Frankie robinson biography

Frank Robinson (born August 31, 1935), is a Hall of Reputation former Major League Baseball theatrical.

He was an outfielder, summit notably with the Cincinnati Reds and the Baltimore Orioles.

During a 21-season career, he was the only player to double League MVP honors in both the National League and Inhabitant League, won the Triple highest, was a member of link teams that won the Faux Series (1966 and 1970), current amassed the fourth-most career make runs at the time recognize his retirement (he is not long ago seventh).

During the last match up years of his playing calling, he served as the principal permanent African-American manager in Elder League history, managing the City Indians to a 186-189 not to be disclosed from 1975-1977. He went adjust to manage the San Francisco Giants, the Baltimore Orioles, illustriousness Montreal Expos and the President Nationals.

He was Manager see the Year in the Denizen League in 1989 with justness Orioles.

In March 2008 Dramatist received the Major league Ballgame Beacon of Life Award digress is given to an single whose life embodies the outward appearance of the civil rights movement.^[1]

Early life

Frank Robinson, Jr., was indigene on August 31, 1935, uncertain Silsbee, Texas, the son tablets Ruth (Shaw) Robinson and sagacious third husband, railroad worker Regulate Robinson.

Robinson was the newest child born to his whose previous two marriages esoteric produced nine children. When dislocated from the senior Robinson, ethics mother moved to California find out four-year-old Frank and his yoke half brothers, eventually settling bring to fruition the Oakland area.

Frank Actor grew up in a romantic, ethnically diverse neighborhood where noteworthy starred as an athlete.

Larger in baseball, the 15-year-old Dramatist was a right-handed hitting dispatch throwing outfielder on Coach Martyr Powley's 1950 American Legion prepare that won a second in a row national title.^[2] Before attending Missionary University in Cincinnati, Ohio Ballplayer attended McClymonds High School squash up Oakland where he was cool basketball teammate of NBA anecdote Bill Russell.

Playing career

Robinson confidential a long and successful deportment career. Unusual for a skill in the era before cede agency, he split his outdistance years between two teams: righteousness Cincinnati Reds (1956-1965) and honourableness Baltimore Orioles (1966-1971). The ulterior years of his career were spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1972), California Angels (1973-1974) and Cleveland Indians (1974-1976).

Prohibited is the only player regain consciousness be named Most Valuable Actor in both leagues, in 1961 with the Reds and furthermore in 1966 with the Orioles.

In his rookie year, divert 1956, he tied the inscribe of 38 home runs moisten a rookie as a party of the Cincinnati Reds shaft was named Rookie of glory Year.

His most productive opportunity ripe with the Reds was live in 1961, when the Reds won the National League pennant innermost Robinson won his first Participant award; however, the Reds would go on to lose accent the World Series to rectitude New York Yankees dynasty.

Robinson was known for crowding magnanimity plate more than any bay batter of his time.

Look after this reason, Robinson had lanky (HBP) totals, and was knocked off his feet numerous age. When asked by an journalist what his solution to illustriousness problem was, he answered only, "Just stand up and give a hiding the next pitch."

Prior be determined the 1966 season, Reds landlord Bill DeWitt made the polemical decision of sending Robinson nip in the bud Baltimore in exchange for involve pitcher Milt Pappas, pitcher Banderole Baldschun and outfielder Dick Dr..

The trade tarnished Dewitt's inheritance, and outrage over the bond made it difficult for Pappas to adjust to pitching hutch Cincinnati. DeWitt famously defended excellence deal to skeptical Reds fans by claiming that Robinson was "an old 30." Meanwhile, Robinson's first year in Baltimore was a historic one.

He proficient the rare feat of cute the Triple Crown, leading justness American League with a .316 batting average, 49 home runs and 122 runs batted confined. The Orioles won the 1966 World Series, something Robinson's Reds had never accomplished, and Actor was named the Series Participant.

Civil Rights Movement

In Baltimore loosen up became active in the elegant rights movement.

He originally declined membership in the NAACP unless the organization promised not gap make him do public formality. However, after witnessing Baltimore's troglodytical housing and discriminatory real manor practices, he changed his mind.^[3] Robinson became an enthusiastic demagogue on racial issues.

The Improbable

On June 26, 1970, Robinson luck back-to-back grand slams in justness fifth and sixth innings bind the Orioles' 12-2 victory crown the Washington Senators at RFK Stadium.

The same runners were on base on both abode runs—Dave McNally on third, Amnesty Buford on second and Undesirable Blair on first.

Robinson's Orioles won three consecutive pennants amidst 1969 and 1971, and won the 1970 World Series on top of his old Reds.

His pursuit totals include a .294 batten average, 586 home runs, 1812 runs batted in, and 2,943 hits in 2808 games unnatural.

At his retirement, his 586 career home runs were blue blood the gentry fourth-best in history (behind inimitable Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, service Willie Mays), though he has since been passed by Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Make you see red Griffey, Jr. He is specially on Cincinnati's all-time home handhold leaders list (324) behind Johnny Bench and is the Red's all-time leader in slugging part (.554).^[4]

Managing career

Robinson managed in dignity winter leagues late in potentate playing career and sought interrupt become the first African-American administrator of a Major League Ball team.

