both leagues.
during 2007 Spring Training
. The Nationals offered to honor Robinson during a May 20 game against his former club the Baltimore Orioles
but he refused.
According to Washington Post writer Barry Svrluga
, Robinson is currently working in Bud Selig
's office.
On January 13, 2011, ESPN.com reported that Frank Robinson was taken by ambulance to a Scottsdale, AZ hospital because of dizziness and an irregular heartbeat.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. He played from 1956–1976, most notably for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He is the only player to win league MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
honors in both the National and American Leagues. He won the Triple crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
, was a member of two teams that won the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(the 1966
1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
and 1970
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
Baltimore Orioles), and amassed the fourth-most career home runs at the time of his retirement (he is currently tied for eighth). Robinson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1982
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1982 followed the system in place since 1978.The Baseball Writers Association of America voted by mail to select from recent major league players andelected two, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson....
.
Robinson was the first African-American hired to serve as manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
in Major League history. He managed the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
during the last two years of his playing career, compiling a 186–189 record. He went on to manage the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, and the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
/Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
.
Early life
Robinson attended McClymonds High SchoolMcClymonds High School
McClymonds High School is a public high school in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland, California, USA.In addition to being the third oldest high school in Oakland, it is the larger of the two high schools in West Oakland , and the only high school in West Oakland operated by the Oakland...
in Oakland, California, where he was a basketball teammate of Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
. During the off-season while playing for the Reds in the late 1950s, he attended Xavier University
Xavier University (Cincinnati)
Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily...
in Cincinnati.
Playing career
Robinson had a long and successful playing career. Unusual for a star in the era before free agencyFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, he split his best years between two teams: the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1956–1965) and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1966–1971). The later years of his career were spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1972), California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
(1973–1974) and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1974 – 1976). He is the only player to be named Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in both leagues, in 1961 with the Reds and again in 1966 with the Orioles.
In his rookie year, 1956, he tied the then-record of 38 home runs by a rookie, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and was named Rookie of the Year
MLB Rookie of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is annually given to one player from each league as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America . The award was established in 1940 by the Chicago chapter of the BBWAA, which selected an annual winner from 1940 through 1946...
. Although the Reds won the NL pennant in 1961 and Robinson won his first MVP that year, his best offensive year arguably came in 1962, when he hit .342 with 51 doubles, 136 RBI and 134 runs. The Reds
1961 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. It consisted of the Reds winning the National League pennant with a record of 93-61, four games over the runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers, but losing the World Series in five games to the New York Yankees. The Reds were managed by Fred...
lost the 1961 World Series
1961 World Series
The 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds , with the Yankees winning in five games to earn their 19th championship in 39 seasons. This World Series was surrounded by Cold War political puns pitting the "Reds" against the "Yanks"...
to the Yankees
1961 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 59th season for the team in New York, and its 61st season overall. The team finished with a record of 109-53, eight games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, and won their 26th American League pennant. New York was managed by Ralph Houk. The Yankees played their home...
.
Robinson practiced a gutsy batting style, crowding the plate perhaps more than any other player of his time. For this reason, he racked up high HBP (hit-by-pitch) totals, and experienced many knockdowns. Asked by an announcer what his solution to the problem was, he answered simply, "Just stand up and lambast the next pitch", which he often did.
Prior to the 1966 season, Reds owner Bill DeWitt
Bill DeWitt
William Orville DeWitt Sr. was a longtime executive in Major League Baseball whose career spanned more than 50 years in the game. His son William DeWitt, Jr. is currently the principal owner and managing partner of the St. Louis Cardinals, while grandson William O...
sent Robinson to Baltimore in exchange for pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
, pitcher Jack Baldschun
Jack Baldschun
Jack Edward Baldschun was a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres ....
and outfielder Dick Simpson
Dick Simpson
Richard Charles Simpson is an American former Major League Baseball right fielder and center fielder. He played from 1962-1969 for the Los Angeles/California Angels, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Seattle Pilots. However, Simpson did not quite live up to...
. The trade is now considered among the most lopsided deals in baseball history. It forever tarnished Dewitt's legacy, and outrage over the deal made it difficult for Pappas to adjust to pitching in Cincinnati (he was traded out of town after only three seasons). DeWitt defended the deal to skeptical Reds fans by claiming that Robinson was "an old 30". There were also rumors that Robinson did not get along well with teammate Vada Pinson. In Robinson's first year in Baltimore, he won the Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
, leading the American League with a .316 batting average (the lowest ever by a Triple crown winner), 49 home runs (the most ever by a right-handed Triple crown winner) and 122 runs batted in. He also remains the only minority in MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
history to win the Triple crown for hitting. On May 8, 1966, Robinson became the only player ever to hit a home run completely out of Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
. Until the Orioles' move to Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
in 1991, a flag labeled "HERE" was flown at the spot where the ball left the stadium.
