Frank Robinson

Guide Note:

Baseball player Frank Robinson is a Hall of Fame outfielder who won Most Valuable Player Awards in both the National League, as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, and the American League, as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.

Fast Facts:

1. Born: August 31, 1935
2. Birthplace: Beaumont, Texas
3. 12-time All-Star
4. 1961, 1966 MVP
5. Active in Civil Rights Movement
6. First black manager in baseball history

Robinson began his Major League career with the Reds in 1956, and wasted no time earning Rookie of the Year honors and hitting 38 home runs, tying the all-time record for a newcomer. During his ten seasons with the Reds, Robinson made the All-Star team six times, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1961. That same year, he helped lead the Reds to the World Series, although the team lost to the New York Yankees in five games.

In 1966, in one of the most controversial trades in the history of the game, the Reds sent Robinson to the Orioles in exchange for pitcher Milt Pappas. Robinson immediately made his former team regret the move, by winning the Triple Crown, the American League Most Valuable Player Award, and by leading the Orioles to their first World Series Championship. The Orioles won another Series with Robinson in 1970, and after 1971, the slugger played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels before finishing his career with the Cleveland Indians. Robinson hit 586 home runs in his career, fourth on the all-time list upon his retirement (he is seventh on the list today.) He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982, his first year of eligibility.

In 1975, Robinson became player-manager of the Indians, thus becoming the first black manager in the history of baseball. Robinson has managed four different teams, including the Indians: the Orioles, the San Francisco Giants, and most recently, the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.