TRUE PIONEER
HARD-HITTING ROBINSON WAS MLB’S FIRST BLACK MANAGER
Crowding the plate, fearsome and fearless, Frank Robinson hammered his way into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
His legacy, however, was cemented that day in 1975 when he did some of his work in the dugout at old Cleveland Stadium, becoming the first black manager in Major League Baseball.
Robinson, the only player to earn the MVP award in both leagues and a Triple Crown winner in 1966, died Thursday. Robinson, who was 83, had been in failing health and in hospice care at his home in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles. MLB said he was with family and friends when he died.
“Frank Robinson’s résumé in our game is without parallel, a trailblazer in every sense, whose impact spanned generations,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a news release.
Robinson hit 586 home runs; he was fourth on the career list when he retired — behind only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays — and now ranks 10th. An MVP with the Cincinnati Reds of the National League and the Baltimore Orioles of the American League, he led the latter to their first World Series championship in 1966.
“Frank Robinson and I were more than baseball buddies. We were friends. Frank was a hard nosed baseball player who did things on the field that people said could never be done,” Aaron posted on Twitter. “I’m so glad I had the chance to know him all of those years. Baseball will miss a tremendous human being.”
An All-Star outfielder in 12 seasons and a first-ballot selection to Cooperstown, Robinson also was the NL’s rookie of the year in 1956, a Gold Glove outfielder in 1958 and a bruising runner. But his place in the sport’s history extended far beyond the diamond itself.
Robinson fulfilled his quest to become the first African-American manager in the big leagues when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians. His impact was immediate and memorable.
The Indians opened at home that year and Robinson, still active, batted himself second as the designated hitter. In the first inning, he homered off Doc Medich and the crowd went crazy, cheering the whole April afternoon as Cleveland beat the New York Yankees.
Robinson also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels. The Reds, the Orioles and the Indians have retired his No. 20 and honored him with statues at their stadiums.
Robinson later managed the San Francisco Giants, the Orioles and the Montreal Expos. He became the first manager of the Washington Nationals after the franchise moved from Montreal for the 2005 season, and the Nationals later put him in their Ring of Honor.
More than half of the teams in the majors have had black managers since his debut with Cleveland.
Robinson later spent several years working as an executive for MLB and for a time oversaw the annual Civil Rights Game. He advocated for more minorities throughout baseball and worked with former commissioner Bud Selig to develop the Selig Rule, directing teams to interview at least one minority candidate before hiring a new manager.
For all he did on and off the field, Robinson was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2005.
Born Aug. 21, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas, Robinson attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, and was a basketball teammate of future NBA great Bill Russell. But it was on the diamond, rather than court, where fame awaited Robinson.
Starting out in an era when Mays, Aaron, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams were the big hitters, Robinson more than held his own over 21 seasons — if anything, many who watched Robinson felt he never got his full due as an alltime great. He finished with 1,812 RBIs, hit .294, played in five World Series and homered in each of them.
Robinson once connected for grand slams in consecutive innings of a game, but he didn’t just slug away, as evidenced by a .389 on-base average boosted by 1,420 walks against 1,532 strikeouts. Extremely alert on the bases, he had 204 steals.
Robinson was the 1961 NL MVP after batting .323 with 37 homers and 124 RBIs for the pennant-winning Reds, and reached career highs in runs (134) and RBIs (136) in 1962.
In December 1965, Robinson was the centerpiece in what would ultimately be one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, going to Baltimore for pitchers Milt Pappas and Jack Baldschun and outfielder Dick Simpson. Robinson became an instant hit with the Orioles in 1966 as the unanimous AL MVP and a Triple Crown winner, leading the league by batting .316 with 49 homers and 122 RBIs.
“Frank Robinson and I were more than baseball buddies. We were friends. Frank was a hard nosed baseball player who did things on the field that people said could never be done.”
– HANK AARON