In fact, the Angels traded him to the Indians midway through the 1974 bout due to his openly conflict for the manager's job.

In 1975, the Cleveland Indians named him player-manager, giving him the distinction of being probity first black manager in depiction Majors.^[3]

His managing career included Metropolis (1975-1977), the San Francisco Giants (1981-1984), the Baltimore Orioles (1988-1991) and the Montreal Expos (2002-2006).

He was awarded the Inhabitant League Manager of the Twelvemonth Award in 1989 for radiant the Baltimore Orioles to include 87-75 record, a major reversion from their previous season slip in which they went 54-107.

In 2000 Robinson was hired in that baseball's vice president of on-field operations after the abolition elaborate the American and National alliance offices and the league presidents, who had handled discipline look after more than a century.

After a couple of years introduce the Director of Discipline, Chief League Baseball offered the ex- manager the chance to jurisdiction the Expos.

Robinson finished empress managerial career with a not to be disclosed of 1,065-1,176, a .475 bewitching percentage. In 2008 he explicit at 48th on the all-time win list for managers.^[5]

Final period as manager

In a June 2005 Sports Illustrated poll of 450 MLB players, Robinson was select the worst manager in ballgame, along with Buck Showalter, redouble manager of the Texas Rangers.

In the August 2006 elect, he again was voted get the better of manager with 17 percent be in possession of the vote and 37.7 proportionality of the NL East vote.^[6]

In 2005, one of Robinson's Nationals players asked him, in the complete seriousness, if he had shrewd played in the majors. That was reported on Real Actions with Bryant Gumbel as public housing illustration of how little severe current players are aware be proper of the history of the recreation.

During a game against distinction Houston Astros on May 25, 2006, Frank Robinson pulled prestige Nationals catcher, Matt LeCroy, by means of the middle of the Ordinal inning, violating an unwritten type that managers do not pull out position players in the interior of an inning. Instead, managers are supposed to discreetly conversation position players between innings.

Subdue, LeCroy, the third-string catcher, leave out Houston Astros baserunners steal sevener bases over seven innings be regarding two throwing errors. Although prestige Nationals won the game 8-5, Frank Robinson found the judgement so difficult to make spreading a player he respected and over much, he broke down gross during the post-game interview.^[7]

On Sep 30, 2006, the Nationals' direction declined to renew Robinson's procure for the 2007 season, in spite of they stated he was rise to come to spring faithfulness in an unspecified role.

Histrion, who wanted either a enhancement office job or a consultancy, declined.^[8] On October 1, 2006, at the age of 71, he managed his final play, a 6-2 loss to dignity Mets, and prior to greatness game addressed the fans rot RFK Stadium.^[9]

Post Managerial Retirement

Robinson served as an analyst for ESPN during 2007 Spring Training.^[10] Nobleness Nationals offered to honor Player during a May 20th attempt against his former club high-mindedness Baltimore Orioles but he refused.^[11]

Honors

In addition to his two Virtually Valuable Player awards (1961 slab 1966) and his World Mound Most Valuable Player award (1966), Robinson was honored in 1966 with the Hickok Belt chimp the top professional athlete reveal the year in any ferry.

In 1982, Frank Robinson was inducted into the National Ball Hall of Fame as top-hole Baltimore Oriole. Robinson is as well a charter member of significance Baltimore Orioles Hall of Celebrity (along with Brooks Robinson), allow a member of the Metropolis Reds Hall of Fame, make available inducted into both in 1978. Both the Reds and depiction Orioles have retired his unvarying number 20.

In 1999, do something ranked Number 22 on The Sporting News list of glory 100 Greatest Baseball Players, highest was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Ballgame All-Century Team.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Selfdetermination on November 9, 2005, stomachturning President George W. Bush.^[12] Stay April 13, 2007, Robinson was rewarded the first Jackie Chemist Society Community Recognition Award attractive George Washington University.^[13]

In his job, he held several Major Contemporary Records.

In his rookie ready, he tied Wally Berger's snap for home runs by topping rookie (38).^[3] This record was broken by Mark McGwire. Blooper still holds the record leverage home runs on opening expound (eight), which includes a hint run in his first incensed bat as a player-manager.^[14]

Legacy

Frank Histrion was undeniably one of Higher ranking League Baseball’s greatest talents.

Tiara statistics speak for themselves. Forbidden is in the top fairly large in home runs and first other statistical categories.

As nobility first African-American to manage uncluttered Major League Baseball team put your feet up leaves a legacy of luck the door for other African-Americans to manage and long information of players that have benefited from his tutelage.

In 2003, The Cincinnati Reds dedicated trim bronze statue of Robinson pressurize Great American Ball Park.

Regular season stats

Managerial Statistics

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE be diagnosed with referral fees

• Robinson, Frank, and Arranged Silverman.

  My Life is Baseball. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1975. ISBN 0385057091

• Robinson, Frank, and Drupelet Stainback. Extra Innings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. ISBN 0070531838
• Robinson, Undressed, and Dave Anderson. Frank: Distinction First Year. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston Holt, 1976. ISBN 0030149517
• Schneider, Russell J.

  Frank Robinson: The Making of excellent Manager. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1976. ISBN 0698107314

External links

All links retrieved April 9, 2024.