The Orioles won the 1966 World Series and Robinson was named the Series MVP
World Series MVP Award
The World Series Most Valuable Player Award is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball postseason...
. In the Orioles' four-game sweep of the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, Robinson hit two home runs—in Game One, which Baltimore won 5–2, and in Game Four, the only run of the game in a 1–0 series-clinching victory. Both home runs were hit off Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
.
It was in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
that he first became active in the civil rights movement. He originally declined membership in the NAACP unless the organization promised not to make him do public appearances. However, after witnessing Baltimore's segregated housing and discriminatory real estate practices, he changed his mind and became an enthusiastic speaker on racial issues.
On June 26, 1970, Robinson hit back-to-back grand slams
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
(in the fifth and sixth innings) in the Orioles' 12–2 victory over the Washington Senators
1970 Washington Senators season
The Washington Senators season involved the Senators finishing 6th in the American League East with a record of 70 wins and 92 losses.- Offseason :...
at RFK Stadium. The same runners were on base on both home runs—Dave McNally
Dave McNally
David Arthur "Dave" McNally was a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher from until . He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played with them every season except for his final season with the Montreal Expos.McNally has the unique distinction as the only pitcher in Major League...
on third, Don Buford
Don Buford
Donald Alvin Buford is a former Major League Baseball player. An infielder/outfielder, the switch-hitting Buford played for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles ....
on second and Paul Blair
Paul Blair (baseball)
Paul L. D. Blair is a former outfielder who spent seventeen seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles , New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds...
on first.
The Orioles won three consecutive pennants between 1969 and 1971, and won the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
over his old club Reds
1970 Cincinnati Reds season
The 1970 Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 102-60, 14½ games ahead of the runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in three straight games in the 1970 National League Championship Series to win their...
.
During a 21-year baseball career, he batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.294 with 586 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 1,812 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, and 2,943 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
. At his retirement, his 586 career home runs were the fourth-best in history (behind only Henry Aaron
Henry Aaron
Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron , nicknamed "Hammer," "Hammerin' Hank," and "Bad Henry," is a retired American baseball player whose Major League Baseball career spanned the years 1954 through 1976. Aaron is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time...
, Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, and Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
). He is second on Cincinnati's all-time home run leaders list (324) behind Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
and is the Reds' all-time leader in slugging percentage (.554).
Robinson finished his playing career with brief appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
Managing career
Robinson managed in the winter leagues late in his playing career. By the early 1970s, he had his heart set on becoming the first black manager in the majors. In fact, the Angels traded him to the Indians midway through the 1974 season due to his open campaigning for the manager's job.In 1975, the Cleveland Indians named him player-manager, giving him distinction of being the first black manager in the Majors. In his first at bat as player/manager of the Indians, he homered at Cleveland Stadium off New York pitcher Doc Medich.
His managing career would go on to include Cleveland (1975–1977), San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1981–1984), Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1988–1991) and Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
/ Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
(2002–2006).
In addition to being the first black manager in the major leagues with the American League's Cleveland Indians, upon joining the San Francisco Giants, he also became the first black manager in the National League.
He was awarded the American League Manager of the Year Award
Manager of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to the best managers in the American League and the National League . The winner is voted on by 28 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America . Each places a vote for first, second, and third...
in 1989 for leading the Baltimore Orioles to an 87–75 record, a turnaround from their previous season in which they went 54–107. After Robinson had spent some years known in baseball as the Director of Discipline, he was chosen by Major League Baseball in 2002 to manage the Expos, which MLB owned at that time. The 2002 Expos performed surprisingly well, finishing 2nd in the NL East, and posting a 19-game improvement over 2001.
In 2005, the Montreal Gazette's Stephanie Myles reported that Robinson had devoted much time playing golf during his years in Montreal, sometimes spending 16-hour days between the course and the games at night. Some journalists have questioned his disregard of statistics to determine pitching match-ups with his hitting line-ups. Robinson defended his style of managing by saying that he goes by his "gut feeling".
In a June 2005 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
poll of 450 MLB players, Robinson was selected the worst manager in baseball, along with Buck Showalter
Buck Showalter
William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III is an American Major League Baseball manager for the Baltimore Orioles. He has previously served in a similar capacity with the New York Yankees , Arizona Diamondbacks , and Texas Rangers...
, then manager of the Texas Rangers. In the August 2006 poll, he again was voted worst manager with 17% of the vote and 37.7% of the NL East vote.
In 2005, one of Robinson's Nationals players asked him if he had ever played in the majors. This was reported on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
as an illustration of how little some current players are aware of the history of the game.
On Thursday, April 20, 2006, with the Nationals winning 10–4 against the Philadelphia Phillies
2006 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 2006 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 124th season in the history of the franchise. The Phillies finished in second place in the National League East, 12 games behind the New York Mets, and three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Wild-Card race. The Phillies were managed by...
