Frank Robinson

Robinson was born in Beaumont, Texas. He was the youngest of Ruth Shaw's ten children and the only child of her marriage to Frank Robinson. His parents divorced when he was an infant, and his mother moved with her children to Alameda, California, and then to the West Oakland neighborhood of nearby Oakland. He attended McClymonds High School in Oakland where he was a basketball teammate of Bill Russell. He was a baseball teammate of Vada Pinson and Curt Flood. He also played American Legion Baseball. ==Playing career==

Minor leagues In 1953, Bobby Mattick, a scout for the Cincinnati Reds, signed Robinson to a contract worth $3,500 ($ in current dollar terms). He was promoted to the Tulsa Oilers of the Class AA Texas League in 1954, but was demoted to the Columbia Reds of the Class A South Atlantic League. He returned to Columbia in 1955. After posting 11 consecutive losing seasons, the Reds surprised their opposition by jumping to first place at the mid-point of the 1956 season. Robinson led the team with 18 home runs at mid-season, earning him the role as starting left fielder for the National League in the 1956 All-Star Game. He became only the sixth rookie player in MLB history to start in an All-Star Game after Joe DiMaggio (1936), Dick Wakefield (1943), Richie Ashburn (1948), Eddie Kazak (1949) and Walt Dropo (1950). The Reds stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers. Robinson ended the 1956 season with a .290 batting average and 83 RBIs, and his 38 home runs tied the Major League Baseball record for home runs hit by a Rookie player previously set by Wally Berger in . His rookie home run record stood for 31 years when it was broken by Mark McGwire's 49 home runs in . In 1957, the Reds were once again in first place at mid-season when, Robinson and six of his Redleg teammates—Ed Bailey, Johnny Temple, Don Hoak, Gus Bell, Wally Post and Roy McMillan—were voted into the National League starting lineup for the 1957 All-Star Game. An investigation launched by Commissioner Ford C. Frick found that the majority of the ballots cast had come from Cincinnati as the result of a ballot stuffing campaign by Reds fans. Frick allowed Robinson to remain on the team while Bell and Post were replaced on the NL starting roster by outfielders Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. He credited manager, Birdie Tebbetts for his performance saying, "He kept after me all year and that's what a young ball player needs." In 1959, Robinson improved to a .311 batting average along with 36 home runs and 125 RBIs in 146 games. His performance earned him the 1961 National League Most Valuable Player Award. In the 1961 World Series against the New York Yankees, Robinson had a lackluster performance, producing only three hits as the Reds fell to the Yankees in five games. Robinson hit a career-high .342 in 1962, just four points behind the NL batting champion, Tommy Davis. He also led the league in runs scored (134), doubles (51), on-base percentage (.421), slugging percentage (.624) and on-base plus slugging (1.045). Baltimore Orioles (1966–1971) On December 9, 1965, Reds owner Bill DeWitt traded Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Milt Pappas, pitcher Jack Baldschun, and outfielder Dick Simpson. The trade turned out to be very lopsided. DeWitt, who had a slew of successful trades including his time as general manager in Detroit and the early 1960s rebuilding the Reds, famously referred to Robinson as "not a young 30" after the trade. The Reds led the NL in offense in 1965 and needed pitching. Pappas, who was a consistent performer in Baltimore was a major disappointment in Cincinnati while Robinson had continued success in Baltimore. The trade's notoriety became part of popular culture. In the film Bull Durham, the character Annie Savoy (played by Susan Sarandon) says "But bad trades are part of baseball; now who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for gosh sakes". In the film Trouble with the Curve, the character Mickey Lobel (played by Amy Adams) expounds on the trade's details and Robinson's prowess, in establishing her baseball expertise. In Robinson's first year in Baltimore, he won the Triple Crown, leading the American League with a .316 batting average (then the lowest ever by a Triple Crown winner), a career high 49 home runs (the most ever by a right-handed Triple crown winner) and 122 RBIs in 155 games. The shot came off of Luis Tiant in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians, and the home run measured . Until the Orioles' move to Camden Yards in 1992, 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 World Series Most Valuable Player. In the Orioles' four-game sweep of the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Robinson hit two home runs—one in Game 1 (which Baltimore won 5–2), and one in Game 4 (the only run of the game in a 1–0 series-clinching victory). Robinson hit both home runs off of Don Drysdale. During the 1969 season, Robinson brought some humor to the Orioles' clubhouse by presiding over their kangaroo court, held after every Oriole win. As the judge, he would hear arguments from both sides and give out fines for minor infractions (such as one dollar per lady talked to during a game) and "awards", named after people notoriously bad at a certain skill and involving a prop the "winner" had to display until the next court session. For instance, Jim Palmer once won the John Mason Baserunning Award, a smelly, decrepit baseball cleat presented for baserunning gaffes. Palmer credited the kangaroo court for helping the Orioles bond as a team. 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. The same runners were on base both times: Dave McNally was on third base, Don Buford was on second, and Paul Blair was on first. The Orioles won three consecutive American League pennants between 1969 and 1971. Before the 1969 World Series, Robinson said, "Bring on the Mets and Ron Gaspar!" He was told by his teammate Merv Rettenmund, "It's Rod, stupid." He then retorted by saying, "OK. Bring on Rod Stupid!" Baltimore won the 1970 World Series over the Reds. Final years as a player (1972–1976) Robinson was traded along with Pete Richert from the Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Doyle Alexander, Bob O'Brien, Sergio Robles and Royle Stillman at the Winter Meetings on December 2, 1971. When the 1972 Major League Baseball strike occurred, Robinson was one of three Dodgers out of thirty who voted against it. When the vote was announced, he said, "I don't believe in the strike, and I voted against it. But I was voted down, so now I'm on your side. I'm with you guys." The 1972 season was his first season in the National League since playing with the 1965 Reds. He played 103 games while compiling a .251 batting average, 59 RBIs, 86 hits, and 19 home runs. In his time with the Angels, he became their first designated hitter while also being teammates again with Vada Pinson. He played 147 games in 1973 and 129 in 1974. In his tenure with the Angels, he hit for a .259 average while posting 50 home runs, 249 hits, and 160 RBIs in 276 games. His final at-bat in the majors came against Baltimore on September 18, where he pinch-hit in the eighth inning and collected an RBI base hit in a 3–2 loss. Career statistics During a 21-year baseball career, he batted .294 with 586 home runs, 1,812 runs batted in, and 2,943 hits. In his career, Robinson 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 Pete Alonso in 2019.) 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 1966 American League Triple Crown (.316 batting average, 49 home runs, 122 RBIs). Only two players (Carl Yastrzemski and Miguel Cabrera) have 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. ==Manager==