, Robinson got his 1000th win, becoming the 53rd manager to reach that milestone. He had earned his 1000th loss two seasons earlier.
During a game against the Houston Astros
2006 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 2006 season was the 45th in franchise history. The 2006 Astros finished in second place in the National League Central with a record of 82-80, 1½ games behind the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, after losing 3-1 to the Braves at Atlanta on the final day of the season...
on May 25, 2006, Robinson pulled Nationals catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Matt LeCroy during the middle of the 7th inning, violating an unwritten rule that managers do not remove position players in the middle of an inning
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
. Instead, managers are supposed to discreetly switch position players in between innings. However, LeCroy, the third-string catcher, had allowed Houston Astros baserunners to steal
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
seven bases over seven innings and had committed two throwing errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
. Although the Nationals won the game 8–5, Robinson found the decision so difficult to make on a player he respected so much, he broke down crying during the post-game interviews.
On September 30, 2006, the Nationals' management declined to renew Robinson's contract for the 2007 season, though they stated he was welcome to come to spring training in an unspecified role. Robinson, who wanted either a front office job or a consultancy, declined. On October 1, 2006, he managed his final game, a 6–2 loss to the Mets
2006 New York Mets season
The New York Mets' 2006 season was the 45th regular season for the Mets. They went 97-65 and won the NL East. They were managed by Willie Randolph. They played home games at Shea Stadium. They used the marketing slogan of "The Team. The Time...
, and prior to the game addressed the fans at RFK Stadium.
Robinson's record as a manager stands as (1065–1176).
Honors
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
awards (1961 and 1966) and his World Series Most Valuable Player award (1966), Robinson was honored in 1966 with the Hickok Belt
Hickok Belt
The S. Rae Hickok Professional Athlete of the Year award, known as the Hickok Belt, was a trophy awarded for 27 years to the top professional athlete of the year in the United States...
as the top professional athlete of the year in any sport.
In 1982, Frank Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
as a Baltimore Oriole. Robinson is also a charter member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame (along with Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
), and a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, being inducted into both in 1978. Both the Reds and the Orioles have retired his uniform number 20.
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
.
In 2003, the Reds dedicated a bronze statue of Robinson at Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park
The Great American Ball Park is a Major League Baseball park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home of the National League's Cincinnati Reds. It opened in 2003, replacing the Reds' former home, Cinergy Field, which was known as Riverfront Stadium from its opening in June 1970 until the 1996...
.
He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
on November 9, 2005, by President George W. Bush. On April 13, 2007 Robinson was rewarded the first Jackie Robinson Society Community Recognition Award at George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
.
In his career, he held several Major League Records. In his rookie season, he tied Wally Berger
Wally Berger
Walter Anton Berger was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for four National League teams, primarily the Boston Braves. One of the league's top sluggers of the early 1930s, in his initial season he hit 38 home runs, a record for rookies which stood until . He still...
's record for home runs by a rookie (38). (The current record would be set by Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
in 1987.) Robinson still holds the record for home runs on opening day (8), which includes a home run in his first at bat as a player-manager. Robinson won the American League Triple Crown (.316 BA, 49 HR, 122 RBI) – only one player (Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Yastrzemski
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is a former American Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year baseball career with the Boston Red Sox . He was primarily a left fielder, with part of his later career...
) has since won the award in either league – and the two MVP awards, which made him the first player in baseball history to earn the title in both leagues.
Post-managerial retirement
Robinson served as an analyst for ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
during 2007 Spring Training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
. The Nationals offered to honor Robinson during a May 20 game against his former club the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
but he refused.
According to Washington Post writer Barry Svrluga
Barry Svrluga
Barry Svrluga is the Washington Redskins beat reporter for The Washington Post, and WashingtonPost.com. He was previously the beat reporter for the Washington Nationals. While he reporter, he blogged at the Nationals Journal. The blog dissects and analyzes all things Nationals daily and sometimes...
, Robinson is currently working in Bud Selig
Bud Selig
Allan Huber "Bud" Selig is the ninth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball, having served in that capacity since 1992 as the acting commissioner, and as the official commissioner since 1998...
's office.
On January 13, 2011, ESPN.com reported that Frank Robinson was taken by ambulance to a Scottsdale, AZ hospital because of dizziness and an irregular heartbeat.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
- 500 home run club500 home run clubIn Major League Baseball , the 500 home run club is a term applied to the group of batters who have hit 500 or more regular-season home runs in their careers. On August 11, 1929, Babe Ruth became the first member of the club. Ruth ended his career with 714 home runs, a record which stood from 1935...
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- Batters with two grand slams in the same baseball game
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- Triple Crown
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
External links
| Championship succession boxes |
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| Award succession boxes |
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| Manager succession boxes |
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