Managing career Robinson managed in the winter leagues late in his playing career. On April 8, 1975, Robinson made his debut as a player-manager; batting second as the designated hitter, he hit a home run (his 575th in his career) in the bottom of the 1st inning as the team prevailed 5–3 over the New York Yankees. Robinson had a rocky time in Cleveland, as general manager Phil Seghi generally liked to second guess his manager along with trying to push for him to play alongside managing (the result was that he played roughly 80 games as manager). Disagreements with players such as Gaylord Perry did not help matters (he went to the press saying he wanted to be paid a dollar more than Robinson's $173,500 salary). The Indians had a 79–80 record, and had an 81–78 record in 1976, their first winning record in eight years. Cleveland started the 1977 season 26–31 and fired Robinson on June 19, 1977. Robinson managed the San Francisco Giants from 1981 through 106 games of the 1984 season, when he was fired. He finished the 1984 season as the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers on a contract worth $1. In 1985, he joined the Orioles' front office. On April 12, 1988, Robinson was named manager of the Orioles, replacing Cal Ripken Sr. after an 0–6 start to the season. He was awarded the American League Manager of the Year Award in 1989 for leading the Orioles to an 87–75 record, a turnaround from their previous season in which they went 54–107, and the division title came down to the final three-game series between Baltimore and the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Jays would win the first two games to clinch the division. It would be the closest Robinson ever came to managing a team to the postseason. Robinson was fired by the Orioles in May 1991. After he had spent some years known in baseball as the Director of Discipline, Robinson was chosen by MLB to manage the Montreal Expos in February 2002, which MLB owned at that time. The Expos, who had losing records in the five previous seasons, finished the 2002 and 2003 seasons with 83–79 records. The Expos then next slumped to a 67–95 record in 2004, their final season before relocation to Washington, D.C. On April 20, 2006, with the Nationals' 10–4 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Robinson got his 1,000th win, becoming the 53rd manager to reach that milestone. He had earned his 1,000th loss two seasons earlier. 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, 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 stood at 1,065 wins and 1,176 losses. He is one of just seven managers to have won 1,000 games without having made the postseason, and he is the only one to do it since the Expansion Era began in 1961. Five of the other such managers won pennants in the 19th century, while the sixth, Jimmy Dykes, retired as a manager in 1961. Managerial record ==Honors==

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, 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. He was named to the Washington Nationals Ring of Honor for his "significant contribution to the game of baseball in Washington, D.C." on May 9, 2015. He was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2016. The Reds, Orioles, and Indians have retired his uniform number 20. He is one of only two major-league players, the other being Nolan Ryan, to have his number retired by three different organizations. In 1999, Robinson ranked 22nd on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2020, The Athletic ranked Robinson at number 20 on its "Baseball 100" list, complied by sportswriter Joe Posnanski. Three teams have honored Robinson with statues: • In 2003, the Reds dedicated a bronze statue of Robinson at Great American Ball Park • In 2017, the Indians unveiled a bronze statue of Robinson in front of Progressive Field. Awards President George W. Bush awarded Robinson the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 9, 2005. The citation on the award read: On April 13, 2007, Robinson was awarded the first Jackie Robinson Society Community Recognition Award at George Washington University. ==Front office and media career==

Robinson served as an assistant general manager for the Orioles through 1995 when he was fired. Robinson served as an analyst for ESPN during spring training in 2007. The Nationals offered to honor Robinson during a May 20 game against his former club, the Baltimore Orioles, but he refused. In 2007, Robinson rejoined the MLB front office serving as a special advisor for baseball operations from 2007 to 2009. He then served as special assistant to Bud Selig from 2009 to 2010 and was named senior vice president for major league operations from 2010 to 2011. In June 2012, he became executive vice president of baseball development. ==Personal life==

While playing for the Reds in the late 1950s, Robinson attended Xavier University in Cincinnati during the off-season. While in Baltimore, he 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 reconsidered and became an enthusiastic speaker on racial issues. Robinson met Barbara Ann Cole in 1961; they married that year They had two children. On February 7, 2019, Robinson died of bone cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 83. ==See also==